Cleveland
Browns
3-5
27
FINAL
14
Cincinnati
Bengals
4-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Cleveland Browns secured a decisive 27-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18 of the 2026 season, sealing their playoff aspirations with a solid performance. With both teams vying for a critical win, the Browns emerged dominant, showcasing their offensive firepower and strategic execution.
Deshaun Watson led the charge for Cleveland, throwing for 285 yards and connecting for crucial touchdowns that kept the Bengals at bay. Malachi Corley was a standout in the receiving game, racking up 123 yards, including key catches that extended drives and set up scoring opportunities. Although Joe Burrow managed to throw two touchdown passes for Cincinnati, it wasn't enough to overcome the Browns’ offensive onslaught.
Cleveland's defense played a pivotal role in the outcome, highlighted by Mekhi Blackmon's impressive 11 total tackles, ensuring the Bengals struggled to establish a rhythm. The turning point came in the second quarter when the Browns stifled a Cincinnati drive, forcing a turnover that allowed Cleveland to capitalize and extend their lead. With pressure from Boye Mafe, who notched 1.5 sacks, the Bengals were kept on their heels, unable to mount a successful comeback.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 37 | 19 | 51% | 285 | 1 | 0 | 85.9 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 31 | 20 | 65% | 212 | 2 | 0 | 105.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 21 | 87 | 4.1 | 30 | 0 | 28 | 2 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 15 | 52 | 3.5 | 24 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 8 | 31 | 3.9 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 9 | 19 | 2.1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Audric Estime | HB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malachi Corley | WR | 3 | 123 | 41.0 | 72 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 6 | 87 | 14.5 | 21 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 10 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 18 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 5 | 43 | 8.6 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Tylan Wallace | WR | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Darius Slayton | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mekhi Blackmon | CB | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Elandon Roberts | MIKE | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maliek Collins | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Kiser | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Anfernee Orji | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Wright | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Murphy | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Winston Reid | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 4 | 4 | 1 | 55 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

