BEREA, Ohio -- It's been so long since Josh Gordon beat the Steelers that he's the only one left on the team from that 20-14 victory in 2012.

The Browns, 6-32 against Pittsburgh since 1999, beat them one other time since then, but Gordon was suspended for that game in 2014.

All told, the receiver has faced the Steelers five times since 2012, with that lone victory in which he caught four passes for 60 yards.

But having lived through this lopsided "rivalry,'' he knows better than anyone that the overhauled Browns have a legitimate shot at beating the reigning division champs on Sunday. What's more, the Steelers players are turning on running back Le'Veon Bell, who's holding out and will most likely sit out this game.

"Oh yeah, in comparison to (those five games), yeah,'' Gordon said Wednesday. "By far we have our best chance. Our chances are higher than they've ever been to get a win this Sunday."

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Gordon also knows how much it would mean to the organization and the city to beat the Steelers on Sunday -- and snap the Browns' 17-game losing streak dating back to an OT loss to the Steelers in the 2016 finale.

"That's the equivalent of making the playoffs here, almost a Super Bowl win,'' said Gordon. "But a win is a win. We just want one at a time. The fact it's Pittsburgh just makes it that much better having an opportunity to play them, but to go against them speaks volumes. It's something we've been wanting for a long time."

An elder statesman on this young team, he couldn't begin to describe the intensity of the rivalry.

"I know even my rookie year, when I look back, there's no way to put that on somebody and try to paint that picture until you get in the game and get a chance to feel that environment, especially the second half playing Pittsburgh during the season,'' he said. "Then you really grasp the concept and the level of which this rivalry goes to. They're going to have to experience it."

Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor wasn't around last year for the 0-16 debacle, so he doesn't view this as the mighty Steelers converging on the lowly Browns.

"Can't speak about last year,'' he said. "Both teams are different, and both teams are 0-0 right now. In my eyes, it is a fair shot for both teams, and we have to approach it that way and handle business throughout the week so we can go out and play winning football."

He's been around long enough to know, however, that this game means everything to Browns fans.

"For sure,'' he said. "You hear it all throughout training camp. If there's one team that they want to beat, it's definitely Pittsburgh. We have to have that mindset each and every week as a team, but we definitely understand what it means to the community and the people who are supporting us. Not only for them but for ourselves because we put the work in, we definitely want to go out and have a good performance and a winning performance - on Sunday."

Browns coach Hue Jackson stopped short of calling it the championship-caliber game.

"Well it's important to get a win, because this is the game we're playing,'' he said. "I'm not going to say it's the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is in February, but it's a huge game for us. It's our division rival. It's an AFC [North] game, so it really counts as two at the end of the day. We all recognize that, and we want to get to winning as fast as we can, but it's a 16-game season and we get that too.

"Trust me, we're going into this game giving it everything we have, just like we do every week, but obviously this is the Pittsburgh Steelers and the AFC North game so we respect that."