Cincinnati had the passing touchdowns, the stronger rushing figures and a late lead. Cleveland had the final kick. On 4 January 2026, Andre Szmyt’s 49-yard field goal as time expired gave the Browns a 20–18 win at Paycor Stadium. It was a painful finish for a Bengals side that had done enough on offence to put itself in control.
The Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats explain why that control never became a comfortable lead. Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes, while Ja’Marr Chase finished just short of 100 receiving yards. Yet Cleveland scored twice on defence and stayed close enough to strike late. Add Myles Garrett’s record-breaking sack, and this Week 18 meeting had far more going on than its modest score suggests.
How Cincinnati Controlled the Ball but Lost the Game
The team totals make uncomfortable reading for Bengals supporters. Cincinnati finished with 364 total net yards, compared with Cleveland’s 200. The Bengals also collected 24 first downs against the Browns’ 11 and held possession for 35 minutes and 34 seconds.
Those figures usually give a team a sound chance of winning. Cincinnati could move the ball, extend possessions and keep Cleveland’s offence waiting on the sideline. The problem was what happened when those promising possessions went wrong.
Cleveland returned both a Burrow interception and a Cincinnati fumble for touchdowns. Instead of simply ending drives, those mistakes put points straight on the board for the visitors.
That is the central lesson from this Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats breakdown. Yardage measures how far a team moves; it cannot explain the full cost of giving the ball away. Cincinnati gained 164 more yards, but Cleveland made its biggest defensive opportunities count.
Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins Lead the Attack
Joe Burrow completed 29 of 39 passes for 236 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His completion rate was about 74.4%, showing how regularly Cincinnati found a target.
His touchdown passes went to Chase Brown, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. Spreading those scores across three players gave the Bengals several ways to threaten Cleveland near the goal line.
Chase led Cincinnati’s receiving group with eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. His longest reception gained 21 yards, and he averaged 12 yards per catch. He also caught the late four-yard touchdown that briefly put Cincinnati ahead.
Higgins added six receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown. Together, Chase and Higgins supplied 163 of Burrow’s 236 passing yards. Their combined contribution shows how much Cincinnati relied on its leading receivers.
There was support underneath, too. Chase Brown caught four passes for 18 yards and a score, while Drew Sample contributed three catches for 17 yards.
The Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats show an effective passing attack with one especially costly mistake. Burrow’s interception mattered far more than an ordinary incomplete pass because Cleveland carried it back for a touchdown.
Rushing Stats: Chase Brown Gives Cincinnati Balance
Cincinnati’s ground game also produced useful work. Chase Brown rushed 13 times for 72 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. His longest run covered 19 yards.
Samaje Perine offered a reliable second option, gaining 42 yards on eight carries. His average of 5.3 yards per attempt meant Cincinnati could get useful gains from either back.
Burrow added 17 rushing yards on two attempts. Overall, the Bengals finished with 142 rushing yards on 25 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per run. Despite that success, none of their touchdowns came on the ground.
Cleveland spread its rushing work more widely. Dylan Sampson led with 32 yards on 10 carries. Raheim Sanders gained 26 yards on five attempts, while quarterback Shedeur Sanders added another 26 on three runs.
The Browns totalled 118 rushing yards on 24 attempts. Their ground game helped support an otherwise limited attack, although it did not produce a touchdown either.
For Cincinnati, the frustration was clear: both the passing and rushing numbers offered reasons to expect more than 18 points.
Defensive Touchdowns and Myles Garrett Change the Story
Cleveland’s defence supplied the plays that turned the game.
Devin Bush returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter. Shelby Harris tipped Burrow’s pass, and Bush turned the loose opportunity into a score at the other end.
Soon afterwards, Jerome Baker forced Noah Fant to fumble. Sam Webb recovered and ran 47 yards for another touchdown. In a short stretch, Cleveland had transformed two Cincinnati possessions into two Browns scores.
Bush also finished with 14 total tackles. His contribution went beyond the return, but that touchdown remained his most damaging intervention.
Then came Garrett’s place in the record books. His fourth-quarter sack of Burrow took him to 23 sacks for the 2025 season, surpassing the previous official single-season mark of 22.5 shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
It was a historic play with an immediate purpose. Cincinnati was trying to build a scoring drive, and Garrett helped force it backwards.
The Bengals’ defence deserves attention as well. Cincinnati sacked Shedeur Sanders six times, with Cam Sample recording two. The home side repeatedly disrupted Cleveland’s passing game, making the eventual defeat harder to accept.
Shedeur Sanders and Andre Szmyt Deliver the Finish
Shedeur Sanders finished with 11 completions from 22 attempts for 111 yards, without a passing touchdown or interception. Those are modest quarterback numbers, especially beside Burrow’s three touchdown passes.
Yet Sanders helped Cleveland make progress when the game demanded it. On the final possession, Isaiah Bond caught a crucial 13-yard pass, and Jerry Jeudy added an important 11-yard reception. Sampson’s late rushing yards then helped bring the kick closer.
Szmyt converted both field-goal attempts and both extra points, scoring eight of Cleveland’s 20 points. His earlier 27-yard field goal had stretched the Browns’ lead to 17–12.
Cincinnati’s kicking and conversion problems were just as significant. Its first extra point was blocked by Alex Wright, and the second missed wide right. After Chase’s late touchdown, the Bengals failed on their two-point attempt, leaving the lead at 18–17.
That meant a Browns field goal would win the game.
Szmyt’s 49-yard kick did exactly that. For anyone studying the Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats, the finish shows why special teams deserve the same attention as passing yards and touchdown totals.
Conclusion
The Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats capture a defeat Cincinnati had plenty of chances to avoid. Burrow threw three touchdowns, Chase led a productive receiving group, and the Bengals gained more yards through the air and on the ground.
Cleveland answered with defensive touchdowns, Garrett’s historic sack and a perfect kicking performance from Szmyt. Cincinnati produced more sustained offence, but the Browns found the decisive plays. The last of them sailed through the uprights with no time left to respond.
Also read: New York Jets vs Bengals Match Player Stats: Hall’s Big Day
(FAQs)
Who won the Bengals vs Browns game on 4 January 2026?
The Cleveland Browns won 20–18 at Paycor Stadium. Andre Szmyt kicked the winning field goal as time expired.
What were Joe Burrow’s passing stats?
Burrow completed 29 of 39 passes for 236 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.
Who led Cincinnati in receiving yards?
Ja’Marr Chase led the Bengals with eight receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown. Tee Higgins followed with 67 yards.
How did Cleveland win without an offensive touchdown?
The Browns scored two defensive touchdowns. Szmyt added two extra points and two field goals to complete their 20-point total.
What record did Myles Garrett set?
Garrett reached 23 sacks for the 2025 season, setting the NFL’s official single-season sack record.
