CINCINNATI — Myles Garrett made NFL history, and Andre Szmyt made sure it happened in a win.
Garrett recorded his 23rd sack of the season to break the league’s single-season record, and Szmyt drilled a 49-yard field goal as time expired to lift Cleveland past Cincinnati 20-18 at Paycor Stadium on Sunday. The Browns won despite managing just 200 total yards, relying on two defensive touchdowns to overcome an anemic offensive performance in the season finale.
“I was like, ‘Well, we’ve got to deny fate,'” Garrett said, referencing a Saturday night dream where he didn’t get the record. “Any time I started thinking I was tired or the fatigue setting in, I thought about that dream. I picked my butt up. It was time to go.”
Cleveland (5-12) snapped a dismal season with consecutive wins for the first time in two years. Cincinnati (6-11) controlled most of the game statistically, outgaining the Browns 364-200 and holding the ball for more than 35 minutes, but critical mistakes proved fatal.
Table of Contents
The Record That Changed Everything
Garrett got what he came for with 4:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. Joe Burrow stood in the shotgun at the Cleveland 45-yard line on first-and-10, and Garrett blew past the protection for a 6-yard sack at midfield.
The takedown gave him 23 sacks, breaking the tie with Michael Strahan (22.5 in 2001) and T.J. Watt (22.5 in 2021). Garrett finished with just one tackle on the stat sheet, but that single sack rewrote the record books.
Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski called it a “great team win” after the game, though his own future remained unclear with owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam set to decide his fate Monday.
83 Seconds to Win It
Ja’Marr Chase appeared to ice the game with a 4-yard touchdown catch with 1:29 left, giving Cincinnati an 18-17 lead. Grant Delpit broke up the two-point conversion attempt to keep it a one-point game, setting up the final sequence.
Shedeur Sanders took over at the Cleveland 29 with 1:23 on the clock. On third-and-10, Isaiah Bond caught a 13-yard pass to extend the drive. Three plays later, Sanders hit Jerry Jeudy for 11 yards with 31 seconds remaining, moving into field goal range.
Dylan Sampson carried twice for seven yards to center the ball, and Szmyt stepped up for a 49-yarder. The kick split the uprights as the clock hit zero.
“You kind of know how the ball is flying and what you need to do,” Szmyt said. “I just hit one of those earlier. So just stay smooth, hit a clean ball and then the rest of it will do.”
The redemption kick erased memories of Week 1, when Szmyt missed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal in Cleveland’s 17-16 loss to these same Bengals. Both of his extra points Sunday came from 48 yards after unsportsmanlike conduct penalties pushed back the attempts.
Sanders completed just 3 of 6 passes for 33 yards on the game-winning drive, but those completions moved the chains when needed. He finished 11 of 22 for 111 yards with a fumble that led to Cincinnati’s first touchdown.
Defense Carried the Load
Cleveland scored both touchdowns without its offense taking a snap.
Devin Bush picked off a tipped Burrow pass in the third quarter and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. Grant Delpit got a hand on the throw before Bush made the grab. Later in the quarter, Sam Webb scooped up Noah Fant’s fumble and ran 47 yards for another score after Jerome Baker forced the ball loose.
The Browns hadn’t scored multiple defensive touchdowns in a game since 2022 at Houston. It marked the 15th time in franchise history they’ve done it.
Bush led all defenders with 14 tackles to go with his pick-six. Grant Delpit added 10 tackles and a sack. The Cleveland defense allowed 364 total yards but forced two turnovers and held Cincinnati to field position that mattered when it counted.
Burrow, Bengals Left Empty-Handed
Burrow completed 29 of 39 passes for 236 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He connected with Chase Brown on a 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then found Tee Higgins for 13 yards and a score before halftime.
“We beat ourselves today,” Burrow said. “False starts, turnovers, mental errors — it certainly wasn’t high-level football today.”
Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor couldn’t hide his frustration with how his team let one slip away.
“It was a strange game. The defense gives them six points total, two field goals. That’s got to be enough to win,” Taylor said. “It’s the little things that got us.”
Evan McPherson’s struggles at the worst possible time exemplified those little things. The normally reliable kicker missed both extra-point attempts, leaving four points on the board that would’ve changed the entire complexion of the fourth quarter.
