PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 10: Baker Mayfield #6 and Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Heinz Field on January 10, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)The Cleveland Browns made history on Sunday, winning their first playoff game since 1994 with a 48-37 win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Naturally, the Browns were in a celebratory mood afterwards, and there was a lovely locker room speech.
Acting head coach Mike Priefer started by listing off all of the team’s best stats from the game. When he was done, he dedicated the effort the team put out to head coach Kevin Stefanski, who missed the game due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Coach Stefanski – this one’s for him!” Priefer said. The camera then pans to a staffer holding a phone that has Stefanski on a video call.
Priefer then broke the team’s huddle by declaring that the team will be ready for the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend. Everyone in the room was hyped up for it.
“Coach Stefanski – this one’s for him!”
Our locker room was HYPE last night pic.twitter.com/e64iINixwO
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 11, 2021
Few teams have been as big of a boogeyman to the Cleveland Browns as the Pittsburgh Steelers these last 20-plus years. The Steelers had knocked the Browns out of their last two playoff appearances, beating them in 1994 and 2002.
Pittsburgh also vexed them constantly in the regular season, beating them 29 times over the past 18 years.
Beating the Steelers – in Heinz Field no less – has to be incredibly cathartic for that franchise.
And if they bring anywhere near the level of energy to Kansas City as they did to Pittsburgh, the Browns could shock the world next weekend.
