Top 10 Browns-Steelers games (according to Joe)

Yes, this has been a miserable Browns season.

And yes, by all indications, the Pittspuke Stillers should blow out the Browns at the giant ketchup bottle in front of a bunch of yellow towel-waving sheep and a national television audience (well, at least those who don't subscribe to Time-Warner Cable, which still does not have a deal in place with the NFL Network).

However, it's Steeler Week, and Joe Cleveland can't help but get fired up.

When the Browns first came back in 1999, I admit that I hated the Ravens ... err, the Thieving Bastards ... more than the Steelers. After all, Judas was still that team's owner, and he ripped them out of Cleveland and put them in Colt-ville. So, Browns fans were pretty pissed off when it came to those imposters in purple.

It also didn't help that the Thieving Bastards caught lightning in a bottle and won the Super Bowl after the 2000 season. If you wonder why 2001 was such a bad year, you can point to the fact that it began with Judas holding up the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Meanwhile, the Steelers hadn't quite found their mojo yet.

In fact, the Browns (after taking a 43-0 pasting in front of a national audience in the first official game back) beat the Steelers twice in their first two years of existance. They won five games in those two years -- two of those came against the Stillers.

I think it all changed when the Browns caught lightning in a bottle themselves and qualified for the playoffs in 2002. Their reward -- the Stillers at the giant ketchup bottle. The Stillers had swept the Browns that season, but each game was decided by three points and each game came down to the bitter end.

The Browns, heavy underdogs and led by a backup quarterback named Kelly, jumped out to leads of 23-7 and 33-21, the latter late in the fourth quarter. But, in typical Cleveland fashion, a former castoff named Tommy Maddux led the Stillers to two late touchdowns, Dennis Northcutt couldn't catch a third-down pass that hit him right in the hands that would have allowed the Browns to run out the clock, and Andre King couldn't quite get out of bounds despite being in Phil Dawson's field goal range before time ran out, and Pittspuke won, 36-33.

The next year, the Stillers drafted an Ohio boy named Consentlessberger or something along those lines, and since then, they've been among the NFL elite. The Browns, meanwhile, have not.

Even in 2007, when the Browns won 10 games, they swept the Ravens, but were swept by the Stillers. Had they beaten Pittspuke just once, the Browns would have made the playoffs. But they didn't, and they didn't.

Recent history hasn't been kind to the Browns in the longest-standing rivalry in the AFC (which is because these two teams started playing before the AFL existed). The Browns got off to a 32-9 start in this series, but the Steelers have recently taken the lead thanks to only losing to Cleveland FOUR times since the Browns returned to the lakefront.

But, those who neglect to follow history are doomed to repeat it. So, to remind Browns fans that it hasn't always bad against the Squeelers (and to remind front-running Pittsburgh fan that, No. 1, the team existed before 1970 and was mostly terrible, and, No. 2, that the 1980s and the early part of the 1990s were not the Squeelers finast moment, and that they always haven't been great during the so-called "Super Bowl Era"), here are my top 10 games in the Browns-Steelers rivalry.

Jaded Steeler fan may wonder how someone like me could find 10 winning Browns games against the Steelers. I would like to remind Jaded Steeler Fan that your team only leads the series 60-56, not counting two playoff victories over our beloved Dawgs.

So, here goes:

10. Browns 13, Steelers 6 (Dec. 10, 2009): The most recent win for the Browns in this series cracks our list because of how out-of-nowhere it really was. The Browns came into this Thursday Night home contest with a 1-11 record, and new coach Eric Mangini was on the hot seat with the rumored hiring of Mike Holmgren as team president earlier that week. However, instead of rolling over to the vaunted Steelers, the defending Super Bowl champions, they hit them in the mouth. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked eight times -- a season-best for the Browns' beleagured defense -- and held them to just two field goals. Brady Quinn only threw for 90 yards and was offset a lot by receiver Josh Cribbs, who ran for a team-best 87 yards out of the Wildcat formation. But, he led two first quarter scoring drives (both Phil Dawson field goals) and another just before halftime, capped by rookie Chris Jennings' 10-yard touchdown run to make it 13-0. The game wasn't over until linebacker David Bowens batted away a fourth-down Roethlisberger pass with just over a minute remaining, and Santonio Holmes was leveled after a short punt return with no time remaining to cap one of the most satisfying Browns victory during the "Expansion Era."

