Players From The 0-16 Lions Team Are Pulling For Cleveland

Sure, there are a few jerks out there who are rooting for the Cleveland Browns to finish their imperfect season in perfect fashion. But don’t count the 2008 Detroit Lions among them. They don’t wish their company on anyone.

That Lions team is the only NFL team to ever go 0-16, and some of their players have gone public with their desire to never see another team go through that. Linebacker, Ryan Nece, told the Detroit Free Press that he’s hoping to see them get that elusive first win to “get that monkey off their back.”

Only two players on the Lions 2016 roster were also on that infamous team of futility, back up quarterback Dan Orlovsky, and long snapper Don Muhlback.

Muhlback said he feels empathy for the Browns. “I don’t want to have anyone have to go through that,” he explains. “I just remember how rough that was. Just every week, having to just — it just kept building and building.” Other players have also joined in saying that they’re just fine alone in the 0-16.

Orlovsky, meanwhile, refused to talk to writer Dave Birkett of the Free Press about that season, saying, “I think you know my personal feelings.”

Added Nece, “Nobody’s celebrating being a loser. That’s not company that you want to share. We want these guys to win. We’re not hoping that they’re sharing our record or sharing what we went through. That’s not something that you wish on anybody.”

The Browns have two games left this season, and Nece told the Free Press the team's they play won't be letting up out of pity. "They don’t want to be the team that you beat, and so I feel like they have a little extra motivation."

Cleveland's best chance to snap their losing streak will come this Sunday at home against San Diego. The Chargers have been floundering as of late and are 5-9 on the year. Also, West Coast teams typically struggle when flying to the East Coast for an early game in the frigid weather.

The Browns final game will be on the road in Pittsburgh, and its doubtful that the Steelers, who are battling Baltimore for the AFC North title, will take their foot off the gas.