The next Battle of Ohio arrives on Sunday, December 6, 2026, and the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats already hint at a sharp clash of styles. Cincinnati travels to Huntington Bank Field for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff in Week 13, carrying the league’s second-highest scoring offense into a building where Cleveland has spent the season winning tight, uncomfortable games.
Both teams are still adjusting before this date, so the picture will keep moving. This guide pulls together the latest updates on each roster, a quarterback-by-quarterback and position-by-position look at the numbers, and a full head-to-head comparison so you can judge the matchup with current facts rather than old reputations.
Upcoming Match Snapshot: Bengals at Browns in Week 13
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns |
| Date | Sunday, December 6, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland |
| Stage | Week 13, AFC North divisional game |
| Return meeting | Week 18 at Cincinnati, Sunday, January 10, 2027 |
Heading into their next games, Cincinnati sits at 6-2 and Cleveland at 5-4. Before they meet, the Bengals still have the Steelers, Commanders and Saints on the schedule, while the Browns face the Texans, enjoy a bye and then host the Raiders. Those results will shape the mood, the injury lists and the playoff stakes by kickoff.
One early model, from Dimers, gives Cincinnati roughly a 68.6% chance to win and Cleveland about 31.4%. Treat that as a starting point only, because win probabilities shift with every injury report and quarterback announcement.
Latest Updates Before the Bengals-Browns Kickoff
Before digging into the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats, it helps to know what has changed in the last few weeks for each side.
Bengals: Four Straight Wins and a Record-Tying Offense
Cincinnati arrives with real momentum. A 34-17 win over Atlanta in Madrid extended the Bengals’ winning streak to four games, and the offense has now scored at least 30 points in four consecutive outings, matching a franchise record. Through that stretch Cincinnati is averaging 29.6 points per game, second only to Buffalo.
Joe Burrow was the story in Spain. He completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, added a rushing score, and finished with a passer rating of 140.1. Across his last four games he has thrown for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns. Before that game, Burrow already had 2,115 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes through Week 8, including a 462-yard, five-touchdown shootout against Tennessee.
The defense is the lingering question. Tennessee piled up 440 yards and 36 points in Week 8, and Atlanta ran for 157 yards even in a loss. Cincinnati also finished the Madrid game without a sack. If the Bengals want to keep winning in Cleveland, the cleanest path is still to outscore people, but a stronger defensive showing would make that plan far less stressful.
On special teams, kicker Evan McPherson drilled a 57-yarder against Atlanta, extending his streak of consecutive field goals to 23.
Browns: A Quarterback Debate, Close Finishes and Life After Garrett
Cleveland’s story is more complicated. The Browns fell 23-22 in overtime at New Orleans, their second straight loss, after Shedeur Sanders started in place of Deshaun Watson, who was recovering from a concussion. Head coach Todd Monken chose to go for a winning two-point conversion late in overtime, and it failed. All five of Cleveland’s wins this season have come by four points or fewer, a profile that tells you these games are rarely comfortable.
Quarterback is the headline. ESPN reported that the Browns plan to return to Watson for their next game against Houston, though Monken has not officially committed. Watson has led an NFL-high five game-winning drives, yet he entered Week 9 with a Total QBR of 40.9, which ranked 28th among 30 qualifiers. Sanders, meanwhile, finished 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans, but he was also sacked five times. Which quarterback starts on December 6 is genuinely uncertain, and it matters for every comparison below.
The other major update is on defense: Myles Garrett is no longer in Cleveland. The Browns traded him to the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason and received edge rusher Jared Verse in return. That means older matchup stories built around Garrett terrorizing Cincinnati’s offensive line no longer apply. Garrett’s record-setting 23-sack season in 2025 was completed against these same Bengals, but he now wears a different uniform.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns Match Player Stats: Quarterback Comparison
No position drives the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats more than quarterback, and in 2026 the gap is wide.
| Quarterback | Latest verified numbers |
|---|---|
| Joe Burrow (CIN) | 24/29, 271 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 1 rushing TD vs Atlanta; 1,075 yards and 9 TD over his last four games |
| Deshaun Watson (CLE) | Total QBR of 40.9 entering Week 9 (28th of 30); NFL-high five game-winning drives |
| Shedeur Sanders (CLE) | 19/31, 297 yards, 2 TD, 5 sacks taken, 10 rushes for 28 yards in his only 2026 start |
Burrow is playing at an elite, efficient level, and he does it with timing, anticipation and a trusted set of targets. Watson’s season has been defined by finishing games rather than dominating them, and Cleveland’s offense has often needed the fourth quarter to wake up. Sanders brought more vertical juice, including two throws of 60 yards that doubled the total Watson had managed in his first eight games, but he also absorbed pressure and struggled with accuracy at times.