9. Browns 24, Steelers 19 (Oct. 9, 1965): -- The Browns came into 1965 as the defending NFL champions (alas, they haven't been able to do that since then) and picked up right where they left off, winning two of their first three games before hosting the hated Steelers (0-4) on a Saturday night. However, the underdog Steelers hung tough with the vaunted Browns, rallying from a 10-0 first quarter deficit to take a 19-17 fourth quarter lead on a Dick Hoak 15-yard run. Jim Brown (who Cleveland drafted just one pick after the Steelers selected Len Dawson in the first round of the 1957 draft) scored two touchdowns, one receiving, and gained 168 yards on the ground. However, it was his backup Leroy Kelly (who also wound up in the Hall of Fame), who made the biggest plays of the game-winning drive, which began on their own 22 with 3:35 remaining, catching passes of 22 and 21 yards. Following a four-yard run by Brown to put the ball on the Pittsburgh 14 with less than a minute to go, Frank Ryan found Gary Collins on a post pattern in the end zone for the game-winning score. The Browns wound wind up going 11-3 and reaching the NFL Championship game for the second-straight year, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in what turned out to be Brown's final game of his storied career.

8. Browns 16, Steelers 15 (Nov. 14, 1999): After three years without football, the Browns were reborn as an expansion team in 1999, playing in a sparkling new stadium in the exact spot that the old Cleveland Stadium stood. In their first game back, the Browns were humiliated by the Steelers, 43-0, at home. Just a few weeks later, on Nov. 14, the Browns played like a totally different team. keeping themselves in the game. The Browns scored first on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson (both rookies), but the Steelers battled back to take a 15-7 lead on a touchdown and three field goals. But, with 6:26 left in the game, defensive lineman John Thierry intercepted Kordell Stewart and was brought down at the Steeler 15, setting up a Couch to Mark Edwards touchdown pass a few plays later. Karim Abdul-Jabbar's two-point conversion run was stopped, but the Browns had one more chance. Taking over with no timeouts at his own 20 with 1:51 remaining, Couch drove the Browns 58 yards in five plays. Without stopping the clock and with 18 seconds left, Chris Palmer ran the field goal team out on to the field. The Browns snapped the ball with two seconds left, and rookie Phil Dawson, into an 18 mph wind, calmly drilled a 40-yard field goal to give Cleveland the stunning upset win. It turned out to be the Browns' second-to-last visit to Three Rivers Stadium and their first win there since 1989's 51-0 blowout.

7. Browns 26, Steelers 24 (Nov. 19, 1972): The suddenly resurgent Steelers, after decades of ineptitude, took a 7-2 record into this contest at Cleveland Stadium, with the Browns at 6-3. The Browns jumped out to a 20-3 lead behind two TD passes from Mike Phipps, but the Steelers scored just before halftime to make it 20-10, then got two touchdown runs -- the latter a 75-yard run from Franco Harris -- to take a 24-23 fourth quarter lead. Don Cockroft missed a 27-yard field goal with just under two minutes remaining, but he got another chance thanks to the defense forcing a three-and-out and a clutch drive led by Phipps. With 13 seconds remaining, Cockroft earned his redemption with a 26-yard field goal, giving the Browns a much-needed victory. Both teams made the playoffs that season, but both were defeated by the undefeated Miami Dolphins.

6. Browns 27, Steelers 26 (Oct. 16, 1980): This game virtually signaled the death of the first Steeler dynasty and helped propel the "Kardiac Kids" to their first-ever AFC Central crown and first playoff berth since 1972. Despite the Steelers missing most of their regular offensive starters, Pittsburgh jumped out to a 26-14 fourth quarter lead with backup QB Cliff Stoudt, an Oberlin native, at the helm. But Brian Sipe and Co., despite blowing a couple of golden scoring opportunities earlier in the game, came to life in the fourth quarter. Sipe found Greg Pruitt for a 7-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 9:21 remaining (Don Cockroft missed the extra point, keeping the Steelers ahead by six). Then, with 5:38 remaining, Sipe found a streaking Ozzie Newsome wide open for an 18-yard touchdown, sending 80,000 fans at Cleveland Stadium into a frenzy. Ron Bolton prevented Stoudt from making a late rally with an interception at the two-minute warning, and the Browns were able to run out the clock on this huge victory over the defending Super Bowl champs.

5. Browns 18, Steelers 16 (Oct. 10, 1976): This game is famous for Browns defensive end Joe "Turkey" Jones' sack of Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, where Jones slammed Bradshaw right on his head and knocked him out of the game. The Steelers had won Super Bowl X the previous season and were poised to try to win it again. They knocked out Brian Sipe early in the game, which resulted in little-used rookie Dave Mays (the Browns' third-string QB) making his NFL debut. Mays -- who was Cleveland's first black quarterback -- earned his way into Browns lore by calmly leading the Browns to two third-quarter scores -- a 1-yard run by Cleo Miller and a 50-yard field goal by Don Cockroft -- which gave them a 15-10 lead. Following Turkey's sack, Cockroft added the game-clinching 40-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining.

