Cleveland
Browns
4-12
14
FINAL
22
Memphis
Blues
12-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a crucial Week 18 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals topped the Cleveland Browns 22-14, securing their spot in the playoffs with a solid performance. With both teams fighting for postseason positioning, this victory was pivotal for the Bengals as they look to build momentum heading into the postseason.
Cincinnati's offense was led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 247 yards, showcasing his ability to move the ball effectively downfield. Chase Brown complemented the passing attack with a strong ground game, racking up 85 rushing yards, while Ja'Marr Chase emerged as a standout receiver, totaling 119 yards and proving to be a constant threat throughout the game. Deshaun Watson also had a noteworthy outing for the Browns, tossing two touchdown passes, but it wasn't enough to carry his team to victory.
Defensively, the Bengals made key plays that shifted the momentum in their favor. VJ Payne led the team with ten total tackles, demonstrating his ability to stifle the Browns’ offensive drives. The turning point came when DJ Turner II intercepted a pass from Watson, halting a potential scoring drive and allowing Cincinnati to maintain control of the game. With Barrett Carter contributing a sack, the Bengals' defense held firm when it mattered most, sealing the win and their playoff berth.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 32 | 21 | 66% | 247 | 1 | 0 | 99.3 |
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 35 | 18 | 51% | 158 | 2 | 1 | 70.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 18 | 85 | 4.7 | 43 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 16 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Najee Harris | HB | 7 | 33 | 4.7 | 19 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 5 | 20 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 5 | 11 | 2.2 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | — | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 7 | 119 | 17.0 | 82 | 1 | 78 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 7 | 59 | 8.4 | 21 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Anthony Gould | WR | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 28 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | WR | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 4 | 25 | 6.3 | — | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Taysom Hill | TE | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Najee Harris | HB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Joe Royer | TE | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 4 | 1 | 0.3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VJ Payne | SS | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Haason Reddick | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JT Woods | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maliek Collins | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Giles-Harris | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarvarius Moore | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 3 | 4 | 1 | 55 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