If Burrow is protected, Cleveland will need turnovers, sacks or a big special-teams moment to keep up. If the Browns do rattle him, the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats could look very different from the scoreboard Cincinnati has produced lately.
Receivers and Tight Ends: Where This Match Can Be Won
The receiving side of the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats shows the biggest star-power gap on the field.
Chase and Higgins Lead Cincinnati’s Passing Attack
Ja’Marr Chase caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta, including 142 yards before halftime, the best opening half of his career. Burrow has now connected with Chase for 55 of his 178 career touchdown passes, the most by any quarterback-receiver pair since Chase entered the league in 2021.
Tee Higgins has quietly delivered the best season of his career. He caught five passes for 32 yards and two touchdowns in Madrid, both scoring grabs coming on tight, contested throws near the goal line. When defenses roll coverage toward Chase, Higgins makes them pay.
Cleveland’s Young Pass Catchers Are Rising
Cleveland’s receiving corps is young and talented, even if the quarterback play around it has been inconsistent. Against New Orleans, a trio of young targets accounted for 225 of Sanders’ 297 passing yards. Rookie Denzel Boston hauled in a 60-yard completion, fellow rookie KC Concepcion scored on a 64-yard touchdown, and Harold Fannin Jr. added a 39-yard touchdown in overtime.
That explosive potential gives Cleveland a path to a big play against a Bengals secondary that has not always been airtight. The challenge for the Browns is consistency, because those downfield shots only work when the quarterback has time to throw them.
Running Game: Efficiency Against Opposing Weaknesses
Rushing production is the least flashy part of the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats, but it often decides who controls the clock.
Cincinnati’s ground attack finally found a rhythm in its latest outing. Chase Brown carried nine times for 57 yards, a 6.3-yard average, and Samaje Perine added 43 yards on 11 attempts. Together the pair gave the Bengals meaningful balance, which kept Burrow from carrying the entire load.
Cleveland’s rushing numbers were far less encouraging in New Orleans. The Browns struggled to move the ball on the ground, and a botched handoff and a sack contributed to a third-quarter drive stalling inside the 5-yard line. The same game also exposed Cleveland’s run defense, which did not play at its usual standard against a modest New Orleans ground game.
Because the Bengals gave up 157 rushing yards against Atlanta, this is a matchup of two defenses that have each shown cracks against the run. Whichever offense wins early downs will control the tempo.
Defense: Pass Rush, Tackling and Red Zone Stops
Defensive numbers carry extra weight in the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats, because this rivalry has leaned toward low-scoring finishes.
Cleveland’s Pass Rush After Garrett
Cleveland’s defense still produces. Entering Week 9, the Browns were generating pressure on 36.9% of dropbacks, which ranked 13th in the league, and their 21 sacks placed them near the top ten. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, tallied 15 tackles and two sacks against the Saints.
Verse, however, is still searching for his first sack. Through eight games he had 13 pressures and 14 tackles but no sacks, a gap between disruption and finish that Monken believes is about to close. Cornerback Denzel Ward, a five-time Pro Bowler, anchors a secondary that plays aggressively. Against Burrow, those pressures need to turn into hits and takeaways to matter.
Cincinnati’s Defense Needs Cleaner Execution
The Bengals did their best work in Madrid by limiting Atlanta to 17 points, a clear improvement over the Tennessee game. Still, the absence of sacks and the 157 rushing yards allowed show that opponents can find ways to stay close. Against Cleveland’s patient, field-position-driven offense, missed tackles and long drives can quietly erase a lead.
