Only one team, the 2008 Detroit Lions, have finished a regular season with an 0-16 record. The 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1), 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14), and the 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1) are the only other teams since 1944 to go winless but did so in less than 16 games.
Entering Week 11, the Cleveland Browns sit with an 0-9 record. Here are their chances of winning a game from their remaining schedule starting with the least likely.
7. at Pittsburgh Steelers 12/31
There is a fairly good chance that the 7-2 Steelers could be playing for a bye week or the first overall seed in the AFC playoffs during their Week 17 tilt with Cleveland.
Why Cleveland could win: Pittsburgh has played down to their competition at times this year. They beat the Browns and the Indianapolis Colts by just three while losing by six in overtime to the Bears.
6. vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 11/19
The Jaguars stifling defense should cause the Browns fits this Sunday. They lead the NFL in allowing only 14.9 points per game and also are first with 35 sacks.
Why Cleveland could win: While Blake Bortles hasn’t thrown a boatload of interceptions this season (7), he still is seen as a quarterback who is susceptible to throwing picks. Pressure from the Browns could force Bortles to make errant throws, and maybe Cleveland can intercept a pass for a touchdown?
5. at San Diego Chargers 12/3
The combination of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram have 18 sacks through nine games. They should cause fits to a Browns team that has allowed 27 sacks on the year.
Why Cleveland could win: The Chargers love playing in close games but aren’t too successful in them. They are 2-4 in games decided by seven points or less, and they were 1-8 in such games in 2016.
4. vs. Green Bay Packers 12/10
Green Bay sits at 5-4 and very well could still be in the playoff hunt for their Week 14 tilt with the Browns. For a team that has made eight straight playoff appearances, they would not want the streak to end due in part to a loss to lowly Cleveland.
Why Cleveland could win: The Packers clearly aren’t the same team without Aaron Rodgers.
They are averaging only 16.8 points in their last four games with Brett Hundley behind center (played most of the October 15 game against the Minnesota Vikings after Rodgers got injured) and have a 1-3 record.
3. vs. Baltimore Ravens 12/17
With the Ravens, just a game behind the Buffalo Bills for the AFC’s second wild card, their Week 15 game with the Browns has a good chance to be an important one for them. They beat Cleveland 24-10 in Week 2 and have defeated their AFC North foes four straight times.
Why Cleveland could win: Baltimore has just not been a very good football team of late with a 2-5 record in their last seven games. Joe Flacco currently has the lowest quarterback rating of his career as he has eight touchdowns and ten interceptions.
2. at Cincinnati Bengals 11/26
The Bengals easily got their first win of the season in Week 4 with a 31-7 victory over the Browns in Week 4. They have six straight victories in their head-to-head matchups with Cleveland.
Why Cleveland could win: If the Bengals lose Sunday on the road to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, that will drop their record to 3-7. Their playoff chances are very slim, to begin with, and they could enter the Week 12 game with the Browns with little to play for.
1. at Chicago Bears 12/24
The Bears’ three wins have come against quality opponents in the Steelers, Carolina Panthers, and to a lesser extent the Ravens. They have done a good job pressuring the quarterback with 26 sacks in nine games.
Why Cleveland could win: Rookie Mitchell Trubisky is learning the ropes of NFL quarterbacking and hasn’t led his Bears team to a lot of points. They are averaging 17.8 points in his five starts but have only scored over 17 once.