4. Browns 27, Steelers 24 (Oct. 5, 1986):Since Three Rivers Stadium opened up in 1970, the Browns had never won there. They would always seem to lose in bizzare fashion as well, which perpetuated the local myth of the "Three Rivers Jinx." The previous season, the Browns had the Steelers on the ropes before Gary Anderson's last-second field goal gave Pittsburgh a 10-9 win. The Browns tried everything; staying in different hotels, busing instead of flying, bringing dirt from Cleveland Stadium and sprinkling it on the field during warmups, you name it. And, this one wasn't without its bizarre moments as well. The Browns took a quick 10-0 lead, but back-to-back turnovers gave Pittsburgh a 14-10 lead late in the first half. That's when Gerald McNeil, nicknamed "The Ice Cube," became a permanent fixture in Browns lore when he returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving the Browns a 17-14 halftime lead. At the time, it was the Browns' first kickoff return touchdown in 12 years! However, the Steelers regained the lead early in the third quarter, and the two teams traded scores which resulted in Pittsburgh leading, 24-20, to start the fourth quarter. But, Mike Johnson recovered a muffed punt, and Earnest Byner's four-yard TD run with eight minutes left gave the Browns the lead for good. It got interesting though -- Matt Bahr missed a chip-shot field goal with just under five minutes to play, but Mark Malone's pitch to Earnest Jackson on a bizarre option call from the Browns 35 was botched and the Browns recovered.

3. Browns 37, Steelers 31 OT (Nov. 23, 1986): The Browns had just endeded their 16-year "Three Rivers Jinx" earlier in the season (see No. 4) and had come off a huge win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night at home. Bernie Kosar and Mark Malone engaged in a wild shootout. Kosar completed 28 of 46 passes for a then-career-best 414 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, just two days before his 23rd birthday. The Browns had taken a 31-28 lead with 1:51 left on a Matt Bahr field goal, but lost Bahr for the season on the ensuing kickoff when he made a game-saving tackle on the Steelers' Lupe Sanchez at the Browns 40. Gary Anderson made a 40-yard field goal to send the game into overtime and the Browns did not have a kicker. After both teams went three-and-out in the OT, Kosar went to work. With 6:37 remaining and the ball on the Steeler 36, Kosar pumped once and fired deep down the left sideline for rookie Webster Slaughter. Slaughter caught the ball in stride and scored the walk-off touchdown. The Browns' 536 yards offense was the most a Pittsburgh defense had ever yielded up to that point.

2. Browns 51, Steelers 0 (Sept. 10, 1989): The Browns were in the midst of a five-season playoff streak, where they qualified for the AFC Championship game three times in a four-year span. This season capped off both streaks and began with question marks concerning new head coach Bud Carson. Carson, who was the architect of the famed Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" defense in the 1970s, had never been a head coach before. But, in this season opener at Three Rivers Stadium, Carson's attack 4-3 defense stunned Bubby Brister and the Steelers by forcing six turnovers and scoring three defensive touchdowns -- two of which by linebacker David Grayson. Rookie running back Tim Worley fumbled the ball at least four times, and two of them were returned for touchdowns. This rout catpulted the Browns to a 9-6-1 season and their last AFC Championship game berth.

1. Browns 28, Steelers 23 (Oct. 24, 1993): Just two weeks later, Bill Belichick and Art Modell touched off mass furor when they released regional icon Bernie Kosar. However, all was right in the world with this game, simply remembered as the "Eric Metcalf Game." The Browns jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, thanks to a 62-yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to Michael Jackson and a 91-yard punt return by Metcalf, but the Steelers tied at 14 just before halftime. The Browns led again, 21-17, on a short TD pass from Testaverde to fullback Ron Wolfley, but the Steelers came back to take a 23-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. With Testaverde knocked out of the game with a separated shoulder, Kosar was poised to direct one his patented two-minute drives. However, Metcalf never gave him the chance, weaving through the Steeler special teams for a breathtaking 75-yard touchdown with 2:05 remaining. Metcalf became just the first NFL player to have two punt return TDs in the same game. The win improved the Browns to 5-2, but Kosar's release deflated this team that wound up a disappointing 7-9. It was also the last time the original Browns beat the Steelers.

HONORABLE MENTION: Browns 10, Steelers 9 (Dec. 19, 1982):Nothing particularly memorable about this game, expect it helped propel the Browns into the playoffs with a 4-5 record in this strike-shortened season. Johnny Davis' 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Browns a 10-7 lead it never relinquished, although punter Steve Cox took an intentional safety in the final seconds to make it a one-point win. However, this home game occurred on my ninth birthday. It is still the last time the Browns have been able to win on Joe Cleveland's birthday, and the fact that they beat my least-favorite team still makes me happy.

Can the Browns crack this top 10 tonight with another out-of-nowhere win? Can a win tonight help set off an era of good football, much like the Steelers' wins in the early 1970s kicked off their most epic era ever? We'll see. Kickoff is in an hour.

Here we go, Brownies, here we go!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks ... and PITTSBURGH SUCKS!!!