Steelers trying to end this nightmare 46-year Thursday night losing streak in Week 4 against Browns

Oct 1, 2026 at 10:17 am ET • 3 min read

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history, but one thing they haven't been able to figure out how to do is win a Thursday night game on the road against a divisional opponent. 

Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers have hit the road for nine different Thursday night divisional games and they've lost ALL nine.  

That's right, the six-time Super Bowl champion Steelers have NEVER won a Thursday night game on the road against a divisional opponent, but they will have a chance to end that streak in Week 4 when they head to Cleveland to face the Browns. 

Of course, playing the Browns might not actually help the Steelers, because Cleveland has been a house of horrors for them. Four of their nine losses during their streak have come in Cleveland, including three over the past seven years. 

The improbable Thursday losing streak started in 1980 and it's now been going on for 46 years. This streak has been going on for so long that two of the Steelers' divisional losses have come in a division that doesn't exist anymore (AFC Central).

Here's the full breakdown of opponents:

Opponent	Score	Date
Oilers (AFC Central)	Oilers 6-0 over Steelers	Dec. 4, 1980
Jaguars (AFC Central)	Jaguars 20-6 over Steelers	Dec. 2, 1999
Browns (AFC North)	Browns 13-6 over Steelers	Dec. 10, 2009
Ravens (AFC North)	Ravens 22-20 over Steelers	Nov. 28, 2013
Ravens (AFC North)	Ravens 26-6 over Steelers	Sept. 11, 2014
Browns (AFC North)	Browns 21-7 over Steelers	Nov. 14, 2019
Browns (AFC North)	Browns 29-17 over Steelers	Sept. 22, 2022
Browns (AFC North)	Browns 24-19 over Steelers	Nov. 21, 2024
Bengals (AFC North)	Bengals 33-31 over Steelers	Oct. 16, 2025

The Steelers have also played two games against opponents who aren't even in their division anymore (Jaguars and Oilers/Titans). 

It's not just divisional games, though; Thursday nights have generally been a nightmare for the Steelers. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers are 3-16 in Thursday road games, which is the worst winning percentage of any NFL team in that span. 

Here's a look at the three teams that have been the worst in Thursday road games since 1970 (via CBS Sports Research): 

1. Steelers: 3-16 (.158)
T-2. Browns: 2-8 (.200)
T-2. Jets: 3-12 (.200)

The fact that the Browns and Jets are on that list isn't a surprise to anyone, but seeing the Steelers lumped in there is definitely shocking. Overall, the Steelers are 12-19 on Thursdays in franchise history, including home games. 

Although the Browns have struggled on the road when it comes to Thursday night games, they've actually been pretty strong at home. The Browns are 10-2 all-time at home on Thursday and they've won nine in a row in Cleveland, including four against the Steelers.  

The Browns have actually been dominating this rivalry at home: They've been 6-1 against the Steelers in Cleveland since the start of the 2019 season. 

If the Steelers want to end their 46-year losing streak, their secret weapon for the game might actually be Mike McCarthy. Their new head coach has more Thursday night wins (17) than any other head coach in NFL history. During coaching stints with the Packers and Cowboys, McCarthy compiled a Thursday night record of 17-8. 

McCarthy actually had a unique travel plan ready for Thursday's game; he wanted to have the team take a bus to Cleveland on Thursday morning, but that plan got shut down by the NFL. The league has a rule in place that requires road teams in be in town at least 19 hours before the game (You can read more about that here). 

The Steelers' 46-year streak isn't the only thing on the line in this game and that's because the winner will be guaranteed to be in at least a tie for first place heading into Week 5.