Pittsburgh Steelers Week 17 Preview: To Clinch or Not to Clinch

Here we go again. One of the biggest rival matchups in NFL history takes place one more time for 2025 in week 17 of the season. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Browns meet up in Cleveland for the 149th time since the first game played in 1950. The Steelers lost that game in Pittsburgh 30-17 and would then lose the next seven straight before they finally won 55-27 in 1954.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been a model of consistency, especially in respect to head coaches. Since 1969, a total of 56 years, there have been just three head coaches. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. Tomlin is closing in on the all-time record of most consecutive winning seasons which he is now at 19 and he is only two away from the all-time mark of 21 held by Tom Landry former coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Landry also began his Cowboys career by losing every game of the season with the exception of a tie in 1960 finishing 0-11. In his final three seasons before he retired the Cowboys led by Landry had losing records in all three seasons (7-9, 7-9, and 3-13). However, unlike Landry who saw his teams have eight losing seasons in 29 years at the helm, Tomlin who is in his 19th year of coaching has NEVER had a losing season including this year.

From Bill Cowher’s final three seasons and Mike Tomlin’s career to date, the Steelers now have the all-time record for consecutive winning seasons with 22. To further prove the model of consistency with the Pittsburgh Steelers beyond having only three coaches since 1969, from the time Tomlin took over in 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had just six starting quarterbacks (Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and now Aaron Rodgers). Cleveland?

The Browns since 2007 have had nine different head coaches. Since 1969 the Steelers with their three head coaches have looked across state lines to find the Cleveland Browns having change head coaches 20 times with 21 men who have tried to get the Browns to be a winning team.

Going back to Cleveland versus the Steelers since Mike Tomlin became coach in 2007 in those 19 seasons the Steelers have posted a record of 192-113-2 or a winning percentage of .625. Cleveland on the other hand has lost 202 games and won only 104 while tying one game. That is a percentage of a lowly .338. Additionally, Cleveland has never won the division in the Tomlin era with their best finish coming in 2023 when the Browns finished second and in Tomlin’s rookie year when Cleveland again finished in second place.

Of these past 19 seasons, the Browns finished last 12 times. Pittsburgh has finished first seven times, and it will be eight if they win it again this season and it appears they will. An additional seven seasons saw Pittsburgh finishing second. This includes two Super Bowl appearances with one Lombardi Trophy and one conference championship loss. The Browns have made the playoffs only twice since 2007. But Tomlin has taken the Steelers into the postseason 12 times.

The problem for Tomlin this season is the pressure he is feeling about not having won a playoff game since 2016. After losing the AFC title game in 2016 Pittsburgh has dropped their opening playoff game five consecutive times. This is why Aaron Rodgers and a handful of other proven veterans were brought in to get that elusive playoff victory.

All this history brings us to week 17 of the season and another meeting between rivals that means nothing to the Browns except pride whereas the Steelers have a division title at stake. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series with 83 victories and has lost 64 times with one game finishing in a tie. In the playoffs the Steelers and Browns have played three times with the Steelers winning twice. In the last eight games dating back to 2022 Pittsburgh has won five of these games.

When the Steelers have the ball

We already know DK Metcalf will not be playing in this game or the season finale against Baltimore. How much impact will that have on the Steelers’ offense? Perhaps a little in the downfield passing game. But in Pittsburgh’s defeat of the Lions, Scotty Miller showed up with some clutch catches. Darnell Washington keeps emerging more as a threat.

Defensively, Cleveland is ranked second overall in the NFL. Still, they have given up 30 or more points in four different games they also lost to Baltimore early in the season 41-17. But this Steelers offense is clicking on all cylinders right now so with the performance Jaylen Warren had in Detroit and Kenneth Gainwell continuing to seemingly get better with each passing game, I believe Aaron Rodgers can get things done for the Steelers.

The question though is this…if the Ravens lose to Green Bay the day before this game takes place, then the Steelers would win the AFC North. If that happens does Mike Tomlin choose to rest Aaron Rodgers in this game and the next preserving him for the playoffs and not risking an injury to his starting quarterback? That remains to be seen.

When the Browns have the ball

I just can’t fathom Shedeur Sanders beating the Steelers. The Browns are on their third starting quarterback this season from Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel and now Shedeur. Sanders. In five games Sanders has thrown for only 1,103 yards and has been sacked 15 times. He has thrown 18 interceptions and has a low rating of just 67.5. When he was the starter Dillon Gabriel had a mark 80.8.

Mike Tomlin’s record against rookie quarterbacks is somewhere around 27 wins and just six losses. Expect Tyrel Austin to create a defensive game plan to pressure this kid into making mistakes and given now the Steelers defense is playing this could easily happen.

Intangibles

The Steelers have much more to play for here than do the Browns. Cleveland always will want to knock off Pittsburgh, especially if there is a chance to keep them out of the postseason. But the Browns are just a pathetic team this season and the Steelers seem to have found themselves and righted their ship. For the Steelers it boils down to what the result of the Baltimore/Green Bay game is. With a Packers victory the Steelers do not need to win here thus rendering the game not necessary for Pittsburgh to win.