AFC NORTH Happy holiday? Browns seeking rare rivalry win

The Steelers have won 10 of the last 11 meetings against Cleveland.
BEREA (AP) -- Trim the tree. Deck the halls. Beat the Steelers.
For one of the few times in Cleveland history, the holiday season will include a Christmas Eve matchup between the Browns and their bitter rivals from Pittsburgh, a club scrambling for a spot in the NFL playoffs.
Goodwill toward men? Not a chance on Saturday.
"This is a great opportunity to go out on Christmas Eve and mess their season up," said Browns kicker Phil Dawson, the AFC's special teams player of the week. "That's what we're trying to do."
The Steelers (9-5) have little margin for error in their quest for a wild-card spot. With remaining games against the Browns (5-9) and Detroit Lions (4-10), Pittsburgh can't afford another loss, especially not in a series they have dominated since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999.
Even if the Steelers win their final two regular-season games, they could finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs if they end up in a three-way tie with San Diego (9-5) and Jacksonville (10-4).
"Right now, we're just scrapping and trying to find a way to get into the postseason," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "There are no assurances, but I do know that if we don't win, we won't have a chance. We've kind of taken that one-game approach the last couple weeks, and this week will be no different."
A loss to the Browns would be different.
One-sided rivalry
Cleveland has been dominated by Pittsburgh since returning to the league in 1999 as an expansion team. The Steelers' 34-21 win on Nov. 13 -- without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger -- was their fourth in a row and 10th in the last 11 meetings. At home, the Browns have beaten the Steelers just once in the past six seasons.
As one of only two players on the Browns' roster since 1999, Dawson appreciates the rivalry better than others.
"You go around town and get your tire changed or you get gas, and people are talking about it," he said. "You get to know this rivalry just by being around here."
Dawson, too, understands that in recent years Steelers vs. Browns has been very one-sided.
"Rivalries require two good teams," he said. "Hopefully, we can hold up our end of the bargain. The Steelers have proven to be a solid franchise, for I don't know how many years in a row, and we're working to get to that point."
Feeling good
Cleveland's confidence is high following a 9-7 win at Oakland, a comeback victory secured on Dawson's 37-yard field goal as time expired. The win was the first for rookie quarterback Charlie Frye, raised as a Browns fan and taught to have a strong disdain for anything black-and-gold.
"I wouldn't say I disliked them but I was a Cleveland fan," Frye said with a smile. "You can put that together."
This installment of one of the league's fiercest rivalries will feature the first pro matchup between Frye and Roethlisberger, another native Ohioan who starred in the Mid-American Conference.
Frye, who went to Akron, and Roethlisberger, from Miami (Ohio), grew up in small towns separated by about 50 miles on U.S. Route 224. They faced each other three times in college with Roethlisberger winning each game.
Frye, 1-2 since replacing Trent Dilfer as Cleveland's starter, would like to get his first win over Roethlisberger, but he's got much more on his mind than that any personal rivalry.
"I'm more worried about the Steelers defense than I am him," he said. "People put the quarterback versus the quarterback, but it's really the quarterback versus the defense. They've been hyping games between us since I was a freshman in college. It's pretty cool that he's with Pittsburgh and I'm with Cleveland."
Pregame brawl
Last year's Steelers-Browns game here began with a pregame brawl involving Cleveland running back William Green, fullback Terrelle Smith, and Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter. Punches thrown by Green and Porter resulted in ejections while Smith managed to avoid any discipline.
Beyond the rivalry, Smith's got his own grudge to settle. His son's godfather is Steelers offensive tackle Marvel Smith, so a win over Pittsburgh would give him bragging rights for the offseason.
"I'm tired of getting picked on at the family vacations," he said. "They're always talking about how good the Pittsburgh Steelers are, and this and that. It's a rivalry with two cities, two teams, families and everything. It gets to you and when you get out on the field, you've got to let it all go."