The Cleveland Browns finally won in Heinz Field which means they are back.
There has been obstacle that stood in the way of the Cleveland Browns and whether or not they were back. That obstacle was the fact they haven’t defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field since 2003. With their 48-37 win in Pittsburgh they have cleared that obstacle and can be declared officially back.
There have been a couple of times when the Browns were exciting and even playing good football, but still were unable to win in Pittsburgh. Eventually things would fall apart with those squads and it would turn out the team was not built for long term success. Whether or not the Browns could win in Heinz Field has been the tool to judge the quality of the team. If the team could do the seemingly impossible they were indeed good and be declared back, but unfortunately it was almost two decades of false hopes. Even bad teams can find a way to fall backwards into a win against a superior team, but not the Browns. Cleveland would still end up losing to Steelers teams that can be considered inferior by their standards. Beating Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh was just the one thing that they could’t manage to do, but not anymore.
This win just matters so much more than any other win. Not only did the Cleveland Browns win in Heinz Field, they won a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and eliminated their rival from the postseason. If there was any questions about the legitimacy of this team or if they are actually back they can be put away now. It can be stated with 100% certainty that the Cleveland Browns are back and they are not going away any time soon.
