Cleveland
Browns
5-11
14
FINAL
29
Cincinnati
Bengals
4-12
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive showdown, the Cincinnati Bengals topped the Cleveland Browns 29-14 in Week 18 of the 2026 season, clinching a vital victory as they head into the playoffs. The win not only solidified their position but also showcased their offensive firepower against a divisional rival.
Cincinnati's Joe Burrow was the standout performer, throwing for 298 yards and a touchdown, effectively orchestrating the Bengals' attack. Tee Higgins emerged as his favorite target, racking up an impressive 167 receiving yards, while the ground game was bolstered by a solid team effort. Despite the Browns' Mike Washington Jr. leading the rushing efforts with 71 yards, it was clear that Cincinnati's offensive strategy dominated the field.
Defensively, the Bengals made their presence felt, particularly through Dax Hill, who led the team with eight total tackles, and Myles Murphy, who recorded 1.5 sacks. The turning point came in the second half when Cincinnati's defense stifled a crucial Browns drive, ultimately allowing the Bengals to maintain control of the game and secure the win. With this performance, Cincinnati not only showcased their offensive potency but also a formidable defensive unit ready for the postseason challenge ahead.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 40 | 25 | 63% | 298 | 1 | 0 | 93.5 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 38 | 20 | 53% | 148 | 1 | 0 | 70.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Washington Jr | HB | 10 | 71 | 7.1 | 66 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 19 | 60 | 3.2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 27 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 6 | 30 | 5.0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Dameon Pierce | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eli Stowers | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 10 | 167 | 16.7 | 62 | 1 | 56 | 1 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 5 | 48 | 9.6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Eli Stowers | TE | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Will Dissly | TE | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Jam Miller | FB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Derek Parish | FB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dameon Pierce | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| A.T. Perry | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Donald Parham Jr | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | SAM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Myles Murphy | LEDG | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hall Jr | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joe Giles-Harris | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Barnett | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Davis | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 53 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 2 | 2 | 0 | 54 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

