Dawgs By Nature
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
