One look at his opponent’s postseason history — or lack thereof — is enough to make coach Mike Tomlin appreciate what awaits the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in the AFC wild-card round at Heinz Field.

While the Steelers are making their ninth playoff appearance and seventh as AFC North champion in Tomlin’s 14 seasons as coach, the Cleveland Browns are returning to the postseason for the first time since 2002, ending the NFL’s longest drought.

“There is a scarcity of these opportunities,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “Not every (team) has been afforded an opportunity to work and continue to play. We are one of the teams that do.”

The Steelers are back in the playoffs after a two-year absence, which pales in comparison to the wait the Browns have endured. The franchise has experienced numerous changes in ownership, coaches and quarterbacks since their 36-33 loss to the Steelers in the wild-card round 18 years ago. Since then, the Steelers have appeared in three Super Bowls, winning two.

When the Steelers and Browns meet for a third time this season, they will be doing so amid a continuing pandemic that has impacted each organization. For the Browns, first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski will be watching on TV after testing positive for covid-19 on Tuesday.

“This is a precious opportunity,” Tomlin said. “We are getting an opportunity to live out and pursue our dreams.”

The two teams took diverging paths to what Tomlin likes to call the NFL’s “single-elimination tournament.”

The Steelers started 11-0 before losing four of their final five games. When they came back from a 17-point second-half deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 28-24, in Week 16, it clinched the division title and a first-round home game.

The Browns missed a chance to clinch a berth that same weekend when they were upset by the New York Jets. They clinched a wild-card spot and No. 6 seed Sunday with a 24-22 victory against the Steelers, who nearly rallied from a 15-point deficit before a tying 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

With the division title already in hand, Tomlin kept four of his star players — quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, center Maurkice Pouncey, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and outside linebacker T.J. Watt — in Pittsburgh.

All four will be back for the playoff game, and the Steelers could get guard Matt Feiler and linebacker Robert Spillane back from injured reserve. Kicker Chris Boswell and safety Terrell Edmunds, who did not play in Week 17, also could return Sunday.

“We recognize what’s waiting for us at the end of the week,” Tomlin said. “We’re not going to spend a lot of time talking about that. We’re just going to continually work to be singularly focused in our day-to-day work, to create great days and push our chips toward the middle of the table knowing the bills are going to come due at the end of the week.”

Although the meeting will be the second between the teams in eight days and third this season, neither was at full strength for both regular-season matchups. When the Steelers defeated the Browns, 38-7, on Oct. 18, they had linebackers Bud Dupree and Devin Bush on the field to start the game. Bush left early that day with a season-ending torn ACL. Dupree joined him on injured reserve in December with a torn ACL.

The Browns didn’t have running back Nick Chubb available in the first meeting, and two cornerbacks were on the reserve/covid-19 list for the rematch at FirstEnergy Stadium. Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio was one of two Browns players who tested positive Tuesday for covid-19, which will prevent him from playing Sunday.

The Steelers are expected to be without cornerback Joe Haden for the second week in a row after a positive covid-19 test. Tight end Eric Ebron’s availability is unknown after he joined Haden on the list Saturday.

“I’m comfortable with the matchup and the components of it, regardless of who is available to us and who is available to them,” Tomlin said. “It’s just that level of familiarity. But I don’t view it as a winning edge. I’m sure they are comfortable with their of the matchups as well.”

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)