Red zone defense deserves attention too. Cleveland went zero for two on red zone touchdowns against New Orleans and was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1 before halftime. If the Browns keep settling for field goals, Cincinnati’s offense has the firepower to pull away.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
All-Time Series and Recent Meetings
Across 105 meetings, Cincinnati leads the all-time series 56-49, and the teams have never met in the playoffs. The rivalry has been much closer lately than the overall record suggests. Here are the last ten regular-season meetings:
| Date | Round | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2026 | Week 18 | Browns 20, Bengals 18 | Browns |
| Sep 7, 2025 | Week 1 | Bengals 17, Browns 16 | Bengals |
| Dec 19, 2024 | Week 16 | Bengals 24, Browns 6 | Bengals |
| Oct 20, 2024 | Week 7 | Bengals 21, Browns 14 | Bengals |
| Jan 7, 2024 | Week 18 | Bengals 31, Browns 14 | Bengals |
| Sep 10, 2023 | Week 1 | Browns 24, Bengals 3 | Browns |
| Dec 11, 2022 | Week 14 | Bengals 23, Browns 10 | Bengals |
| Oct 31, 2022 | Week 8 | Browns 32, Bengals 13 | Browns |
| Jan 9, 2022 | Week 18 | Browns 21, Bengals 16 | Browns |
| Nov 7, 2021 | Week 9 | Browns 41, Bengals 16 | Browns |
What Recent Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns Match Player Stats Reveal
The last ten games split evenly at five wins apiece. By our tally, the Bengals averaged 18.2 points and the Browns 19.8 points across that span, so the scoring edge actually leans slightly toward Cleveland despite Cincinnati’s reputation for offense. Since 2005, Cincinnati still holds a 26-16 lead in the series.
Two other patterns stand out. First, the Bengals have won only two of their last five trips to Cleveland, in 2024 and 2025. Second, the over has not cashed in any of the last six meetings, according to Screwball, which fits the low-scoring, defense-driven nature of past games. The most recent result also carries a sting for Cincinnati: Cleveland won 20-18 in Week 18 last season, and Garrett set the NFL single-season sack record in that very game.
Team Comparison Snapshot for 2026
| Category | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 6-2 | 5-4 |
| Recent form | Four straight wins | Two straight losses |
| Offensive identity | 29.6 points per game, second in the NFL | Slow starts, big plays from young receivers |
| Quarterback outlook | Burrow, playing at an MVP-level pace | Watson expected, Sanders in reserve |
| Pass rush | Quiet in Madrid, no sacks | 21 sacks entering Week 9, but none yet from Verse |
| Game profile | Wins by outscoring opponents | Five wins, all by four points or fewer |
Key Player Matchups to Watch on December 6
These four individual battles will shape the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats once the game begins.
Burrow vs the Browns’ pressure packages. With Garrett gone, Cleveland has to generate pressure by committee. If Verse, Schwesinger and the interior rushers get home, Burrow’s passer rating from Madrid will not repeat.
Chase vs Ward. This is the premier individual battle on the field. Ward has the experience and ball skills to contest Chase on the outside, but few cornerbacks have been able to stay with Chase for an entire game.
Higgins vs Cleveland’s coverage in the red zone. Higgins has been among the most reliable touchdown targets in the league this season. Cleveland’s red zone defense needs to win on short-yardage downs to keep points off the board.
Watson or Sanders vs the Bengals’ secondary. Cleveland’s quarterback decision shapes the game plan. Watson offers experience and clutch finishes; Sanders offers a more aggressive downfield approach. Cincinnati’s defenders will need to prepare for both.
How the Numbers Lean
On paper, Cincinnati holds the stronger overall profile: better record, a more efficient quarterback, and a scoring pace few teams can match. The Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats from this season favor the Bengals at quarterback and at receiver, while Cleveland keeps an edge in defensive pressure, home field and division-game toughness.
The danger for Cincinnati is the history. Cleveland has beaten the Bengals in five of the last ten meetings, and divisional games rarely follow a script. A low-scoring contest decided by one possession would match the recent pattern between these teams far better than a shootout.
Final Word on the Bengals-Browns Matchup
Before the Week 13 kickoff, the best way to read the Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns match player stats is to focus on three questions. Can Burrow keep producing against a Cleveland pass rush that is still finding its identity after Garrett? Which quarterback gives the Browns the best chance to turn close games into wins? And can the Bengals’ defense hold up long enough for the offense to do what it has done for a month?
Bookmark this page and check back as injury reports, quarterback decisions and betting lines change. By Sunday, December 6, the numbers above should give you a clear lens for watching one of the AFC North’s most unpredictable rivalries unfold.
