Sunday at Pittsburgh Will be the Real Test for the 2020 Browns
The Browns are 4-1 through the first five games of the 2020 season. At this point, we’ve all heard the jokes reminding us that Hue Jackson only won three out of 40 games, while Kevin Stefanski has already won four. Now, it’s time for the Clowns to take the next step: beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
It’s a test the Browns have failed for the past 16 years. Heinz Field, undoubtedly one of the toughest environments for road teams to play in, has not been kind to Cleveland. It is home to the gravestones of many past Browns quarterbacks and the site of many Browns head coaches’ last game on the job. This time around promises to be different as the Browns are on a massive upswing with a four-game winning streak behind them.
Beating the Colts and Cowboys consecutively was quite fun and impressive, but coming back from Heinz Field with a win would overcome the past 16 years of grief. It would be historical proof of the Browns’ turnaround. It would also reverse the tragic circumstances of last season’s helmet swinging finish for Myles Garrett, as the Browns season was effectively ended after the Week 11 brawl of 2019.
A win Sunday would also launch Baker Mayfield into a higher conversation among the league’s young quarterbacks. Beating a top-tier defense like Pittsburgh’s would help to put an end to the narrative that he can’t succeed against top NFL competition. It won’t be easy and losing at Heinz Field this weekend won’t bury the Browns’ 2020 playoff hopes or get Stefanski fired. However, finally hurtling the roadblock that is the Steelers on the road can do a whole lot in turning this franchise around for the better.
