Steelers Drawing Scary Comparison to Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers have received the worst comparison possible.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before a preseason game against Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH -- "The Browns is the Browns" is a quote that has stood strong in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers for years, and the last thing any fan wants to hear is that their team is turning into Cleveland.

Well, one analyst believes they are. In The Athletic's latest NFL power rankings, Josh Kendell places the Steelers 20th. And to make matters worse, they're drawing comparisons to the Browns heading into the regular season.

"The Steelers are acting like the Browns this preseason," Kendell writes. "I’m sorry, Pittsburgh fans, I know that hurts. The Steelers have an old quarterback cast off by another team (Russell Wilson) and a young quarterback cast off by another team (Justin Fields). They held a quarterback competition in name at least, and then declared Wilson the starter while leaving the door open for Fields to get playing time. It all feels a little squishy for the Steelers, who have prided themselves on being resolute throughout their history."

The Steelers are hoping all the outside noise surrounding Russell Wilson is wrong, and that the nine-time Pro Bowler can lead them back to the win column this postseason. If not, they're banking on a young talent in Justin Fields to grow into the superstar some believe he could be.

Either way, proving the narrative that they're acting like the Browns wrong is an important one. Maybe more so for the fans than the coaches and players, but it doesn't lessen the importance. No one in Pittsburgh would want to be compared to Cleveland.

Pittsburgh heads into Week 1 ready to face the Atlanta Falcons, with all eyes on Wilson and the offense. If things go well, a lot of the noise will quiet down. If not, it's going to get very loud, very fast around the Steelers.

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