Browns training camp opens next week, and we are all getting ready for what we hope will be a great season. Since the Browns returned in 1999, there has been no off season excitement like this. They have done many things on paper that look great, now it's winning time and time to stay healthy.
I hear all these ESPN peeps and local sports radio and TV peeps talking about the great season the Browns will have and we are only gonna lose 3 games, 4 games and go to the Superbowl. And hey, that might be right. But this is writing is not about that. If any of the above is going to happen, one other thing has to happen. The Browns MUST beat the Steelers TWICE this season. All of the above are so confident that the Steelers are going to stink. And they just might.
Whether we as Browns fans like it or not, the Steelers are the best organization in all of pro sports. 50 years of real winning says so. They have great owners, are coached well, and know how to win, plus they have a style that is uniquely theirs. They will not be phased by adversity, and on the Browns game days with them, they will let the Browns shoulder all the pressure. I know they are old, they say Ben is broken down, and have salary cap issues and blah blah blah.... All of the same peeps are saying they are done for this season and you can just mark up two Browns wins against them.
I hope that's true, because that's what you have to do. The Steelers in essence have only played a 14 game schedule the past 20 years, because they had two guaranteed wins a year against the Browns. Beating the Steelers twice helps in every way. Helps you win the division, playoffs, helps get home field advantage, and all that stuff. The Browns can have no more moral victories against them. We are surging, and they are seemingly ripe for the picking. There is no other acceptable outcome. If not now - when?
The Steelers are in a very unfamiliar position. They are here to be the spoilers, the underdogs. They are a proud bunch with a GREAT coach, and winning is what they know. I wish everyone would stop telling this incredibly strong franchise they can't win this year, that's like jet fuel with an open flame. The Browns are in a position to help them stink by beating them, like they have beaten us for 20 years. There is only one way to get where you want to go this year. Win the games you're supposed to win, and beat these guys twice! I'll tell you this. The Browns are going no further than they went last year unless they beat them twice this year. It's good for the record, the standings and most importantly, for the mindset. The mindset is the key for the team and the fan base. So go do it!
Will the Browns be very good? Yes! Will the Steelers stink? I'll believe that, when I see it.
