Winning feels good. Even if it's too late.
The Cleveland Browns just wrapped up their 2025-2026 campaign with a nail-biter that had fans screaming at their TVs for all the right—and wrong—reasons. If you missed it, the final score of the Cleveland Browns game against the Cincinnati Bengals was a gritty 20-18 victory.
It wasn't pretty. It rarely is with this team. But a win is a win, especially when it happens on the road at Paycor Stadium to close out a year that most of us would rather forget. Honestly, watching Andre Szmyt nail a 49-yard field goal as the clock hit zero was the kind of catharsis this fan base desperately needed after a long, cold winter.
Breaking Down the Score of the Cleveland Browns Game
Let's look at how we actually got to that 20-18 finish.
The first quarter was basically a defensive masterclass, or a comedy of errors, depending on who you ask. Cincinnati struck first with a 4-yard pass from Joe Burrow to Chase Brown, but they missed the extra point. That missed point loomed large all afternoon. Cleveland’s offense was stagnant early, but the defense—specifically Devin Bush—decided to take matters into his own hands. He snagged a Burrow pass and took it 97 yards to the house.
7-6 Browns. Just like that.
Early in the second, things got even weirder. Sam Webb scooped up a fumble and returned it 47 yards for another defensive touchdown. At that point, the Browns were leading 14-6 without their offense having done much of anything. Cincinnati clawed back before the half with a Tee Higgins touchdown, but again, they missed the extra point. You just can't make this stuff up.
The Milestone Everyone is Talking About
While the score was the headline, the real story was happening in the trenches. Myles Garrett.
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The man is a literal cheat code. With 5:14 left in the fourth quarter, Garrett brought down Joe Burrow for his 23rd sack of the season.
That’s a new NFL single-season record. He officially passed Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt to stand alone at the top of the mountain. Seeing him celebrate that moment in the middle of a divisional battle was easily the highlight of the entire season. It's the kind of legendary performance that reminds you why you put up with the losing seasons.
Garrett finished the day with that historic sack and two additional quarterback hits, basically living in the Bengals' backfield.
That Heart-Stopping Fourth Quarter
The final ten minutes were a total rollercoaster. Cleveland held a slim 17-12 lead thanks to a third-quarter field goal by Szmyt. But Joe Burrow is still Joe Burrow. He led a 61-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase with only 1:29 remaining on the clock.
The Bengals went for two to try and push the lead to three points, but Grant Delpit came up huge with a pass breakup.
Score: 18-17, Bengals.
The Browns had 89 seconds to save their season finale. No timeouts. Just a kicker and a dream. The offense finally found a rhythm when it mattered most, dinking and dunking their way into Bengals territory. Szmyt stepped up, 49 yards out, and split the uprights.
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Game over. Browns win.
The Harsh Reality of 5-12
Despite the high of a last-second win against a rival, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. This team finished 5-12.
It was a nightmare start to the 2025 season that never really got on track. We saw a lot of "almost" games. Week 1 was a one-point loss to these same Bengals. Week 14 was a two-point heartbreak against the Titans. Week 16 was a three-point loss to Buffalo.
If three or four plays go the other way, this team is fighting for a wild card spot. Instead, they’re looking at the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The front office has already started the cleanup. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is out. The search for the next leader of the locker room is currently the only thing people are talking about at the local bars. Names like Jim Schwartz are being tossed around, and there’s a lot of buzz about Bengals OC Dan Pitcher after the Browns interviewed him recently.
What the 2025 Stats Tell Us
If you look at the raw numbers, the "score of the Cleveland Browns game" usually suffered because of a struggling offense. The team averaged only about 4.2 yards per play over the season. Compare that to the 4.6 yards they allowed on defense, and you see the gap.
- Turnover Margin: -7 (This was the killer).
- Passing Game: 18 interceptions thrown throughout the year.
- Rushing: 1,649 total yards, which isn't terrible but lacked the explosive plays we saw in years past.
The silver lining? The defense recorded 53 sacks. That's a top-tier unit being wasted by an offense that couldn't stay on the field. Devin Bush had two pick-sixes this year, and Denzel Ward remained a lockdown corner, earning another Pro Bowl nod alongside Garrett.
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Where the Browns Go from Here
The 2026 offseason is going to be a total reset. With two first-round picks (No. 6 and No. 24), the Browns have the capital to actually fix the holes.
Most mock drafts have the team eyeing a franchise quarterback. There's a ton of talk about Shedeur Sanders from Colorado or perhaps a heavy investment in the offensive line to protect whoever is under center. The experiment with the current roster has reached its ceiling, and it's time to build around the few elite pieces we have left.
Actionable Steps for the Offseason
If you’re a fan looking to stay ahead of the curve, keep your eyes on the coaching search. The new hire will dictate whether the Browns stay with a defensive-heavy identity or try to modernize the scoring.
Check the mock drafts, but focus on the "big men." The Browns' inability to convert on 3rd and short (only 33% conversion rate this year) points to a massive need for interior offensive line help.
The 20-18 win over Cincinnati was a nice way to go out, but it’s a band-aid on a much larger wound. The "score of the Cleveland Browns game" won't consistently favor Cleveland until the quarterback play matches the intensity of Myles Garrett's pass rush.
Track the official coaching interviews through the end of January. The team usually moves fast once they identify their guy. This next month will determine the next five years of Cleveland football.