Mike Tomlin is all too familiar with the AFC North and what the divisional games within the group of four teams entail.
In Tomlin's 19 seasons as the Steelers head coach, he has coached in 108 AFC North regular-season games. He will coach his 109th divisional game on Oct. 12 against the Browns and 12th against head coach Kevin Stefanski in Week 6.
"I'm a competition junkie. I just think the divisional component of how our schedules are aligned in today's game, the intimacies specifically of the AFC North, the stability within the programs," Tomlin said. "Kevin (Stefanski) has been in Cleveland for a number of years, I've known (Browns defensive coordinator) Jim Schwartz for a long time. I think that intimacy, that knowledge, creates competition. I think the geographic proximity creates a cool environment. There's a lot to be excited about relative to this game this weekend and AFC North football."
While Tomlin knows what AFC North games are like, his starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, will get his first taste of the division against Cleveland. However, like Tomlin, he knows the problems a Schwartz-coached defense can cause an offense. From 2009-2013, Schwartz and Rodgers faced one another twice a year in the NFC North while Schwartz was the head coach of the Lions and Rodgers was on the Packers.
Rodgers said just as players in the NFL need to evolve to stay in the league, so do coaches. He said Schwartz's defenses have changed in terms of disguises from what they were 10 years ago. With the Browns' defense, Rodgers noted how they've adapted to continue giving quarterbacks trouble with pre-snap diagnoses.
"It's an eight-man presentation, but they play two high out of it. That's the thing. In years past, they played that two high differently," Rodgers said. "They have a lot of different defenses from the same looks. It's a defense that works really well together on the back end as far as disguises."
Through the first five weeks of the 2025 season, the Browns' defense ranks among the league's best, allowing top five totals in both rushing and passing yards. According to Tomlin, the unit adjusts its approach each week, tailoring schemes to each opponent to put players in the best position to make plays.
"(Jim) Schwartz has been around a long time, and that guy does a great job of working to play to their strengths and to cover up potential weaknesses that all units have. You see that in his schematics," Tomlin said. "He's thoughtfully aggressive. You feel his game planning. He caters to his plan week to week based on the things that opponents do. He's capable of going big with five defensive linemen versus run games."
Browse photos of the Cleveland Browns practicing at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus as they prepare for their Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Cameron Thomas (99) and Defensive lineman Adin Huntington (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Offensive guard Zak Zinter (70) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) and Cornerback Dom Jones (37) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Linebacker Jerome Baker (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight Ends Coach Christian Jones during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Sal Cannella (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) and Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (64) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerbacks Coach Brandon Lynch during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Myles Harden (26) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Tight end Sal Cannella (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Running back Ahmani Marshall (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Bill Willis Coaching Fellow Michael Bearden during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Luke Floriea (81) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Offensive Line Coach Mike Bloomgren during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive Assistant Zach Dunn during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) and Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Offensive guard LaDarius Henderson (67) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Myles Harden (26) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running back Raheim Sanders (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Linebacker Jerome Baker (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running Backs Coach Duce Staley during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
DE Myles Garrett chiefs Cleveland's run defense, leading the NFL in tackles for loss with eight on a defense that ranks fourth in the category. The Browns have held rushers like Packers RB Josh Jacobs and Ravens RB Derrick Henry to 30 yards or less on the ground.
Garrett recorded sacks in both games against Green Bay and Baltimore, totaling four sacks in five games, forcing offenses to be aware of him. The Steelers have allowed nine sacks in four games, illustrating the need to contain Garrett who has pressured the quarterback in every game in 2025, according to Pro Football Reference.
"He's a unique athlete. Obviously, his resume speaks for itself. He doesn't need any endorsement from me," Steelers G Spencer Anderson said. "There's nobody built like he is and can do the things that he can do. So, obviously we have to minimize him. We know what he can do, as we've seen the past four weeks."
Garrett's destructive ability forces every team that plays the Browns to game-plan for him, according to Rodgers. The 21-year veteran quarterback put Garrett in a category alongside J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald of players that 31 NFL teams have had a strategy to keep them from wrecking games.
So, when dealing with Garrett in the AFC North matchup, Rodgers is keeping the plan simple for Pittsburgh – get the ball out quickly.
"Myles is a Hall of Famer. He might not be in yet, but that's where he's going," Rodgers said.
Rodgers' respect for Garrett only reinforces what the Steelers know they will be up against on Sunday — a game-wrecker at the heart of a defense that has challenged every quarterback it has faced this season. For Tomlin, everything comes back to the nature of AFC North football.
"We know them, they know us. So, it's game on," Tomlin said.
