PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The NFL believes the Steelers-Browns matchup is the best game for Wild Card weekend as it put the third meeting of the season in Sunday prime time.
Steelers hosting at 8:15 on NBC on January 10 after the teams split the season series, each team winning at home.
It’s only the second time the teams met in the post-season with the Steelers home for both of the previous matchups. Final was 29-9 in the Divisional round in 1995 and 36-33 in the Wild Card round in 2002, Cleveland’s last playoff appearance.
Two totally different games, in ’95, the Steelers beat the Vinny Testaverde led Browns with three touchdowns in the second quarter, two on passes by Neil O’Donnell. Steelers led 24-3 at the half and held Testaverde to a QB rating of 40.3 for the game. Barry Foster rushed for 133 yards as the Steelers as a team rushed for 238.
In the latest matchup, the Browns led 24-7 in the third and 33-21 with 3:07 to play in the game only to have Tommy Maddox lead a comeback with a touchdown to Hines Ward and the game-winner came on a three yard run by Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala.
Maddox threw for 367 yards, while Kelly Holcomb threw for 429 yards. The game notorious for a Dennis Northcutt drop on third down that forced a punt leading to the Steelers game-winning TD drive. Ward and Plaxico Burress each went for triple digit receiving yards, while McKeesport HS grad and Steelers defensive back Mike Logan had an interception.
Indianapolis at Buffalo at 1p on Saturday kicks off off the day with the Ravens at Tennessee at 1p on Sunday.