For the Cleveland Browns, when it comes to their AFC North opponents (specifically, the Pittsburgh Steelers), the answer is a resounding yes.

It was rarely pretty, but the Browns defeated the Steelers on Sunday, 20-14. Led by a dominating defense that created eight turnovers and running back Trent Richardson, who rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, the Browns beat the Steelers for the first time since 2009. Until Sunday, Pittsburgh had won 16 of the previous 17 matchups, and most weren’t even close.

But as this Browns team has proven, it does appear to be on the brink of bigger and better things. While that should be more evident in 2013, there is no denying that, when healthy, this current team is no longer a doormat.

The Browns’ defense was the true standout of the day, making quarterback Charlie Batch look exactly like he should: a 37-year-old third-stringer making his first start of the season. The Steelers went 1-for-9 on third down and mustered only 49 total rushing yards.

Of those eight Steelers turnovers, five were fumbles and three were interceptions. It was a dominating performance any way you look at it, and it allowed the Browns to shut out their rival in the second half and come back to win the game, despite a lackluster offensive effort.

As for the offense, quarterback Brandon Weeden left late in the fourth quarter with a concussion after he banged his head on left tackle Joe Thomas’ leg. Colt McCoy came into the game, but he did not throw a pass. Weeden would finish the day 17 of 26 for 158 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

Weeden continues to underwhelm at the position, and this injury might end up complicating his situation in Cleveland. Should McCoy come in and do well, a quarterback controversy going into next season will be inevitable.

For now, though, the Browns finally vanquished a familiar foe and, amazingly, have an opportunity to get three wins in the AFC North this season. The uncertain future be damned; the Browns can – and should – bask in this victory.

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Some quick thoughts on the second round of breaking rumors regarding Randy Lerner’s potential sale of the Cleveland Browns.

A snow storm of information is building and opinions now are sure to change as additional facts come to light. Here’s where I’m at right now:

• It looks like there’s a contingent of Browns fans who are worried about the sale and I can see why. For the past three years Mike Holmgren has been attempting to re-brand the Browns as a stable organization, and we can all agree that successful NFL franchises are, for the most part, stable. There is nothing stable about changing ownership.
• Change makes people nervous. The fans assume they’ve got a stalwart at general manager in Tom Heckert. We’ve always worried about the day Holmgren would walk away from his leadership role, and how the Browns team would react to that change. Would Tom Heckert stay? Would the coaches? What’s the new owner going to think about paying Holmgren $50 million for the job he has?
• The last thing anybody wants is for the team to start all over, for the fifth time in 12 years, especially now that it appears they’re finally moving in the right direction.
• And this is a Browns fan at his/her finest – jumping off the cliff at the mere scent of danger. Let’s not forget, this is the day you have been waiting for. The day when an absentee, aloof, English soccer-loving owner is finally out of you life forever. He has been the constant in all the failed, pathetic football seasons, and we have often remarked that this team will not go anywhere while he has the final word.
• Randy’s father, Al Lerner, brokered the deal to move the Browns to Baltimore so that he could buy the expansion version of the team when they came back. Randy Lerner took over the team after the passing of his father in 2002. Since then he’s operated his inherited Browns as if they are a bothersome adoption. He’d rather throw his endless pit of money at them than oversee and manage true organizational change. Again, we’ve written poems about the day Lerner would finally sell the team and now that day is here.
• Panic button No. 2: The Browns have 16 years remaining on their current lease, but that’s not the reason they’re not moving. The original Browns moved out of town because the city was caught napping while Art Modell negotiated his exit. It ruined his legacy, sparked the relocation of another three NFL teams, and scarred the city of Cleveland and the league deeply. There are too many parties that don’t want to relive that atrocity for it to happen again. Fool me once…
• Apparently the potential buyer, Jimmy Haslam III, currently owns a piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is also worrisome to Browns fans. No matter. The Steelers are the only NFL team to win six Lombardi Trophies, so this is actually the complete opposite of a bad situation. Think of the other NFL ownership lineage that could be buying a stake here – names like the Irsays or Irelands. Which organization would you prefer the new ownership to actually come from?
• This is the beginning of the end for Mike Holmgren. We’ve always known he’s longed to return to being infallible in Seattle. This is the chance he’s been waiting for. He has two years left on his contract anyway, so if anything, the buy would only accelerate the inevitable.
• And with that, the fates of the Browns coaches and front office will run the same course they would have had the team not been sold. If Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden are hits, the team will be on the way up and everyone will stay. If they bomb, then Tom Heckert, Pat Shurmur, Holmgren and the rest would probably have been looking for work anyway.
• On the flip side, a drama-free season this will not be. This is business as usual for the Browns.

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After being released by the Steelers, Ward considered signing with another team, but decided instead that he’d rather retire.

“You guys meant the world to me,” Ward told Steelers fans. “This city and this organization means the world to me. So today I came back to Pittsburgh to grant Steeler Nation this one last request. Today I am officially retiring as a Pittsburgh Steeler. And as much as I will miss football, my teammates, coaches and everything about the game, I don’t want to play in any other uniform. The black and gold runs deep with me, and I will remain a Steeler for life.”

Cleveland Browns fans certainly aren’t going to miss seeing Ward consistently torch the Browns’ defense and be a general nuisance on the field. However, underneath that is a required level of respect for a great player.

It is unfortunate that Ward will no longer play the game – and one can speculate on all of his reasons for retiring – but it seems genuine that he wanted to retire as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s a telling indication of how the culture of that organization is embedded into every player that ends up there.

It’s something the Browns continue to work towards and, hopefully, will one day achieve.

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