The Curse is BROKEN!

It's over...it's finally over!!! The Curse of Paul Brown has been broken! Since the day Paul Brown died (August 5, 1991) the two Ohio teams have been a train wreck. The Browns and Bengals combined had only made the playoffs 3 times coming into the 2009 season since Paul Brown died. At this point you may be saying how can the curse be gone the Bengals didn't win a playoff game yet. Or for you sports experts you may be thinking I've made a critical error in forgetting that the Browns already won a playoff game in the 1994 season against the Patriots, a 20-13 victory on New Year's day of 1995. But, this is not what the curse of Paul Brown is about.

This curse is about the Steelers. From Paul Brown's death to the start of the 2009 season the Browns and Bengals are 3 for 38 in attempts to make the playoffs and in all three cases the Bengals and Browns playoff runs were ended with a loss to Pittsburgh:

1994 AFC Divisional Playoffs: Steelers 29, Browns 9

2002 AFC Wildcard Playoffs: Steelers 36, Browns 33
~ Despite a 33-21 4th quarter lead, the Browns surrendered 22 points to the Steelers in the final period to lose 36-33, plus the Browns made a critical error on the last drive to lose the game and not get a field goal attempt.

2005 AFC Wildcard Playoffs: Steelers 31, Bengals 17
~ Carson Palmer goes down. Bengals jump out to 10-0 and 17-7 leads before surrendering 24 unanswered. I think it would have been a different story had Palmer been around, and had their not been a curse.

Before Paul Brown's death, the Bengals won 6 straight games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, their longest winning streak ever against the Steelers. In fact at the end of the 1990 season the Bengals led the series 21-20:

1988: @Pit 17-12, @Cin 42-7
1989: @Cin 41-10, @Pit 26-16
1990: @Cin 27-3, @Pitt 16-12

Then following Paul Brown's death, the Steelers won 8 straight against the Bengals, which is the longest losing streak for the Bengals against the Steelers:
1991: @Cin 27-33 (OT), @Pit 10-17
1992: @Pit 0-20, @Cin 9-21
1993: @Pit 7-34, @Cin 16-24
1994: @Pit 10-14, @Cin 15-38

The Bengals last playoff win in 1990, was against the Houston Oilers (yep that team that is now the Titans, moved cities and changed names, yep its been that long). The Bengals won that game 41-14, before losing the following week to the Los Angeles Raiders (Yep they play in Oakland now) 20-10 and also ended Bo Jackson's career. So maybe its the curse of Bo Jackson??? Anyways after Paul Browns death the Bengals lost 7 straight to the Oilers, tied for longest losing streak against them (1998-2001 also 7 games).



But yah, this isn't really about the Oilers or Titans or Texans or any of that. Its about the Steelers knocking Ohio teams out. You see for the first time since 1990, the Bengals and Browns won against the Steelers at home in Ohio:

1990: Pit@Cle 13-3 Browns, Pit@Cin 27-3 Bengals
2009: Pit@Cin 23-20 Bengals, Pit@Cle 13-6 Browns





So perhaps this is really what broke the curse? I was not believer in the curse being broken until Sunday at around 7 PM when the Ravens knocked off the Raiders to eliminate the Steelers from the playoffs. Ironically its the old Browns team that knocks to the Steelers out of the playoffs and breaks the curse.

So yes, the Jets beat the Bengals 37-0 on Sunday Night Football, but regardless of what happens the Bengals cannot lose to their hated rivals in the playoffs (not counting Ravens of course). So therefore the curse is broken, an Ohio team will not lose to Pittsburgh in the playoffs because the Super Bowl Champions once again fail to make the playoffs after winning the Lombardi Trophy.

Since the Browns beat the Steelers they've won 3 straight games, 4 if you include the Steelers game.

It's the start of a new era!