Cleveland
Browns
0-0
25
FINAL
20
Cincinnati
Bengals
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Cleveland Browns narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 25-20. The stakes were high as both teams sought to start the 2027 season on a positive note, but it was Cleveland that managed to secure the crucial win on the road.
Cleveland's offense was led by quarterback Taylen Green, who threw for an impressive 297 yards, showcasing his precision and poise. Braylon Staley was the standout receiver, racking up 131 yards and making key catches that kept drives alive. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow of the Bengals contributed with two touchdown passes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Cleveland's offensive firepower.
Defensively, the Browns made their mark as Jermaine Matthews Jr. tallied eight total tackles, helping to stifle Cincinnati's rushing attack. The game's turning point came when Carson Schwesinger intercepted a crucial pass late in the fourth quarter, shifting momentum back to Cleveland and ensuring they would hold on for the victory. With solid performances on both sides of the ball, the Browns demonstrated their determination as they look to build on this early success.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylen Green | QB | 34 | 25 | 74% | 297 | 1 | 1 | 97.3 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 46 | 28 | 61% | 231 | 2 | 2 | 70.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Fletcher Jr. | HB | 13 | 61 | 4.7 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 11 | 57 | 5.2 | 30 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 11 | 50 | 4.5 | 22 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Zach Charbonnet | HB | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braylon Staley | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braylon Staley | WR | 8 | 131 | 16.4 | 80 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 9 | 105 | 11.7 | 19 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 5 | 64 | 12.8 | 15 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 19 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Luke Hasz | TE | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Mark Fletcher Jr. | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Zach Charbonnet | HB | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermaine Matthews Jr. | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AJ Harris | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Johnson | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dylan Stewart | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Echoles | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hall Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ray Coney | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daron Payne | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'son Prevard | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 51 |
| Matt Gay | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 28 |

