Cleveland
Browns
10-5
35
FINAL
28
Cincinnati
Bengals
3-12
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 18 showdown, the Cleveland Browns outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals with a final score of 35-28, securing their playoff positioning in the 2026 season. The stakes were high as both teams sought to solidify their standings, making this matchup a pivotal encounter in the division.
Deshaun Watson led the charge for the Browns, throwing for an impressive 428 yards and four touchdowns, showcasing his elite playmaking ability. KC Concepcion Jr. was his top target, racking up 225 receiving yards and proving to be a constant threat down the field. The Browns' offensive performance was dynamic, capitalizing on key moments to keep the Bengals on their heels.
Defensively, the Bengals made some impactful plays, with Bryan Cook leading the way with eight tackles and Kyle Dugger securing an interception. However, the turning point came late in the game when Watson's precision passing led to a crucial touchdown, ultimately sealing the victory for Cleveland. Despite strong efforts from Cincinnati, including Jonathan Allen’s 1.5 sacks, they couldn't contain the Browns' explosive offense when it mattered most.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 43 | 27 | 63% | 428 | 4 | 2 | 107.5 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 42 | 20 | 48% | 315 | 2 | 1 | 78.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 13 | 64 | 4.9 | 35 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 17 | 49 | 2.9 | 15 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 6 | 42 | 7.0 | 22 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 6 | 3 | 0.5 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 9 | 225 | 25.0 | 123 | 2 | 76 | 1 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 6 | 107 | 17.8 | 48 | 1 | 44 | 1 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 1 | 80 | 80.0 | 77 | 1 | 80 | 1 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 6 | 78 | 13.0 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 3 | 65 | 21.7 | 14 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 4 | 40 | 10.0 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Joe Royer | TE | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Michael Burton | FB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Tylan Wallace | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Drew Sample | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PJ Jules | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Igbinoghene | CB | 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 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Barnett | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Thomas | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 3 | 2 | 46 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

