The Browns open the 2017 season with a home game against the AFC North-rival Steelers at 1 p.m. on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Steelers are 12-2 against the Browns this decade, but there's a little added a spice for 2017.
The Browns might not have No. 1 pick Myles Garrett (ankle) for the opener, but the focus will be some other impact rookies. Pittsburgh has a few rookies, too, but all eyes will be on Le'Veon Bell, who is back after a preseason holdout.
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DeShone Kizer's Browns debut
Cleveland coach Hue Jackson is confident in Kizer, and imagine the bump if the QB is somehow able to top Pittsburgh in his first start. It's going to be a learning experience for Kizer the next three weeks against three division rivals, but he's the next attempt to answer a quarterback question that has taken more than two decades to answer. All eyes will be on the 2017 second-round pick.
Joe Haden's Steelers debut
The Browns released Haden this preseason, and the rival Steelers promptly picked up the eighth-year veteran for their defense. Haden joins a line of Cleveland pro sports athletes who left for rival teams, and if he happens to make a big play or two, it's going viral.
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Impact rookies
Even without Garrett, there are exciting new rookies all over the place that will bring new flair to this AFC North rivalry. Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt was good enough to win the starting job ahead of James Harrison, and running back James Conner will make his NFL debut just one year after beating Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Both players have become instant fan favorites.
On the other side, Jabrill Peppers will offer excitement in the return game and at safety for Browns, and tight end David Njoku could develop into a frightening mismatch for opposing defenses as the year progresses.
Le'Veon Bell is back
Bell didn't play in the preseason, but he'll make his debut against the Browns. In five career games against Cleveland, Bell has 507 rushing yards, 190 receiving yards and six total TDs. That will keep fantasy owners happy, but how many carries will Bell get?
Big Ben owns Browns
The Lima, Ohio, native returns to Cleveland again. He's 20-2 against the Browns. Roethlisberger is the quarterback that got away, and he's haunted Cleveland ever since.
Roethlisberger's offseason was full of not-so-loose retirement talk. How much longer will the window be open for the future Hall of Famer to take the Steelers to the Super Bowl? This is the first step in finding out.
