Final Score: Buffalo Bills 23, Cleveland Browns 20 December 21, 2025 | Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, Ohio | Attendance: 67,580 | CBS | Bills (11-4) | Browns (3-12)
James Cook III ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, Josh Allen played through a right foot injury sustained in the second quarter, and Greg Rousseau posted a season-high 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback pressures as the Buffalo Bills held off the Cleveland Browns, 23-20, at Huntington Bank Field on December 21, 2025. The Bills ran for 164 yards on 29 carries and led by as many as 13 before Cleveland fought back to within three in the fourth quarter.
Shedeur Sanders finished 20-of-29 for 157 yards and one touchdown but threw two interceptions that produced 10 Buffalo points: Ty Johnson’s 2-yard rushing score and Michael Badgley’s 41-yard field goal. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins left on a cart in the second quarter with a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle after a Matt Milano tackle, ending his first NFL season at 14 games.
Table of Contents
Score by Quarter
Team
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Final
Buffalo Bills (11-4)
7
13
3
0
23
Cleveland Browns (3-12)
7
3
7
3
20
Scoring Summary
Qtr
Time
Team
Play
Drive
1st
10:42
CLE
Harold Fannin Jr. 13-yd pass from Shedeur Sanders (Szmyt kick)
8 plays, 69 yds, 4:18
1st
7:47
BUF
James Cook III 44-yd rush (Badgley kick)
5 plays, 80 yds, 2:55
2nd
12:54
BUF
Ty Johnson 2-yd rush (Badgley PAT failed)
9 plays, 61 yds, 5:01
2nd
5:38
CLE
Andre Szmyt 24-yd FG
13 plays, 65 yds, 7:16
2nd
2:23
BUF
James Cook III 3-yd rush (Badgley kick)
7 plays, 68 yds, 3:15
3rd
9:37
BUF
Michael Badgley 41-yd FG
4 plays, 2 yds, 1:02
3rd
1:36
CLE
Harold Fannin Jr. 1-yd rush (Szmyt kick)
14 plays, 67 yds, 8:01
4th
8:46
CLE
Andre Szmyt 41-yd FG
8 plays, 43 yds, 4:44
Passing Stats
Buffalo Bills
Player
C/ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
INT
SACKS
QBR
RTG
Josh Allen
12/19
130
6.8
0
0
2–35
46.0
83.2
Team
12/19
95 (net)
—
0
0
2–35
—
83.2
Cleveland Browns
Player
C/ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
INT
SACKS
QBR
RTG
Shedeur Sanders
20/29
157
5.4
1
2
2–21
27.7
64.9
Corey Bojorquez
0/1
0
0.0
0
0
0–0
0.0
39.6
Dillon Gabriel
0/0
0
—
0
0
1–2
0.0
0.0
Team
20/30
134 (net)
5.2
1
2
3–23
—
62.8
Team net passing yards reflect gross yardage minus sack losses. Allen’s gross total was 130 yards; Sanders’ was 157.
Sanders’ two interceptions each produced a Buffalo scoring drive. The first set up Johnson’s 2-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter; the second led to Badgley’s 41-yard field goal in the third, stretching the Bills’ lead to 23-10.
Rushing Stats
Buffalo Bills
Player
CAR
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
James Cook III
16
117
7.3
2
44
Josh Allen
7
17
2.4
0
7
Ty Johnson
3
16
5.3
1
9
Ray Davis
3
14
4.7
0
8
Team
29
164
5.7
3
44
Cook’s 117-yard game was his ninth 100-yard rushing performance of the 2025 season, matching Thurman Thomas for second on the Bills’ single-season franchise list; OJ Simpson holds the record at 11. The outing moved Cook to 1,532 rushing yards on the year, first in the NFL, with Jonathan Taylor second at 1,443 heading into Monday night’s action.
