Why the Browns are frightening with playoffs almost out of reach

The Browns (5-8) aren't sitting where they had hoped to be by mid-December this season. They're playing with nothing to lose; a scary mindset for opposing teams still in playoff contention.

Cleveland has a 0.4% chance to make the playoffs and their mentality is changing.

"I don't know what our chances are, I don't know what the percentage is. I just know next week we got to go 1-0," DE Myles Garrett said. "If our chances are zero, we've got to knock down someone else's chances."

The Browns have the talent and schedule to do just that. Their next three opponents are all fighting for their playoff hopes.

The Ravens (9-4) are holding onto the AFC North lead by a thread. The Saints (4-9) are just a couple games out of first place in a struggling NFC South. And the Commanders (7-5-1) are the sixth seed if the playoffs were to start today.

"Our goal is to win out," CB Greg Newsome II told reporters. "As competitors, you always want to win. You're just trying to go one game at a time and get a win."