Extra Security In Place For Steelers-Browns Game At Heinz Field
PITTSBURGH (KDKA)--For the first time in years, the Steelers and Browns were playing in a meaningful football game late in the season. It comes on the heels of their prior matchup where 33 players were fined for a fight late in the game.
Both fan bases were able to remain peaceful during the pregame tailgating.
Chants of "Here we go Steelers" and "Here we go Brownies" echoed across the North Shore as both teams fans flocked to Heinz Field.
"I'm sure it will get better over the next couple of seasons," Browns fan Greg Riffle said.
As our crews went around the parking lots, they could see most of the fans were letting the bad blood play out on the field. There were several Steelers and Browns tailgates remaining peaceful next to each other.
"Pretty peaceful. Everyone has been pretty friendly," Browns fan Tyler Dimuzio said.
There were even a few a groups of Steelers and Browns fans sharing the same tailgates.
"It's all about football. We argue all the time, but we're good friends," Steelers fan Casey Barker said.
A.J. and R.J. Detlig are sibling and one is a Steelers fan and one is a Browns fan. They said this game causes a stir in their family a couple times a year.
"Not good. There is a lot of fights," A.J. said.
Pittsburgh Police was not taking any chances. They deployed their Skywatch tower to overlook several of the parking lots near the stadium. As the morning went on, they used their mounted units to keep the peace between the fans. Heinz Field had a heavy security presence in the hopes of making it a smooth day.