Cincinnati
Bengals
0-7
29
FINAL
35
Indianapolis
Colts
6-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 18 showdown, the Indianapolis Colts narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 35-29, securing their playoff position in the 2027 season. With both teams vying for momentum heading into the postseason, this game proved crucial for Indianapolis as they look to make a deep run.
Colts quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was the standout performer, throwing for an impressive 385 yards and four touchdowns. His ability to connect with his receivers at critical moments kept the Bengals' defense on its heels, allowing the Colts to maintain their lead throughout the contest. Chase Brown also showcased his skills for Cincinnati, rushing for 99 yards, while Tee Higgins dominated in the air with 160 receiving yards.
Defensively, the Bengals struggled to contain Chambliss, but Cashius Howell's presence was felt with 2.5 sacks, creating pressure that momentarily halted the Colts' rhythm. The game’s turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Indianapolis scored a decisive touchdown, extending their lead and forcing the Bengals to play catch-up. Despite a valiant effort from Jordan Battle, who led with eight tackles, Cincinnati could not overcome the Colts' offensive firepower in the final moments.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinidad Chambliss | QB | 49 | 33 | 67% | 385 | 4 | 0 | 118.1 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 42 | 24 | 57% | 352 | 2 | 0 | 100.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 17 | 99 | 5.8 | 39 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 17 | 63 | 3.7 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 6 | 53 | 8.8 | 37 | 1 | 41 | 1 |
| Fred Davis | HB | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 18 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Trinidad Chambliss | QB | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 11 | 160 | 14.5 | 26 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 9 | 118 | 13.1 | 13 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 115 | 28.8 | 65 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Deion Burks | WR | 9 | 94 | 10.4 | 20 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Moolah Harrison | TE | 6 | 58 | 9.7 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| Chris Bell | WR | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Dremario Johnson | TE | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jai'Den Thomas | HB | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | WR | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jack Endries | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Battle | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Haulcy | SS | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colton Hood | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Grant | DT | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ FukTwelve | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Crip | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | FS | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Garrett Gotti | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JT Tuimoloau | REDG | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keisean Nixon | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laiatu Latu | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bray Hubbard | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Channing Tindall | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chop Robinson | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Stone | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley Hughes | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaylon Crack | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevon Diggs | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedric Johnson | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zane Gonzalez | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 3 | 3 | 54 |

