Cincinnati
Bengals
2-3
27
FINAL
42
Cleveland
Browns
3-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a crucial Week 16 matchup, the Cleveland Browns secured a 42-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, solidifying their playoff position as the regular season winds down. With a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, the Browns proved they are a formidable contender heading into the postseason.
Browns quarterback Taylen Green led the charge with an impressive three touchdown passes, while Dylan Sampson contributed significantly on the ground with 67 rushing yards. For the Bengals, Joe Burrow showcased his passing prowess with 352 yards, finding Tee Higgins for a standout performance that included 155 receiving yards. Despite the offensive fireworks from Cincinnati, it was Cleveland's balanced attack that made the difference.
Cleveland's defense played a pivotal role in the outcome, highlighted by Collin Simmons' two sacks and Devin Sanchez's team-high eight total tackles. The turning point came in the second quarter when the Browns forced a key turnover that shifted momentum firmly in their favor, allowing them to build a lead they would not relinquish. The combination of timely defensive stops and explosive offensive plays ultimately sealed the Bengals' fate in this critical showdown.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 44 | 27 | 61% | 352 | 3 | 0 | 109.2 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 33 | 25 | 76% | 323 | 3 | 0 | 136.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 18 | 67 | 3.7 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| Kyren Williams | HB | 15 | 65 | 4.3 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Nick Chubb | HB | 5 | 22 | 4.4 | 19 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 5 | 14 | 2.8 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Eli Stowers | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skyler Bell | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrance Carter Jr. | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 10 | 155 | 15.5 | 52 | 1 | 47 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 7 | 154 | 22.0 | 51 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 7 | 96 | 13.7 | 31 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Eli Stowers | TE | 7 | 92 | 13.1 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Malachi Toney | WR | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 8 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| Skyler Bell | WR | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 26 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Nick Chubb | HB | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 10 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Kyren Williams | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Joe Royer | TE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Terrance Carter Jr. | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jett Harrison | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Sanchez | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Collin Simmons | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alontae Taylor | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Omar Speights | WILL | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deion Jacobs | SAM | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Alex Wright | LEDG | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Phillips | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Pace Jr | SAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CJ Allen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Uche | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedric Gray | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Reed | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peyton Woodring | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 3 | 1 | 49 |