Cleveland Browns
Player
CAR
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
Shedeur Sanders
4
49
12.3
0
16
Raheim Sanders
11
42
3.8
0
9
Malachi Corley
3
30
10.0
0
14
Quinshon Judkins
8
22
2.8
0
5
Trayveon Williams
3
17
5.7
0
11
Harold Fannin Jr.
1
1
1.0
1
1
Isaiah Bond
1
-1
-1.0
0
-1
Team
31
160
5.2
1
16
Judkins, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and the league’s leading rookie rusher entering Week 16 with 805 yards, suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated right ankle after being tackled low by Matt Milano on a swing pass near the Browns 38 with 1:57 left in the second quarter. Officials ruled a fumble initially, with Terrel Bernard returning it for a touchdown, but replay reversed the call to down by contact. Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams split backfield duties from that point forward.
Receiving Stats
Buffalo Bills
Player
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
TGT
Khalil Shakir
4
34
8.5
0
18
5
Jackson Hawes
2
26
13.0
0
18
2
Tyrell Shavers
1
21
21.0
0
21
2
Ray Davis
2
20
10.0
0
14
2
James Cook III
1
17
17.0
0
17
2
Dawson Knox
1
10
10.0
0
10
2
Joshua Palmer
1
2
2.0
0
2
1
Brandin Cooks
0
—
—
0
—
1
Dalton Kincaid
0
—
—
0
—
1
Team
12
130
10.8
0
21
18
Cleveland Browns
Player
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
TGT
Trayveon Williams
4
38
9.5
0
26
4
Harold Fannin Jr.
4
34
8.5
1
13
6
Quinshon Judkins
5
29
5.8
0
16
6
Isaiah Bond
0
21
—
0
21
0
Jerry Jeudy
3
12
4.0
0
7
4
Malachi Corley
2
11
5.5
0
11
4
Cedric Tillman
1
8
8.0
0
8
1
Raheim Sanders
1
4
4.0
0
4
1
Brenden Bates
0
—
—
0
—
1
Team
20
157
7.9
1
26
27
Fannin accounted for both Cleveland touchdowns, hauling in a 13-yard score from Sanders in the first quarter and punching in a 1-yard rushing TD in the third.
Defensive Stats
Buffalo Bills
Player
TOT
SOLO
SACKS
TFL
PD
QB HTS
INT
Jordan Poyer
11
6
0.5
1
1
1
1
Matt Milano
9
4
0
1
0
2
0
Cole Bishop
7
5
0
1
0
0
0
Terrel Bernard
6
1
0
0
0
0
0
Taron Johnson
5
2
0
0
0
0
0
DaQuan Jones
4
2
0
0
1
0
1
Tre’Davious White
4
2
0
0
1
0
0
Phidarian Mathis
4
2
0
0
0
0
0
Andre Jones Jr.
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
Dorian Williams
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
Greg Rousseau
3
2
2.5
2
0
7
0
AJ Epenesa
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
Jordan Hancock
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
T.J. Sanders
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
Deone Walker
3
0
0
0
2
1
0
Shaq Thompson
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
Sam Franklin Jr.
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
Joey Bosa
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Christian Benford
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
Team
79
35
3
5
6
11
2
Rousseau’s 2.5 sacks were a season high and only the second time in his five-year career he reached that figure in a single game; he also finished with nine quarterback pressures and seven QB hits. Thompson left in the first quarter with a neck injury and did not return.
