Leave it to the diehard Cleveland Browns fans to impress the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that's what they did on Thursday night.
Andre Szmyt split the uprights on a go-ahead 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining, and the Browns beat their bitter rivals to improve to 3-1 and grab first place in the AFC North.
Steelers coach Mike McCarthy was disappointed in his team's loss but praised the crazed Cleveland crowd after the game:
"It's the best environment I've played in this stadium in my lifetime," McCarthy told reporters.
McCarthy's voice should carry weight, as the 62-year-old longtime NFL head coach has been around for many games in his day, including many games in Cleveland. He's coached for 19 seasons (13 of them in Green Bay, five in Dallas, and one in Pittsburgh).
McCarthy was the head coach of the Cowboys in the 2024 season and was part of the Week 1 season opener in Cleveland when his team battled the Browns, so he's heard some loud crowds inside Huntington Bank Field.
I was there, and Mike McCarthy was right about Browns fans
As an in-person member of the crowd that night, I totally agree with McCarthy's take on fans. The sounds were deafening for most of the evening as they screamed and cheered for the Browns.
I'm not sure, in my time as a long-time member of the crowd, if it was the loudest and most crazed moment watching the Browns play, but it was certainly one of the best moments watching the team win.
The crowd was really into every play. Their desire to cheer was a bonus for a Browns team that needed every little thing to work in their favor.
I recall the Browns-New York Jets game in Week 3 of the 2018 season as one of the best moments and loudest times watching the Browns in person. In that game, then-Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield helped lead Cleveland to its first win of the season but, even more importantly, it broke the 19-game losing streak that dated back to the 2016 season. The Browns never won a game in 2017, so the win seemed magical in the moment.
The Browns are now a winning football team, and despite all the speculation that included who was going to play quarterback this season and how new Cleveland head coach Todd Monken would fare, everything right now is coming up roses.
Browns fans will continue to cheer on their beloved team — and hopefully, their team will respond with more victories in the coming weeks.
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