Our annual wish for professional football in America is a Super Bowl between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions. Neither franchise, both of which date back decades, has reached the Big Game ever, which is disappointing. Here on NFL Thursday, we’ve expressed our wishes before, to no avail. Both these teams have suffered too much recently, as well, as both the Browns and the Lions have had winless seasons. Damn.

Well, last year was as good of a shot as any to see both teams reach the Super Bowl—and of course, it did not happen. Cleveland limped into the postseason and lost right away, while Detroit came close to making it before falling apart against San Francisco in heartbreaking fashion. This season, the Lions have picked up where they left off, with four wins in their first five games; the Browns, though, have lost five of six already.

That doesn’t bode well for Cleveland: the chances the Browns will make the postseason now are minimal (2.6 percent). On the other hand, Detroit has an 86.0-percent chance to reach the playoffs. We still hope for the Lions, but the Browns may be beyond reach at this point—and it’s only mid October! That’s the saddest part of it all, to be out of it so soon. Cleveland hasn’t reached consecutive Januarys since 1988 and 1989. Fact.

Interestingly enough, the Browns sort of owned the 1980s: the franchise made the playoffs seven times that decade (1980, 1982, 1985-1989)! In addition, Cleveland lost the AFC Championship Game three times in a four-year span, too (1986-1987, 1989). The first two defeats were legendary heartbreakers, while the third was not memorable. What most forget is that all three losses came to the Denver Broncos and John Elway.

Sadly, Elway and his buddies would get blown out in all three of those 1980s Super Bowls, by the collective score of 136-40. And even more distressing? The Browns have made the postseason just four times overall since 1989, over 31 seasons. And again, the odds are very long on Cleveland making it this season, too, now. So we will have to hold our breath for that Cleveland-Detroit Super Bowl matchup we’ve always wanted.

[However, maybe the Houston Texans can take the Browns’ place. It’s not quite the same, but … we’d take it.]