BEREA, Ohio -- Mike Pettine didn't mince any words when asked if he talked to the players about the rivalry between the Steelers and the Browns.
"I researched the history and I talked to the players about it," Pettine said. "It's not pretty.
"I put it up on the slide (for the team) for the young guys who don't know the rivalry. I put 'rivalry' and put a question mark. From the Steelers perspective, it's not much of a rivalry when you look at one win at Heinz Field in 14 tries. Two wins in the last seven years, five wins in the last 36 times against them.
"It's brutal when you truly look at it," he said. "When you truly look at it, it's a big part of our prep, but it has nothing to do with this game and us moving forward."
The Browns have lost 10 straight games in Pittsburgh, dating back to Oct. 10, 2004. The Browns last won in Pittsburgh 33-13 on Oct. 5, 2003. Overall, the Browns last win over the Steelers was on Nov. 25, 2012 when they won 20-14 at when the stadium was known as Cleveland Browns Stadium (now FirstEnergy Stadium).
On a brighter note, the last time the Browns opened the season in Pittsburgh was in Bud Carson's NFL debut and the Browns crushed the Steelers 51-0 on Sept. 10, 1989.
Joe Thomas said not much has changed since he's joined the Browns.
"If you want to win the AFC North, you have to beat the Steelers," Thomas said. "That's how it's been since I've been here."
Newcomer to the Browns, Karlos Dansby said it is what it is.
"That's the history here," Dansby said. "We know where we've been but it's a new era."
Pettine said he and his staff have tried to change the culture of losing since joining the Browns and Sunday's game with the Steelers will be a barometer of where the team is.
"That was our message back in the spring when we said 'Recognize the history and break off the rear view mirror.' This is just another way to prove that. It's important we understand that rivalry is important, but at the time we have to finds ways to get it flipped.
"If you go back a long time ago, the numbers were probably were the other direction but in recent history it hasn't been close," he said. "We'll find out where we stand and see how much ground we've made up on the division and particularly with Pittsburgh when we go down there Sunday."
Dansby thinks it comes down to one thing.
"It's a mindset," he said. "You can feel it in the locker room."
Besides the Steelers, Pettine said he doesn't think there's another division in the NFL that has the natural rivalries of the AFC North.
"I talked to the team about that the other day," he said. "The division is one where it's hard to pick. All three games are great rivalries, Baltimore for obvious reasons and I was on the opposite end of that.
"Then the 'Battle of Ohio' where Cincinnati is a big game, as well," he said. "I don't know if there is another division where all three games carry that significance. But, Steeler week for a lot of teams is special because of their history."
Pettine thinks the Browns will be able to compete in the AFC North as soon as this season.
"I do," he said. "You cannot be an NFL coach and not believe it. You're confident in your preparation. I don't think any NFL coach would've gotten to where he is without having that belief.
"There's a reason 'Any Given Sunday' is a cliché," he said. "I've been in the league long enough whatever it is, that fine line between winning and losing and putting your team in the right side of it. I wouldn't ever sit up here and say we couldn't compete in the division. The NFL is a win now business."
Pettine is anxious to see how the 2014 version of the Browns stacks up against the Steelers.
"I don't think there's any better test as a team or program to go down to Heinz Field and see where we're at."
EXTRA POINTS
Bryant, McQuistan Miss: DL Desmond Bryant (wrist) and OL Paul McQuistan (ankle) were limited at practice and LB Keith Pough, a member of the practice squad, was working with the trainers.
Bryant said he is "day-to-day". He said that he thinks he might be able to play Sunday.
"It's getting better every day."
Who's No. 3?:By releasing third QB Rex Grossman, the Browns currently have just two quarterbacks on the active roster with QB Brian Hoyer and QB Johnny Manziel.
Pettine declined to answer who would be the emergency quarterback if the Browns go into the first game with just the two active.
"We have a plan but will hold off (talking about it)."
Undrafted rookie free agent QB Connor Shaw is currently on the practice squad.
Fatherly Advice: Pettine was asked if he has talked football with his father, who was a legendary high school football coach in the Philadelphia, Pa. area.
"We talk," Pettine said. "He sends me some emails that are pretty entertaining as he's watching the film, but these are the busy days of the week as a staff."
Pettine said he welcomes the advice from his father.
"As things calm down, we will talk as the week goes on. He still has a great eye for the game and sometimes, how it's written is annoying a bit. Most of the time he's right and a lot of it is confirmation of what we've addressed. It's good to hear from somebody that's outside kind of like seeing the forest for the trees."
Old Friends: Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts are scheduled to broadcast the Browns and Steelers game on CBS. Eagle has done many of the Browns games over the years.
