Cleveland and Cincinnati first met in 1970. Here are 5 of the most memorable games in the series.
The Cleveland Browns will bookend the 2025 NFL season with games against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cleveland opens the season at home against the Bengals in Week 1 on September 7, and then travels to Cincinnati for a Week 18 meeting.
Related: Browns 2025 Schedule Primer: Week 1 & 18, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals lead the all-time series, 48-55, but the Browns have been slowly closing the gap, primarily by winning six of the last seven meetings in Cleveland.
Here is a look at five of the most memorable games between the Browns and Bengals.
October 11, 1970: Browns 30, Bengals 27
The first meeting between the teams following the NFL-AFL merger also marked the return of Paul Brown to Cleveland, this time as head coach of the Bengals. Cleveland fell behind 10-0, but fought back behind a pair of rushing touchdowns from Leroy Kelly and looked to have the victory in hand after a one-yard touchdown run by Bo Scott put the Browns up by 10.
Cincinnati posted a touchdown drive to cut the lead to three, but the Browns ran out the clock to pull out the win.
December 21, 1980: Browns 27, Bengals 24
Just weeks after rolling over the Bengals by a score of 31-7, the Browns headed to Cincinnati needing a win to clinch their first AFC Central Division title in eight years. Quarterback Brian Sipe rallied the Browns back from a 10-0 deficit with a touchdown pass to Reggie Rucker and two to Ricky Feacher to give the Browns a 24-17 lead in the third quarter.
Cincinnati tied the score heading into the fourth quarter, but Sipe and the offense took almost five minutes off the clock before Don Cockroft converted a 22-yard field goal with 1:25 left. The Bengals drove into Cleveland territory but ran out of time, handing the Browns the win and division title.
October 30, 1988: Browns 23, Bengals 16
Cleveland kept its playoff hopes alive with a win against the Bengals and moved within a game of first place in the division. The biggest play of the game came in the third quarter when Frank Minnifield blocked a punt that Herman Fontenot recovered for a touchdown to put the Browns up, 20-10.
Tim Manoa led the Browns with 89 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Clarence Weathers hauled in 140 yards on seven receptions. Cleveland’s defense shut down Cincinnati’s offense by holding them to less than 300 yards of offense, no touchdowns, and collecting four sacks.
September 9, 2007: Browns 51, Bengals 45
Arguably, the wildest game in the series saw Derek Anderson make his first start and throw for 328 yards and five touchdowns as the offense rolled up 554 total yards. It wasn’t all Anderson, however, as Jamal Lewis rushed for 216 yards and a touchdown.
Cleveland looked to have clinched the win after Anderson hit Braylon Edwards with a 37-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 51-38 with less than six minutes to play. But a touchdown pass by Carson Palmer to Glenn Holt cut the deficit to six, and the Bengals were driving with a chance to win the game before a Leigh Bodden interception stopped Cincinnati’s final drive with 20 seconds remaining.
October 25, 2020: Browns 37, Bengals 34
Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield silenced the noise surrounding the need for Odell Beckham Jr. in the offense by throwing five touchdown passes as the Browns completed a season sweep of the Bengals.
The teams traded scores before Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow hit Giovani Bernard with a three-yard touchdown pass to give the Bengals a 34-31 lead with just 1:06 remaining in the game. But Mayfield drove the Browns down the field and hit Donovan Peoples-Jones with a game-winning 24-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds on the clock. The win moved the Browns to 5-2 on the season and started a streak of five wins in six games as they drove to the playoffs.
What is your most memorable game between the Browns and Bengals? Have your say in the comments.