With the Cleveland Browns Week 17 win on Thursday night over the New York Jets, the franchise guaranteed they would finish ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North for the first time in decades. In fact, it’s been so long since the Browns bested the Steelers that the division was called the AFC Central the last time the standings featured Cleveland on top at the end of the regular season.

“The Cleveland Browns will finish ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers in their division for the first time since 1989!” Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 noted after the Browns win over the Jets.

During the 1989 season, quarterback Bernie Kosar led the Browns to not only an AFC Central crown, but an AFC Championship Game appearance as well. Kosar, running back Eric Metcalf, and wide receiver Webster Slaughter eventually fell to John Elway and the Denver Broncos, and never again reached the heights they did in ’89.

The next season, the Browns stunningly went 3-13, and coach Bud Carson got fired.

As for the Steelers, longtime head coach Chuck Noll was nearing the end of his career, and with Bubby Brister at quarterback, the team couldn’t manage better than a 9-7 campaign. They did make the playoffs as a Wild Card and beat the Houston Oilers before eventually falling to Elway in the Divisional Round.

Noll and Brister would stick around a few more years, and Neil O’Donnell would come in and split time at QB the next season. The team finished 9-7 again but missed out on the playoffs this time. Two seasons later, Bill Cowher would take over from Noll and lead the Steelers for the next 15 years, finishing ahead of the Browns in the AFC North in every one.