So, you're looking for the Cleveland Browns score from their latest outing. Honestly, if you blinked during the final minute of their season finale, you missed the entire story. On January 4, 2026, the Cleveland Browns walked off the field at Paycor Stadium with a 20-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a weird, gritty, and frankly chaotic end to a season that most fans in Northeast Ohio are probably ready to put in the rearview mirror.
The game ended on a 49-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt as the clock hit zero. Perfect.
This win pushed the Browns to a final record of 5-12. Not exactly Super Bowl material, sure. But for a team that had struggled to find any sort of rhythm all year, winning their last two games against AFC North rivals (they beat the Steelers 13-6 the week prior) felt like a small, necessary bit of pride.
Breaking Down the Cleveland Browns Score and That Wild Ending
The score doesn't tell you how ugly this game was at times. We're talking about a matchup where the Browns' offense didn't even find the end zone. Not once.
The defense did the heavy lifting. Devin Bush Jr. snagged a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter, which basically set the tone for the afternoon. Then Sam Webb took a fumble back 47 yards for another score in the second.
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By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Bengals had clawed back. Joe Burrow found Ja'Marr Chase for a 4-yard touchdown with only 1:29 left on the clock. That put Cincinnati up 18-17. Most Browns fans probably thought, "Here we go again."
But Shedeur Sanders, the rookie who’s been under a microscope all season, actually kept his cool. He orchestrated a 10-play, 40-yard drive in about eighty seconds. He wasn't throwing bombs; he was just taking what the defense gave him. A 13-yarder to Isaiah Bond. An 11-yarder to Jerry Jeudy. Suddenly, they were in field goal range.
Andre Szmyt, who had missed a crucial kick against the Bengals way back in Week 1, didn't miss this time. 20-18. Game over.
Why the 2025-2026 Season Was Such a Rollercoaster
Looking at the Cleveland Browns score week to week this year felt like a math problem that wouldn't resolve. The team finished 4th in the AFC North.
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- September 7: L 16-17 vs Bengals (The start of the heartbreak)
- September 21: W 13-10 vs Packers (A glimmer of hope)
- October 19: W 31-6 vs Dolphins (The biggest win of the year)
- December 28: W 13-6 vs Steelers (The defense wakes up)
- January 4: W 20-18 @ Bengals (The season finale)
If you look at those numbers, the Browns actually had a top-tier defense. Myles Garrett even set the NFL single-season sack record during the finale, hitting 23 sacks after taking down Burrow in the fourth quarter. It’s wild that a team with a record-setting defensive player and two defensive touchdowns in the final game still only finished with five wins.
The Shedeur Sanders Factor
You can't talk about the Browns' recent scores without mentioning the quarterback situation. Shedeur Sanders finished the finale 11 of 22 for 111 yards. That’s... not great.
But he didn't turn the ball over when it mattered. The transition from the Deshaun Watson era to whatever this is has been bumpy, to say the least. Sanders showed flashes, especially in that final two-minute drill, but the offense as a whole was stagnant for most of December.
Coach Kevin Stefanski is likely going to be looking at a lot of tape this offseason trying to figure out why the running game, led by Dylan Sampson and Raheim Sanders, couldn't consistently move the chains. Against the Bengals, they only managed 118 yards on the ground.
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What This Means for the 2026 Draft
Because the season ended the way it did, the Browns' draft position is finally locked in. Thanks to some trades—including the one with Jacksonville—Cleveland is sitting on a goldmine. They have the No. 6 and No. 24 overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Winning those last two games felt good for the locker room, but it did technically drop them a couple of spots in the draft order. Most fans will take the win over the Bengals any day, though. There’s something about beating Cincy and Pittsburgh back-to-back that makes a 5-12 record sting just a little bit less.
Practical Steps for Browns Fans This Offseason
Now that the final Cleveland Browns score of the year is in the books, the focus shifts immediately to the front office. Here is what you should be watching over the next few months:
- Monitor the Coaching Staff: There are already rumors about staff changes. Stay tuned to official team releases regarding the offensive coordinator position.
- Draft Prep: With two first-round picks (6th and 24th), start looking at offensive line prospects and wide receiver depth. The defense is elite, but the offense needs help.
- The Schedule Reveal: While we don't have dates yet, we know the 2026 opponents. The Browns will face the AFC South and NFC East next year, along with the usual divisional rivals.
- Free Agency: Keep an eye on the salary cap. The Browns have some big contracts to navigate, and how they handle the next two months will dictate if 2026 is another rebuilding year or a playoff run.
The season is over. The Browns won their last game 20-18. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. Now, the real work begins in the front office to ensure that next January, we're talking about playoff scores instead of draft positions.