It’s been a long time coming, but the Cleveland Browns and their fans have earned this.

This week’s defeat of their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers, came in the most unlikely of circumstances. Dealing with absences of coaches and key players due to COVID-19 diagnoses and injuries, and facing an ominous record of defeats in Heinz Field at the hands of their division archrivals, the Browns came out fired up on Sunday.

The team was well-coached, brought an excellent game plan and players, perhaps motivated with help of trash talk from Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, were prepared for the challenge. The Browns defeated the Steelers 48-37, ending Pittsburgh’s season.

In a year riddled with disappointment and difficulties for so many of us, the city of Cleveland and its Browns fans needed this, indeed. The Browns now advance to the second round in the playoffs for the first time since the 1994 season. Sunday, they will face the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

They don’t seem to be daunted.

As Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said this week in a post-game news conference, “We believe in ourselves.”

Browns fans believe in them, too.

Good luck, Browns, in Kansas City. Win or lose, congratulations on an excellent season.

editorial@tribtoday.com