If that’s the end for head coach Kevin Stefanski, his team went out with a bang.
On the day star edge rusher Myles Garrett broke the single-season sack record, the Browns were able to engineer a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bengals 20-18 to close the 2025 season.
After missing an extra point and a field goal late in the 17-16 Week 1 loss to the Bengals, Browns kicker Andre Szmyt connected on a 49-yard walk-off field goal to win the game.
The Browns had a pair of first-half defensive touchdowns to build a 14-6 lead. Devin Bush returned an interception 97 yards while Sam Webb returned a fumble for 47 yards for a touchdown.
Tee Higgins had a 13-yard touchdown reception late in the second quarter to make it 14-12 with Evan McPherson’s missed extra point. He previously had an extra point blocked.
Szmyt hit a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter. After Garrett set the sack record in the fourth quarter — surpassing Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt — the Bengals took a one-point lead with a 4-yard touchdown from Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase. But the two-point conversion attempt failed, keeping it a one-point lead.
That gave the Browns the opportunity to stage a comeback of their own, which they were able to capitalize on. Shedeur Sanders converted third-and-10 with a 13-yard pass to Isaiah Bond, then hit Jerry Jeudy for an 11-yard gain on third-and-1. That also put Cleveland in field goal range.
After Dylan Sampson gained 5 yards on third-and-8, Szmyt was set up for his 49-yard attempt, which he nailed — giving Sanders his first game-winning drive.
Sanders finished the contest 11-of-22 for 111 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He did lose a fumble in the first quarter.
On the other side, Burrow was 29-of-39 for 236 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Chase finished with eight catches for 96 yards with a TD while Higgins caught six passes for 67 yards with a touchdown.
With the win, the Browns will finish the season at 5-12 and with back-to-back wins over divisional opponents. The club is widely expected to move on from Stefanski as head coach, though General Manager Andrew Berry is reportedly safe.
The Bengals end the 2025 season 6-11 after Burrow missed much of the year due to torn ligaments in his foot.
Myles Garrett has done it.
Garrett has registered a sack on Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s matchup between the Browns and Steelers to give him 23.5 in 2025, breaking the NFL’s single-season record in the final game of the season.
Garrett was rushing off the offense’s left on first-and-10 midway through the final period, beating tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to get to Burrow in the backfield for the record-breaking sack.
While Garrett had 4.0 sacks over the first three weeks of the season, he then did not register one for Cleveland’s next three games. But he had at least a half-sack in each game since the Browns’ Week 7 victory over the Dolphins — including a whopping 5.0 in Cleveland’s Week 8 loss to New England and 4.0 in the Week 11 loss to Baltimore — until last week, when he did not get a sack on Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers.
Garrett now has 125.5 sacks in his nine-year career and is poised to add more before the season ends.
The Bengals have held Myles Garrett sack-less through the first two quarters. But the Browns still have a 14-12 lead over the Bengals at halftime.
A turnover by Shedeur Sanders helped Cincinnati score its first points. Sanders was strip-sacked by defensive end Cam Sample, with Howard Cross picking up the loose ball. Chase Brown caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow. But the extra point was blocked, keeping the score at 6-0.
The Browns took a 7-6 lead when Shelby Harris tipped a pass in the red zone and Devin Bush picked it off and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. Bush gave his best Marshawn Lynch “beastquake” tribute as he went into the end zone, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty. But Andre Szmyt still put the ball through the uprights on the extra point.
Then Cleveland scored another defensive touchdown when Jerome Baker forced Noah Fant to fumble, and Sam Webb picked the ball up and returned it for a 47-yard touchdown. Webb also tried to “Marshawn” his way into the end zone, but his attempt wasn’t quite as good. Either way, Szmyt put the extra point through for a 14-6 lead.
The Bengals got back on the board late in the half when Burrow connected with Tee Higgins for a 13-yard touchdown. It was Higgins’ career-high 11th touchdown reception of the season.
But Evan McPherson missed the extra point wide right to keep the score at 14-12.
Cleveland’s offense has been ugly, netting only two first downs in the first half. Sanders was 5-of-10 for 48 yards. The club totaled just 40 yards in 18 plays.
Cincinnati’s offense has been hampered by the two turnovers. Burrow is 14-of-19 for 127 yards with two TDs and a pick. Ja’Marr Chase has five receptions for 60 yards.
Burrow has been getting the ball out quickly, limiting the sack opportunities for Garrett. But as long as the Browns lead, the Bengals are at least incentivized to throw the ball.
The Browns have been playing without their top two corners, as Denzel Ward has a neck injury and Tyson Campbell has a shoulder injury.