Cleveland Browns
Player
TOT
SOLO
SACKS
TFL
PD
QB HTS
Carson Schwesinger
14
5
1
1
0
2
Devin Bush
9
5
0
0
0
0
Ronnie Hickman
6
2
0
0
0
0
Mohamoud Diabate
4
3
0
0
0
0
Myles Harden
4
3
0
0
1
0
Grant Delpit
4
2
0
0
0
0
Shelby Harris
3
2
0
0
0
0
Tyson Campbell
2
2
0
0
0
0
D’Angelo Ross
2
1
0
0
0
0
Jerome Baker
2
1
0
0
0
0
Luke Wypler
2
1
0
0
0
0
Mason Graham
2
1
0
0
0
0
Alex Wright
2
0
0.5
0
0
2
Donovan McMillon
2
0
0
0
0
0
Tre Avery
1
1
0
0
0
0
Rayshawn Jenkins
1
0
0
0
0
0
Maurice Hurst II
1
0
0
0
0
0
Myles Garrett
1
0
0.5
0
0
1
Harold Fannin Jr.
1
0
0
0
0
0
Team
63
29
2
1
1
5
Garrett’s shared half-sack with Alex Wright on a second-quarter takedown of Allen pushed his 2025 season total to 22; the single-season record of 22.5, held jointly by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021), remained within reach with two games left on Cleveland’s schedule. Left tackle Dion Dawkins held Garrett to one quarterback pressure across 18 pass-rush reps.
Interceptions
Team
Player
INT
Return YDS
TD
BUF
Jordan Poyer
1
10
0
BUF
DaQuan Jones
1
1
0
CLE
—
0
—
—
Special Teams
Kicking
Team
Player
FG
PCT
LG
XP
PTS
BUF
Michael Badgley
1/1
100.0%
41
2/3
5
CLE
Andre Szmyt
2/2
100.0%
41
2/2
8
Punting
Team
Player
NO
YDS
AVG
TB
IN 20
LG
BUF
Mitch Wishnowsky
3
149
49.7
1
0
62
CLE
Corey Bojorquez
2
103
51.5
0
1
52
Returns
Team
Player
Type
NO
YDS
AVG
LG
TD
BUF
Ray Davis
Kick
4
92
23.0
26
0
CLE
Malachi Corley
Kick
4
107
26.8
31
0
BUF
Mecole Hardman Jr.
Punt
1
4
4.0
4
0
BUF
Khalil Shakir
Punt
1
3
3.0
3
0
CLE
Gage Larvadain
Punt
1
3
3.0
3
0
Full Team Stats
Stat
BUF
CLE
Final Score
23
20
Total Yards
259
294
Passing Yards (net)
95
134
Rushing Yards
164
160
Total Plays
50
64
Yards per Play
5.2
4.6
1st Downs
16
22
— Passing
6
8
— Rushing
10
12
— Penalty
0
2
Comp/Att
12/19
20/30
Yards per Pass
4.5
4.1
INT Thrown
0
2
Sacks — Yds Lost
2–35
3–23
Rushing Attempts
29
31
Yards per Rush
5.7
5.2
3rd Down Efficiency
2/8 (25.0%)
8/14 (57.1%)
4th Down Efficiency
0/2 (0.0%)
0/1 (0.0%)
Red Zone (Made/Att)
2/3 (66.7%)
2/4 (50.0%)
Penalties — Yards
5–35
5–44
Turnovers
0
2
— Fumbles Lost
0
0
— INT Thrown
0
2
Def/ST TDs
0
0
Time of Possession
24:37
35:23
Total Drives
10
10
Buffalo improved to 11-4, its fourth straight win, needing only an Indianapolis loss or tie on Monday night against San Francisco to formally clinch a seventh consecutive playoff berth. Cleveland fell to 3-12 despite fighting back from 13 points down to within three; for the Browns, Judkins’ exit on a cart in the second quarter mattered more than the final score.
Bobby A. Smith is a Senior Sports Analyst with over nine years of professional experience, specializing in forensic analysis of game strategy and player performance.
His work provides a definitive lens on a broad spectrum of professional sports, delivering expert commentary on the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, Soccer, Boxing, Cricket, F1, and NASCAR. Unlike surface-level reporting, Bobby’s analysis is known for identifying the critical, game-deciding patterns that raw statistics often obscure. Every article is grounded in rigorous, fact-based research and an unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity.
