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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

CINvsCLE

Bengals offensevsBrowns defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Bengals, 8 for Browns. 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

Third downs favor Bengals

Bengals convert 55% of third downs (1st). Browns allow 40% (14th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Browns are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.42 EPA per attempt. Bengals send 3% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Checkdowns go nowhere

Browns give up 18 yards a game to running backs (1st), against a league average of 32. Bengals' running backs produce 37 (10th).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Bengals gain 6.0 yards per play (6th). Browns give up 5.3 (11th), with the league at 5.4.

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 · Bengals offense against the Browns defenseDepth charts
Browns defense · 4-3 DBengals offense · 3WR 1TE75Brown63Fairchild64Karras66Risner71Mims88Gesicki9Burrow30Brown1Chase81Meyers5Higgins8Verse96Collins94Graham57McGuire42Mascarenas-Arnold49Schwesinger5Williams7Campbell21Ward26Harden9Delpit33Hickman

Bengals offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBJoe Burrow#9 · 195/267 · 2115 yds · 20 TD · 6 INT
  • RBChase Brown#30 · 94 car · 340 yds · 1 TD · 36 rec
  • WRJa'Marr Chase#1 · 43 rec · 492 yds · 6 TD · 61 tgt
  • WRTee Higgins#5 · 43 rec · 726 yds · 4 TD · 61 tgt
  • WRDohnte Meyers#81 · 16 rec · 175 yds · 0 TD · 23 tgt
  • TEMike Gesicki#88 · 17 rec · 241 yds · 6 TD · 24 tgt
  • LTOrlando Brown Jr.#75
  • LGDylan Fairchild#63
  • CTed Karras#64
  • RGDalton Risner#66
  • RTAmarius Mims#71

Browns defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEJared Verse#8 · 17 tackles
  • RDTMaliek Collins#96 · 19 tackles · 3.5 sacks
  • LDTMason Graham#94 · 16 tackles · 4 sacks
  • LDEIsaiah McGuire#57 · 20 tackles · 3 sacks
  • WLBEaston Mascarenas-Arnold#42 · 11 tackles
  • MLBCarson Schwesinger#49 · 72 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • SLBQuincy Williams#5 · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 3 PD
  • RCBTyson Campbell#7 · 33 tackles · 3 PD
  • LCBDenzel Ward#21 · 29 tackles · 3 INT · 9 PD
  • NBMyles Harden#26 · 28 tackles · 1 INT · 6 PD
  • SSGrant Delpit#9 · 34 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • FSRonnie Hickman#33 · 48 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD

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 · CIN offense against CLE defense
StatCIN CIN offFavors CIN · Favors CLECLE CLE def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.12#5
-0.02#13+0.00
Success rate
50%#2
42%#1044%
Yards per play
6.0#6
5.3#115.4
Explosive play rate
9%#21
12%#329%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.23#5
-0.03#9+0.03
Sack rate
5%#8
7%#107%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.13#22
-0.02#27-0.08
Yards per carry
3.7#26
4.7#284.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
55%#1
40%#1441%
Red zone TD rate
68%#9
52%#1161%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
211#1
138#13147
TE yards per game
54#17
59#2355
TE targets per game
7.0#21
8.0#217.6
RB receiving yards per game
37#10
18#132
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Bengals: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.003% of throws
+2.373% of throws
+0.8111% of throws
Short
+0.2429% of throws
+0.1418% of throws
+0.0836% of throws

Browns: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.4221 throws
+0.3516 throws
-0.3120 throws
Short
-0.0476 throws
+0.3936 throws
+0.0891 throws

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