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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers head into Sunday's rematch with plenty on the line.
Both teams are 5-2 and tied atop the AFC North, making this one of the biggest games of the season so far. Cleveland won the first meeting 27-24 in Week 4, so they currently hold the tie-breaker.
Now, the teams meet again, this time in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers will look to avenge that earlier loss and reclaim the top spot in the division. The Browns, meanwhile, have another chance to prove they're for real and move closer to a potential playoff berth under first-year head coach Todd Monken.
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Both teams are playing well, and with the rivalry already heated, Sunday's game could have massive implications for the division race. Browns defensive end Jared Verse isn't backing down from his comments about Pittsburgh earlier in the season either, even after Steelers veteran Cam Heyward said those comments would be "addressed" on Sunday.
"Obviously I've been waiting for this one for a good little bit ... I'm just ready to go put them hands on em, I'm just going to keep it simple like that," Verse said. "I'm not worried about Cam. I'm not worried about their O-line. I'm not worried about nobody they got on their team. We're ready to go out there and dominate."
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The first meeting between these two teams was a thriller. Cleveland built a 21-10 halftime lead before Pittsburgh rallied back and tied the game at 24 in the fourth quarter. Browns kicker Andre Szmyt then knocked in a late 56-yard field goal to give Cleveland the win.
After the game, Verse accused the Steelers of playing dirty, saying he had no respect for players who did "too much extra" after the whistle. He specifically complained about being double-teamed and opposing linemen sliding their protection to account for him. Heyward pushed back this week, arguing that double-teaming, sliding, and chirping are just normal parts of football.
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Verse was the key piece on the Browns blockbuster trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Rams, but he hasn't yet truly made his presence felt in Cleveland. Through the first seven games of the season, Verse has just 17 combined tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits, but is still searching for his first sack as a Brown.
With first place in the division at stake on Sunday, the rematch offers Verse a chance to back up his words on the field.
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