CLEVELAND (AP) — The starting quarterback is injured and won’t be close to 100% — if he even plays. The passing game isn’t producing nearly enough big plays or points and the season has grown desperate.

And you thought the winless Detroit Lions had issues?

The Cleveland Browns have similar problems.

Shaken by an embarrassing, humbling 38-point loss at New England last week, when Patriots coach Bill Belichick seemed to enjoy toying with his former team, the Browns (5-5) head into Sunday’s matchup against the Lions (0-8-1) without any more wiggle room in a season going sideways.

Their hopes of winning the AFC North, making the playoffs and perhaps a Super Bowl title run seem a bit far-fetched at the moment. But in a nonsensical season in which elite teams are few and far between, anything seems possible.

Two weeks ago, the Browns overpowered Cincinnati 41-16 while playing their most complete game this season.

A week later, it was just the opposite as the Browns couldn’t do anything right.

The past few days have been filled with corrections and reflection.

“It’s a humbling process,” said quarterback Baker Mayfield, who expects to face the Lions despite shoulder, foot and knee injuries. “It’s very easy to look around and try to find excuses, but when it comes down to it we have seven more games right now to be able to figure out how to make it work.”

The Browns aren’t good enough to take anyone lightly, especially the Lions, who managed a 16-16 tie last week at Pittsburgh and were within a missed field goal in overtime of shocking the Steelers.

Detroit returned from its bye week emphasizing the run on offense and playing with the same intensity on defense that has kept the Lions in most games.

Struggling Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff sustained an oblique injury against the Steelers and missed multiple practices this week.

If Goff, who has a league-low 27.3 rating, can’t play, backup Tim Boyle will make his first career start. Boyle has been on injured reserve since breaking his thumb in the preseason and undergoing surgery. He spent the previous two seasons backing up Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

“It’s hard for me say, ‘Hey, I can’t go,’ when I want to try to fight through it,” Goff said. “But, I also have to be honest with myself.”

ALIVE & KICKING

Detroit’s kicking issues are still kicking.

After Ryan Santoso missed two key attempts in last week’s tie, the Lions waived him and signed rookie Riley Patterson from the Patriots’ practice squad.

They are the team’s sixth and seventh kickers since the start of training camp.

Santoso pushed an extra point wide right in the third quarter at Pittsburgh and then missed a 48-yard field goal in overtime that would have ended the Lions’ winless slide.

“Kind of hate it for him, but at the same time, that’s the nature of this business,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Sometimes you only get two chances, and you’ve got to perform if that’s your job description.”

Patterson will fill in while Austin Seibert remains on the injured reserve list for at least two more games with a hip injury.

DETROIT (0-8-1) at CLEVELAND (5-5), Sunday, noon, Fox

SERIES RECORD: Lions lead series 19-5.

LAST MEETING: Lions beat Browns 38-24 on Nov. 12, 2017 at Detroit.

LAST WEEK: Lions tied Steelers 16-16; Browns lost to Patriots 45-7.

LIONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (28), RUSH (20), PASS (25), SCORING (30)

LIONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (28), RUSH (30), PASS (16), SCORING (30)

BROWNS OFFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (T1), PASS (26), SCORING (18)

BROWNS DEFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (5), PASS (11), SCORING (T20)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Lions minus-1; Browns minus-1.

KEY MATCHUP: Lions TE T.J. Hockenson vs. Browns LBs and secondary. Hockenson (48 catches) is one of Detroit’s primary offensive weapons, so he’ll get plenty of attention from Cleveland’s defense, which has struggled against tight ends.