Cleveland
Browns
5-1
13
FINAL
20
Cincinnati
Bengals
5-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals topped the Cleveland Browns 20-13 in Week 18 of the 2026 season, securing a crucial victory as the regular season draws to a close. Both teams fought hard for playoff positioning, but it was the Bengals who ultimately emerged victorious on their home turf.
Cincinnati's success was driven by the arm of Joe Burrow, who threw for 265 yards and anchored the offense. Meanwhile, the Browns saw a standout performance from Quinshon Judkins, who rushed for 101 yards, and Taylen Green, who connected on a touchdown pass, though it wasn't enough to carry his team to victory. Ja'Marr Chase also made an impact for the Bengals, leading all receivers with 104 yards.
Defensively, the Bengals put pressure on the Browns, with Boye Mafe recording 1.5 sacks that disrupted Cleveland's rhythm. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Bengals' defense held strong, forcing the Browns to settle for a field goal instead of a potential game-tying touchdown. Carson Schwesinger led the Browns with eight tackles, but the Bengals' ability to clamp down in critical moments ultimately secured their win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 39 | 21 | 54% | 265 | 0 | 1 | 64.5 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 41 | 22 | 54% | 208 | 1 | 0 | 76.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 16 | 101 | 6.3 | 44 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 13 | 58 | 4.5 | 22 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 8 | 55 | 6.9 | 20 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 1 | 45 | 45.0 | 41 | 1 | 45 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Royer | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 7 | 104 | 14.9 | 17 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 8 | 96 | 12.0 | 23 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 5 | 62 | 12.4 | 23 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| Zay Flowers | WR | 4 | 50 | 12.5 | 10 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 11 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Drew Sample | TE | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Joe Royer | TE | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Isaiah Bond | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Michael Burton | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenny Moore II | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Marlon Humphrey | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey Moore | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Toriano Pride Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swayze Bozeman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Sir Taylor | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joey Bosa | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 53 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 2 | 3 | 1 | 53 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