Chase caught eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Higgins added six receptions for 67 yards and a score. But the Bengals couldn’t overcome their own mistakes down the stretch.
Chase Brown provided the lone bright spot in defeat, rushing for 72 yards on 13 carries to push his season total to 1,019 yards. The third-year back cleared 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career after finishing 10 yards short in 2024.
Complete Statistical Breakdown
Final Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Cincinnati | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 18 |
Team Statistics
| Stat | Cleveland | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 11 | 24 |
| Total Yards | 200 | 364 |
| Passing Yards | 82 | 222 |
| Rushing Yards | 118 | 142 |
| Comp-Att | 11-22 | 29-39 |
| Yards Per Play | 3.8 | 5.5 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4-40 | 6-40 |
| Third Down Conv | 5-14 | 5-11 |
| Fourth Down Conv | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Possession | 24:26 | 35:34 |
| Sacked-Yards Lost | 6-29 | 2-14 |
Passing Statistics
| Player | Team | Comp-Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | CIN | 29-39 | 236 | 3 | 1 | 104.2 |
| Shedeur Sanders | CLE | 11-22 | 111 | 0 | 0 | 64.8 |
Rushing Statistics
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | CIN | 13 | 72 | 5.5 | 19 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | CIN | 8 | 42 | 5.3 | 13 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | CLE | 10 | 32 | 3.2 | 11 | 0 |
| Shedeur Sanders | CLE | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 13 | 0 |
| Raheim Sanders | CLE | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 14 | 0 |
Receiving Statistics
| Player | Team | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja’Marr Chase | CIN | 8 | 96 | 12.0 | 21 | 1 |
| Tee Higgins | CIN | 6 | 67 | 11.2 | 21 | 1 |
| Cedric Tillman | CLE | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 23 | 0 |
| Malachi Corley | CLE | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | CIN | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 6 | 1 |
| Jerry Jeudy | CLE | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 11 | 0 |
Defensive Leaders
| Player | Team | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Bush | CLE | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant Delpit | CLE | 10 | 5 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | CLE | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| B.J. Hill | CIN | 8 | 4 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mohamoud Diabate | CLE | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Sample | CIN | 6 | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Myles Garrett | CLE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
Special Teams
| Category | Cleveland | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | 2-2 (Andre Szmyt) | 0-0 |
| Extra Points | 2-2 | 0-2 (Evan McPherson) |
| Longest FG | 49 yards | N/A |
| Punts-Avg | 5-45.0 (Corey Bojorquez) | 5-44.4 (Ryan Rehkow) |
Scoring Plays
First Quarter
- CIN: Chase Brown 4-yard TD pass from Joe Burrow (McPherson XP missed) 6-0
- CLE: Devin Bush 97-yard interception return (Szmyt XP from 48) 7-6
Second Quarter
- CIN: Tee Higgins 13-yard TD pass from Joe Burrow (McPherson XP missed) 12-7
- CLE: Sam Webb 47-yard fumble return (Szmyt XP from 48) 14-12
Third Quarter
- CLE: Andre Szmyt 49-yard field goal 17-12
Fourth Quarter
- CIN: Ja’Marr Chase 4-yard TD pass from Joe Burrow (2-point failed) 18-17
- CLE: Andre Szmyt 49-yard field goal 20-18
What It Means
Garrett walks away with an NFL record that may stand for years. Cleveland closes a lost season with something to build on. Cincinnati limps to 6-11 with the No. 9 overall draft pick, left wondering what might have been with better execution in close games.
Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland hangs in the balance despite the win. The two-time Coach of the Year refused to address his future after the game, saying only, “This game is not about me. I’m proud of that group for fighting.”
For one afternoon at Paycor Stadium, the Browns found a way to win ugly. Two defensive scores. A rookie quarterback managing a crucial drive. A kicker making the biggest kick of his season. And a defensive end who rewrote the record books while doing exactly what he does best.
The final numbers show Cincinnati dominated the game on paper, but the scoreboard tells a different story. In a league where championships are won by making plays when they matter most, Cleveland made one more than Cincinnati when everything was on the line.