Cleveland will receive the second-half kickoff.
Under most NFL owners, Bengals coach Zac Taylor would be on the verge of a career change. In Cincinnati, however, where even the pocket change matters, Taylor’s contract likely will be the thing to save him.
His deal reportedly runs through 2027, not 2026. The thing that isn’t known is whether either or both years are guaranteed.
That’s the key factor for the Bengals. Owner Mike Brown (like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) doesn’t like to pay coaches to not coach. If Taylor is owed anything beyond 2025, he’s far more likely to be back.
After the 2018 season, Brown fired long-time head coach Marvin Lewis. Lewis had one year left on his deal. But the final year wasn’t guaranteed. The Bengals were able to walk away with no further obligation to Lewis.
It sets up a strange compare-and-contrast for Ohio’s two NFL teams. Kevin Stefanski is about to be fired by the Browns, after missing the playoffs in four of six seasons and in two straight seasons. Under Taylor, the Bengals will miss the playoffs for the third straight season and the fifth time in seven years.
And Taylor has Joe Burrow. Stefanski has had a revolving door at quarterback, triggered by the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal.
Burrow, who (we’re told) doesn’t plan to ask to be traded in the offseason, has made it clear that something needs to change. But the chances of a coaching change will be tied to how much Taylor would be owed.
It doesn’t mean Taylor is absolutely safe. It does mean that Taylor’s buyout absolutely will be a factor in the final decision.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, at 22.0 sacks, continues to need 0.5 to tie the all-time single-season record, and one sack to break it.
Garrett gets his last chance on Sunday against the Bengals to get there.
That’s good news for Garrett, given his history against Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Via NBC Sports research, Garrett has at least 1.0 sack in eight of his nine career games against Burrow.
Burrow has made it clear that he won’t be going out of his way to avoid being the recipient of the record sack. That’s a stark contrast to Week 17, when Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemed to be hyperaware of the fact that Garrett was trying to chase him down for the record-setter.
Either way, all eyes will be on Garrett today as he tries to break the record of 22.5, which is shared by T.J. Watt and (thanks to a Week 17 gift from Brett Favre) Michael Strahan.
The Falcons had a handful of key players listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Saints, but the Panthers will be glad to hear that all of them are in the lineup.
Wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and cornerback A.J. Terrell will all play in Atlanta’s final game of the season. London, Pitts, and Mooney have knee injuries while Terrell was added to the report on Saturday with an illness.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, defensive lineman David Onyemata, and linebacker Ronnie Harrison were also added to the report due to illness on Sunday. Harrison is the only one who will miss the game.
The result of the Falcons-Saints game will determine the NFC South champion. A Falcons win gives the Panthers the title while a Saints road victory will give the Bucs their fourth straight division crown.
Saints at Falcons
Saints: S Ugo Amadi, QB Spencer Rattler, WR Chris Olave, RB Alvin Kamara, OT Xavier Truss, DT Bryan Bresee, DT Nathan Shepherd
Falcons: P Trenton Gill, LB Ronnie Harrison, DL Brandon Dorlus, OL Michael Jerrell, WR Casey Washington, WR Malik Heath
Colts at Texans
Colts: CB Sauce Gardner, DT Eric Johnson, S Reuben Lowery, TE Will Mallory, S George Odum, QB Philip Rivers
Texans: WR Nico Collins, OT Trent Brown, RB Nick Chubb, WR Braxton Berrios, QB Graham Mertz, LB Jamal Hill, CB Kamari Lassiter
Cowboys at Giants
Cowboys: LB DeMarvion Overshown, CB Shavon Revel, S Alijah Clark, DT Jay Toia, DT Perrion Winfrey
Giants: S Jevon Holland, WR Ryan Miller, WR Jalin Hyatt, RB Dante Miller, LB Caleb Murphy, TE Theo Johnson, QB Russell Wilson
Browns at Bengals
Browns: TE Harold Fannin Jr., OT Jeremiah Byers, C Kingsley Eguakun, WR Jamari Thrash, TE David Njoku, DT Sam Kamara
Bengals: QB Jake Browning, WR Charlie Jones, CB Josh Newton, S Daijahn Anthony, DE Joseph Ossai, TE Cam Grandy, DT Jordan Jefferson
Packers at Vikings
Packers: QB Malik Willis, LB Quay Walker, RB Josh Jacobs, WR Dontayvion Wicks, S Xavier McKinney, OT Zach Tom, LB Edgerrin Cooper
Vikings: WR Myles Price, QB John Wolford, CB Dwight McGlothern, QB Brett Rypien, RB Aaron Jones, OL Walter Rouse, TE T.J. Hockenson
Titans at Jaguars
Titans: S Amani Hooker, EDGE Arden Key, OL Drew Moss, OL Garrett Dellinger, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Gunnar Helm
Jaguars: CB Keith Taylor, OL Patrick Mekari, TE Hunter Long, TE Patrick Herbert, DL Emmanuel Ogbah, DT Maason Smith
Joe Flacco’s run as the starting quarterback in Cincinnati came to an end when Joe Burrow returned from a toe injury on Thanksgiving and he hopes it isn’t the last first-team run he has in the NFL.
