The humbling loss to New England prevents the Browns from deluding themselves into thinking that this team could make a run this year.
In the NFL, it is common for teams, just like fans, to be overly reactionary to one game's result. When the Browns crushed the hapless Miami Dolphins in Week 7, optimistic fans perhaps believed the team was turning a corner and that a surprise playoff berth might be on the horizon.
This line of thinking is not unique to fans.