CLEVELAND — When the Cleveland Browns make their return to the NFL Playoffs next week, they'll do so in primetime.
Hours after the Browns punched their ticket to the postseason with a 24-22 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the NFL announced its schedule for "Super Wild Card Weekend." In doing so, the league revealed that Cleveland will face the Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday Night Football in a game that will kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET and air nationally on NBC and locally on WKYC Channel 3.
You can see the NFL's full Wild Card schedule below.
While next Sunday will mark the second game between the Browns (11-5) and Steelers (12-4) in as many weeks, Cleveland will find itself facing a very different Pittsburgh team in the postseason than the one it just beat. With the AFC North division title wrapped up, the Steelers opted not to play several key players in their regular-season finale against the Browns, including starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and star linebacker T.J. Watt.
Considering the star power on both rosters and the shared history between the two rivals, it hardly comes as a surprise that Sunday's matchup between Cleveland and Pittsburgh will be played in primetime. Sunday will also mark the first time the Browns have played in the postseason since the 2002 Playoffs, where Cleveland lost to the Steelers in heartbreaking fashion at Heinz Field.
With their win on Sunday, the Browns ended what was the NFL's longest postseason drought (17 years). Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is making its return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.