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Cleveland's Recent Dominance Over Cincinnati On The Line Sunday

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Anthony Moeglin | Last updated Jan 7, 2024 8:00 AM ET

The Cincinnati Bengals have the advantage over Cleveland in the all-time record book, but since 2018 the two foes head-to-head matchups have been all Cleveland.

In the last five seasons, these two teams have faced each other 11 times with Cleveland holding a 8-2 record during that span. At an even more granular level, since Kevin Stefanski took over the Browns, he has a 6-1 record over his in-state rival.

It's safe to say that the Browns have the Bengals number over the past few seasons.

Cleveland's putting that dominance on the line Sunday and frankly, the fan base couldn't care less. For the first time in a long time, the Browns are playing in a meaningless game against the Bengals, having already clinched a playoff berth while the Bengals have been eliminated from contention.

While this is unchartered territory for Cleveland, it is certainly a position that they are happy to be in.

The Browns will look a lot different on Sunday as most of their impact players will not be seeing much playing time in an effort to keep key players healthy for the playoffs.

On the flip side, this game for Cincinnati could mark the end an era for the Bengals. It's contract renewal time for players like Ja'marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon, which could bring about some notable changes to their roster.

Sunday has no impact on the NFL season and playoff landscape. The Browns are locked into the fifth seed and the Bengals are on the outside looking in.

Regardless of that, these two franchises don't like each other and both will be trying to end their regular seasons on a high note.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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