Surprising Browns hit the road vs. out-of-luck Bengals
The Cleveland Browns have been one of the surprising stories of the 2023 NFL season. They are 11-5 and have already clinched a playoff spot in the most curious of manners: with Joe Flacco at quarterback and a top-two defense in the NFL. The Browns have won four straight games with Flacco under center, and the veteran quarterback has averaged a career-high 323.2 passing yards per game while throwing 13 touchdowns in five games.
After consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, the Cincinnati Bengals are out of playoff contention and head into Week 18 with nothing but pride to play for. The Browns defeated the Bengals 24-3 in Week 1, setting the tone for their excellent season.
The Browns’ play-action game has been strong
Through the first 12 weeks of the season, Cleveland’s offense was one of the worst in the NFL. The team was scoring an average of 19.9 points per game, ranking it in the bottom 10 in the league as it struggled to move the ball. However, since Flacco stepped in, the Browns have scored 28.6 points per game and averaged close to 400 yards of total offense, with a lot of that success coming from the play-action game.
Since Week 13, Flacco has dropped back into play-action on 32.9% of his dropbacks, per PFF, the fifth-highest percentage in the NFL. In that time, he is averaging 12.8 yards per attempt and has thrown seven touchdowns — the most in the NFL. Leaning into Flacco’s willingness to be aggressive and push the ball downfield has led to the second-most explosive plays in the NFL since Week 12, per PFF. The Bengals’ defense, meanwhile, has allowed explosive plays at the seventh-highest rate since Week 12.
The Bengals’ path to victory likely includes slowing down Myles Garrett
The Bengals’ offensive line has a big task ahead of it in Week 18. It has to try to slow down Myles Garrett, the current frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett has 14 total sacks on the season and is second in ESPN’s pass rush win rate while being double-teamed on 30% of his pass-rushing snaps. Per PFF, he also has 99 total pressures, the fourth-most in the NFL behind Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, and Aidan Hutchinson.
Slowing him down will be a tough task for a Cincinnati offensive line that has struggled to protect Joe Burrow and now Jake Browning. This season, it’s allowed the eighth-most sacks in the NFL and allowed a further 18 pressures against the Chiefs’ pass rush in Week 17. Garrett isn’t the only player capable of hurting the Bengals in Week 18, but he’s the dominant force. He could make Browning’s life a misery for four quarters on Sunday.
Browns vs. Bengals player props
Below, we will take a look at some player props for this matchup. If you are located in a state where pick’em contests are legal, feel free to check out our PrizePicks and Betr Picks reviews.
Browns vs. Bengals odds & betting lines
Browns vs. Bengals head to head
| STATS | 
Browns
CLE | 
Bengals
CIN |
|---|---|---|
| Offense Ranking OFF RNK | 22nd | 9th |
| Defense Ranking DEF RNK | 21st | 25th |
| Offense Net Yards Per Game OFF NET YPG | 313 | 361.9 |
| Defense Net Yards Per Game DEF NET YPG | 343.2 | 365.5 |
| Passing Yards Per Game PASS YPG | 224.5 | 271.6 |
| Turnovers Committed Per Game TOC PG | 1.6 | 1.1 |
Browns vs. Bengals injury report: Who’s out, who’s starting?
The Browns’ injury plight may leave them feeling a little nervy heading into the postseason. Amari Cooper was a game-time decision for the Week 17 win against the New York Jets but ultimately missed the game, and Ogbo Okoronkwo, Dustin Hopkins, Anthony Walker, and Elijah Moore all missed the game with injuries. Luckily, there isn’t much at stake in this game, so another week of rest in time for the playoffs might be in the cards.
Cincinnati may be without Tee Higgins once again. The wide receiver left in Week 17 against the Chiefs with a hamstring concern but returned later in the game. However, Higgins has missed multiple games this season with hamstring troubles and could miss the season finale for safety.
Cleveland Browns Week 18 injury update: Amari Cooper questionable
| Player | Injury | Status |
| Amari Cooper | Heel | Questionable |
| Elijah Moore | Concussion | Questionable |
| Dustin Hopkins | Hamstring | Questionable |
| Anthony Walker | Knee | Questionable |
| Ogbo Okoronkwo | Pectoral | Questionable |
Cincinnati Bengals Week 18 injury update: Tee Higgins may be out
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