Flacco won the starting job in Cleveland during the summer and started four games for the Browns before being replaced by rookie Dillon Gabriel. He was traded to the Bengals a short time later and started six more games that featured some good individual moments while the team went 1-5.
With the Bengals’ season coming to an end on Sunday, Flacco has started thinking about 2026 and his desire to be somewhere he has a chance to get on the field.
“That’s always a priority,” Flacco said, via Charlie Goldsmith of the Associated Press. “I’m somebody who wants to play football. You’ve got to assess and see whatever is thrown your way. You have to go from there and see what you can do about it.”
It seems unlikely that any team will be handing Flacco a starting job this offseason, but a role in a quarterback competition or as an experienced option to go with rookie could be in the cards for a player who doesn’t seem to have any thoughts about calling it a day.
The Browns added Myles Garrett to their injury report on Thursday with a hip issue.
Not that there was much question, but Garrett is still set to play against the Bengals on Sunday as he goes for the single-season sack record.
Garrett is off the injury report and is expected to play after two limited practices on Thursday and Friday.
With 22.0 sacks so far this season, Garrett is a half-sack from tying the record and a full sack from setting it outright.
Garrett also leads the league with 32 tackles for loss in 2025.
However, the Browns will not have two of their talented rookies. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (quad/ankle) and tight end Harold Fannin (groin) have both been ruled out for the contest.
Schwesinger is a candidate for defensive rookie of the year, having recorded 156 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions in 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (knee/personal) and linebacker Winston Reid (back) have also been ruled out.
Cornerback Myles Harden (shoulder), guard Teven Jenkins (concussion), and center Kingsley Eguakun (knee/shoulder) are all questionable.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (knee), defensive tackle Shelby Harris (toe), running back Dylan Sampson (hand), tight end Brendan Bates (shoulder), guard Joel Bitonio (wrist), cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder), safety Grant Delpit (Achilles), quarterback Dillon Gabriel (left shoulder), defensive tackle Mike Hall (knee), offensive tackle KT Leveston (shoulder), and starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders (back, right finger) all have no game status and are set to play.
Attention, Bengals: This is how you do it.
The Buffalo Bills have issued a call for snow shovelers in advance of Sunday’s finale against the Jets. It’ll be the last regular-season game played at the team’s long-time home, and likely the last game ever played there.
Buffalo has a very small chance of hosting the AFC Championship. If the Bills finish as the No. 5 seed in the AFC, they could host a divisional round game if the sixth and seventh seeds win in the wild-card round, and the AFC Championship if the seventh seed upends the No. 1 seed in the divisional round.
Before that happens, the Bills need to be the No. 5 seed. Which requires the Bills to win on Sunday, the Chargers to lose to the Broncos, and either a Jaguars loss to the Titans or a Texans loss to the Colts.
So, basically, Sunday is likely the swan song. Which means Saturday is the last chance to show up and dig out the snow. (Until next year, at the new stadium.)
The team’s offer is $20 per hour, hot food and beverages, and (for the first 500) free Highmark Stadium branded gloves.
League rules require the home team to remove snow from all seating areas. The Bengals failed to do that last month, prior to a home game against the Ravens. But since the league essentially gave the Bengals a pass, they saved some money by not clearing the snow.
It’s a new year and that means it is time for people to make resolutions about what they want to do differently over the next 12 months.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow didn’t have to dig deep to find one. The Bengals will wrap up their third straight season without a playoff bid with Sunday’s game against the Browns and Burrow was clear on Wednesday that he wants the team to find itself in a better place at this time next year.
“We don’t want to be in the spot we are in now, so something’s got to change,” Burrow said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “Whether it’s players we have continuing to improve and get better and play championship-caliber football or bringing in guys that will or whatever it may be. Obviously, something has to [change].”
The first choices the Bengals have to make will involve the coaching staff. Head coach Zac Taylor is wrapping up his seventh season and a win on Sunday would make him 53-62-1 with two trips to the playoffs over that span. The team could opt to go in a different direction or they could opt for changes to the staff, before moving on to how they’ll address the roster around Burrow in 2026.
