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DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Browns at Bengals
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Paycor Stadium

CLEvsCIN

Browns offensevsBengals defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Browns, 7 for Bengals. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

CLE offenseCIN offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Tight ends feast

Bengals give up 89 yards a game to tight ends (31st), against a league average of 55. Browns' tight ends produce 57 (16th).

02
Opportunity

Deep middle is open

Bengals are worst against deep middle throws, allowing +0.84 EPA per attempt. Browns send 4% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Pressure problem

Browns take a sack on 12% of dropbacks (32nd). Bengals get home on 9% (3rd). League average is 7%.

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Browns succeed on 42% of plays (18th) against a defense that allows 44% (17th).

Players to watch

CLE Browns

4Deshaun WatsonQB · 163/249 · 1806 yds · 7 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.02 · 24th10Quinshon JudkinsRB · 101 car · 342 yds · 3 TD · 21 recEPA per touch -0.1512Denzel BostonWR · 26 rec · 409 yds · 3 TD · 53 tgtEPA per target +0.1144Harold Fannin Jr.TE · 35 rec · 411 yds · 3 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target +0.26 · 17th21Denzel WardLeft Cornerback · 29 tackles · 3 INT · 9 PD3 INT · T-2nd in the NFL94Mason GrahamLeft Defensive Tackle · 16 tackles · 4 sacks4 sacks · T-22nd in the NFL

CIN Bengals

9Joe BurrowQB · 195/267 · 2115 yds · 20 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.24 · 7th30Chase BrownRB · 94 car · 340 yds · 1 TD · 36 recEPA per touch -0.211Ja'Marr ChaseWR · 43 rec · 492 yds · 6 TD · 61 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 24th5Tee HigginsWR · 43 rec · 726 yds · 4 TD · 61 tgtEPA per target +0.85 · 3rd53Boye MafeLeft Defensive End · 18 tackles · 5.5 sacks · 1 PD5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL27Jordan BattleStrong Safety · 49 tackles · 3 INT · 6 PD3 INT · T-2nd in the NFL
The series · Browns and Bengals since 1999, and this season's records54 meetings

The Bengals lead the series 32–22 since 1999. Jan 4, 2026, at Paycor Stadium: the Browns won 20–18. Joe Burrow started at quarterback for the Bengals and Shedeur Sanders for the Browns; Zac Taylor and Kevin Stefanski coached.

Browns at home13–14the Browns' record
In Cincinnati9–18the Browns' record
Most pointsBrowns 51 · Bengals 582007 · 2004
Biggest winBrowns by 25 · Bengals by 342021 · 2015

The last 5

2025 · Wk 18CLE 20 at CIN 18
2025 · Wk 1CIN 17 at CLE 16
2024 · Wk 16CLE 6 at CIN 24
2024 · Wk 7CIN 21 at CLE 14
2023 · Wk 18CLE 14 at CIN 31

2026 records

BrownsBengals
Overall5–35–2
Division2–11–1
Conference3–34–2
Other conference2–01–0
Home3–02–1
Away2–33–1
Last 5WLWWLLLWWW
StreakLost 1Won 3
Points a game17.4 – 21.629.4 – 22.6

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Browns' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Browns offense against the Bengals defenseDepth charts
Bengals defense · 4-3 DBrowns offense · 3WR 1TE55Fano77Johnson74Jenkins58Barber71Howard44Fannin4Watson10Judkins12Boston3Jeudy1Concepcion99Murphy93Allen97Lawrence53Mafe44Knight49Carter42Burks0Turner20Davis23Hill27Battle6Cook

Browns offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBDeshaun Watson#4 · 163/249 · 1806 yds · 7 TD · 3 INT
  • RBQuinshon Judkins#10 · 101 car · 342 yds · 3 TD · 21 rec
  • WRDenzel Boston#12 · 26 rec · 409 yds · 3 TD · 53 tgt
  • WRKC Concepcion#1 · 33 rec · 352 yds · 0 TD · 49 tgt
  • WRJerry Jeudy#3 · 16 rec · 171 yds · 0 TD · 24 tgt
  • TEHarold Fannin Jr.#44 · 35 rec · 411 yds · 3 TD · 51 tgt
  • LTSpencer Fano#55
  • LGZion Johnson#77
  • CElgton Jenkins#74
  • RGAustin Barber#58
  • RTTytus Howard#71

Bengals defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEMyles Murphy#99 · 14 tackles · 1.5 sacks
  • RDTJonathan Allen#93 · 17 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDTDexter Lawrence II#97 · 23 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDEBoye Mafe#53 · 18 tackles · 5.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • WLBDemetrius Knight Jr.#44 · 54 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • MLBBarrett Carter#49 · 57 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 3 PD
  • SLBOren Burks#42 · 13 tackles
  • RCBDJ Turner II#0 · 17 tackles · 5 PD
  • LCBTacario Davis#20 · 13 tackles · 1 PD
  • NBDax Hill#23 · 35 tackles · 5 PD
  • SSJordan Battle#27 · 49 tackles · 3 INT · 6 PD
  • FSBryan Cook#6 · 31 tackles · 0.5 sacks

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · CLE offense against CIN defense
StatCLE CLE offFavors CLE · Favors CINCIN CIN def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.08#25
-0.01#14+0.00
Success rate
42%#18
44%#1744%
Yards per play
5.1#23
5.8#255.4
Explosive play rate
8%#24
11%#299%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.06#23
-0.01#11+0.03
Sack rate
12%#32
9%#37%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.19#27
-0.08#18-0.08
Yards per carry
3.6#27
4.4#234.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
32%#30
48%#2941%
Red zone TD rate
47%#31
42%#361%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
129#23
142#15147
TE yards per game
57#16
89#3155
TE targets per game
7.0#20
9.6#307.6
RB receiving yards per game
40#9
30#1232
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Browns: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.287% of throws
+0.044% of throws
+0.665% of throws
Short
+0.0542% of throws
+0.2715% of throws
+0.0927% of throws

Bengals: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.0114 throws
+0.8411 throws
-0.3018 throws
Short
+0.3262 throws
+0.2951 throws
+0.1582 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.