The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face off in the next edition of the AFC's oldest rivalry this Monday Night. The Browns and Steelers will play in the second half of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. This game marks the 144th time these two teams have played, with the Steelers currently holding the series lead 80-62-1. However, this game marks an inflection point for both teams at this early-season juncture. The Browns have an opportunity to make a statement, moving to 2-0 on the year with two divisional wins. On the other hand, the Steelers are looking to bounce back from a very poor Week 1 showing and avoid starting in an 0-2 hole.

The Steelers have won 19 home Monday Night Football games in a row, in a streak spanning more than three decades. With win number 20 on the line in a heated divisional matchup, both teams will be coming out to play.

How to watch Browns vs. Steelers 

Now that ESPN's disputes with Spectrum are cleared up, watching Monday Night Football this week should be pretty straightforward. Because Browns vs. Steelers is the age starting in peak primetime hours, it will air on ABC to watch on television. There is no Manningcast this week, in part because both ESPN and ABC will be broadcasting two different Monday Night Football games this week. The earlier game, the New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers, will air on ESPN. So the airwaves are pretty booked as far as Monday Night Football goes.

Additionally, for those without a cable subscription or TV antennae to tune into their local ABC station, there are still plenty of streaming options. ESPN+, ESPN.com, and NFL+ will all have paid streaming options for customers without access to the game on TV. Additionally, fuboTV will have a streaming option available too.

Date: Monday, Sept. 18 | 8:15 p.m. EDT

Location: Acrisure Field— Pittsburgh, P.A.

TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)

FanDuel Odds: Browns -2.5 | O/U 38.5

Browns storylines

The Cleveland Browns are riding high into Week 2. They forced the newly highest-paid man in NFL history, Joe Burrow, into his worst game as a pro in a dominant 24-3 win. Nick Chubb and the running game led the way on offense. Chubb finished with 18 carries for 106 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the defense held Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to under 150 total net yards and 2/15 on third-down conversions.

The Browns are in year two of their…controversial (to put it kindly) experiment to bring in Deshaun Watson to be their quarterback. Watson has been less than impressive so far, but with a solid defense and a running back like Nick Chubb, you could plug a lot of quarterbacks in and see positive results. If Watson can keep the ship steady in Cleveland and pull out some wins for the Browns, all will remain well. But things could get ugly if he's unable to find his form from Houston this season after a bit of an uninspiring return from suspension in 2022.

This is an important year for the Browns. They have a lot of the pieces for a dark horse contender. But as has been the case since the original Browns left for Baltimore, quarterback play has been the name of the game in Cleveland. Does Watson have what it takes? Most of the NFL sure hopes he doesn't.

Steelers storylines

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to avoid a third straight slow start to their season after dropping their Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers in embarrassing fashion, 30-7. Like the Browns, part of this Steelers regime is reaching critical mass. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada finally has his young QB in Kenny Pickett, and has free reign on the offensive side of the ball. For the past five years, the offense has been holding the Steelers back, and with T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick in their primes, and an aging Cam Heyward, Canada's window is now.

Pickett and co. looked strong in the preseason, but in their first real test, they floundered. Granted, it was just one game, and it's possible the 49ers are on a war path this season and no one will stop them. But this game will be a better barometer for a Steelers team still looking to compete in the AFC this year. This game isn't a must-win for them. But they need to show progress on the offensive side of the ball for fans to stay optimistic and engaged this season. Especially considering they are playing a divisional opponent with a similar ceiling to their own.

Additionally, Mike Tomlin continues his quest for yet another winning season. Much has been made of Tomlin's inability to lose more games than he wins. Especially in the past few years after a 2-6 start in 2022. The Steelers have only had three coaches since 1969, so Tomlin's job is as safe as it gets. But you wouldn't know that based on fan reaction on Twitter after the team loses. In all likelihood, Tomlin isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. But if the Steelers drop to 0-2 things will get toxic online, real fast. Such is the curse of leading a franchise with the legacy and expectations of the Pittsburgh Steelers.