Following Pittsburgh's 30-27 win over the Bengals, here are three things I think and three things I know ahead of the Steelers' Thursday night battle against the Browns.

I THINK this is the most important Steelers-Browns game that we’ve seen in several years.

Last year’s meeting in Cleveland obviously meant a lot to Pittsburgh, as a win would have clinched a playoff spot for Mike Tomlin & Co., but the Browns were still absolute dog water last season. The Browns were terrible in 2024, too. You honestly might have to go back to the 2020 wild card battle in the playoffs to find a game in which both sides have a lot at stake. Is Cleveland projected to be a division contender in December and January? Probably not, but the facts are the facts. Both the Browns and Steelers are 2-1, and the winner will be in sole possession of first place in the AFC North after this one.

I THINK there is still some Mike Tomlin residue hanging in the locker room.

Not to take anything away from Mike McCarthy, but the Steelers obviously responded after that putrid loss in New England. I’m sure McCarthy did a fine job in motivating his players ahead of the Bengals game, but you could tell some of these guys played for Tomlin. This was a classic bounceback spot after an embarrassing performance.

I THINK Aaron Rodgers’ story isn’t finished being written.

The start to this 2026 season wasn’t good for QB1, but if he plays the way he did on Sunday moving forward, the Steelers can legitimately make some noise in the postseason. While some believe Rodgers is washed, 292 yards and three touchdowns (and an interception that wasn’t at all his fault) say otherwise.

I KNOW the Steelers needed that win over the Bengals.

No, not just a win, but a convincing win. The offense put up 30 points, and the defense did enough to stop one of the NFL’s best QB-WR duos. Special teams also came up huge in the fourth quarter with a fumble recovery. It’s one thing to win a football game — it’s another to do it in a manner that didn’t at all feel like a fluke.

I KNOW DK Metcalf took a step in the right direction in Sunday’s win over Cincinnati.

Three catches for 31 yards isn’t anything special, but one of those receptions was in the end zone. More importantly, though, Metcalf didn’t drop any passes or do anything that left you scratching your head. Sure, his holding call came at an inopportune time on Jaylen Warren’s long run, but even that was a somewhat iffy (late) flag from the referee.

I KNOW the offensive line moves were needed.

Sunday looked promising, and we shall see how Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman perform moving forward, but you absolutely could not continue with the status quo in the trenches and expect different results. Change was required. Credit to Pittsburgh for shaking things up.