When the Browns take the field in Week 15, it will be their first game since being eliminated from playoff contention following their Week 14 loss to the Steelers.
However, despite no longer having a chance at the postseason, the coaching staff and players are committed to playing their best football over the remaining four weeks of the season.
"No one's happy with how our season has turned out," assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said. "We're hoping that in the next four weeks we can build some momentum going into next year. I will say this, our players are playing hard. The coaches are working hard to be able to try to gain some momentum, gain some traction heading into the offseason."
As the Browns work to improve over the next four games and close out the season, LB Jordan Hicks reflected on the tight-knit locker room he joined when he signed with the Browns over the offseason.
The 10-year veteran noted that each team's roster changes from one season to the next. As the next four games will be the last this specific roster will play together, Hicks feels there is an added layer of importance as the Browns fight towards the finish line.
"You can feel the cohesiveness of this team, the camaraderie. Guys enjoy being around each other," Hicks said. "We've got these last few games to be doing this, enjoying each other's company, enjoying each other on the field and doing it together as a team one last time. So, this team has bonded over the highs and the lows of this season and obviously we want to make the most of the last times we have together."
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the Kansas City Chiefs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
In their upcoming matchup against the Chiefs, the Browns will have a chance to prove themselves against one of the league's best teams this season.
With a 12-1 record, the Chiefs are at the top of the AFC standings and have won each of the last two Super Bowls. LG Joel Bitonio hopes that the Browns display their commitment to playing winning football with a strong performance against the Chiefs.
"It's tough because we're not in the playoffs but every time you go out on the field, it's a blessing to play in this league," Bitonio said. "If we can go out there and compete with them and beat them, I think it just shows that the guys are still bought in, the guys are still fighting for that pride."
Leaders in the locker room are communicating the importance of pride as the Browns prepare to face the Chiefs.
For S Grant Delpit, the remainder of the season is an opportunity to display that sense of pride, one that reverberates throughout the locker room.
"It's about your respect and passion for the game. It's not about who we're playing at this point. It's really just about, do you love the game or not?" Delpit said. "And that's how I approach it and that's what I try to preach to the guys and stuff like that. But we're all on that same when it comes to that."