Cincinnati (9-8) at Cleveland (3-14)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox.
BetMGM NFL odds: Bengals by 5 1/2.
Series record: Bengals lead 55-48.
Last meeting: Bengals beat the Browns 24-6 in Cincinnati on Dec. 22, 2024.
Bengals offense in 2024: overall (9), rush (30), pass (1), scoring (6).
Bengals defense in 2024: overall (25), rush (19), pass (21), scoring (T25).
Browns offense in 2024: overall (28), rush (29), pass (22), scoring (32).
Browns defense in 2024: overall (19), rush (21), pass (12), scoring (27).
Turnover differential in 2024: Bengals plus-3; Browns minus-22.
QB Joe Burrow. He goes into his sixth season after leading the league in completions (460), passing yards (4,918) and TD passes (43) last season. Burrow lost four of his first five starts against the Browns, but won both meetings last season with five touchdowns and no interceptions. However, Burrow has a 1-4 mark in Week 1, including losses in the past three and no touchdown passes in the past two. He had a passer rating of at least 105 in five of the six games against AFC North opponents last season.
DE Myles Garrett. The four-time All-Pro pass rusher has nine sacks against Burrow, his most against any quarterback. Garrett led the league with 22 tackles for loss last season, was second with 14 sacks and fourth with an 18.7% pressure rate. He is the only player in the league with double-digit sacks in each of the past seven seasons.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase versus Browns secondary. Chase has struggled for most of his career against Cleveland, but he had 11 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns last season. In the second meeting, Chase had his best success against the Browns on short routes. He had five receptions for 65 yards on passes under 10 air yards, including 42 yards after the catch.
Browns: DE Garrett (hip) was a full participant in Friday's practice after sitting out Thursday. DT Mike Hall (knee) is out after not practicing all week.
The Bengals swept the season series last season for the first time since 2017. Cincinnati has a 31-21 edge since Cleveland’s return in 1999.
Cincinnati has lost its past three openers and is 7-14-1 under coach Zac Taylor in September games, the fourth-worst mark among teams since 2019. ... RB Chase Brown averaged 116.3 scrimmage yards per game over the final eight games of last season. ... DE Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17 1/2 sacks last season, has had at least half a sack in four straight games against the Browns. ... LB Logan Wilson has 11 interceptions during his five seasons in the league, the most in the league by a linebacker since 2020. ... K Evan McPherson has made 24 field goals of at least 50 yards, tied for fifth most in the league since 2021. ... Cleveland is 3-21-1 in openers since 1999, but two of the wins have come in the past three seasons. ... The Browns are 9-2 in September games since 2020 with Kevin Stefanski as coach. ... QB Joe Flacco will be the eighth signal-caller age 40 or older to start a Week 1 game in the NFL since 1948. Flacco is 12-2 in starts in Cleveland. ... RB Jerome Ford has 92 rushing yards and a TD in the previous meeting against the Bengals. ... TE David Njoku has at least eight catches and 65 yards in each of the past two games against Cincinnati. ... WR Jerry Jeudy set a Browns single-season record with 90 catches last season.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins had at least 50 receiving yards in six of seven road games last season and has a touchdown catch in two straight games against the Browns.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki )
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka became the first player to defect from LIV Golf, a significant blow to the Saudi-funded league that raises questions whether the PGA Tour will find a way for him to return.
LIV Golf posted an announcement to its website under a statement that Talor Gooch is the new captain of the Smash team that Koepka had led.
Scott O'Neil, the new CEO of LIV, said Koepka and LIV “amicably and mutually agreed” that Koepka will no longer compete in the league.
“Brooks is prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” O'Neil said. “We appreciate the significant impact he has had on the game and wish him continued success, both on and off the course.”
LIV does not disclose contracts, though it was believed Koepka had another year left from when he joined in June 2022.
The PGA Tour policy banning players who have joined the rival league requires them to sit out for one year from their last participation. LIV ended its season on Aug. 24.
Koepka began his career on the European tour and would have access to play there. He played four European tour events this year, finishing fourth in the French Open a week before the Ryder Cup. He played in the 2023 Ryder Cup, but was not a consideration this year because of his form.
Blake Smith, Koepka's manager at Hambric Sports, said there would be no comment beyond a statement released through LIV Golf that Koepka is grateful for his time at LIV.
“Family has always guided Brooks’s decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home,” the statement said. “Brooks will continue to be a huge supporter of LIV Golf and wishes the league and its players continued success. Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what’s ahead.”
The PGA Tour, while not offering any substance, took the rare step of acknowledging the move involving a player who is no longer a member.
“Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success,” the tour said in a statement. “The PGA Tour continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness.”
Koepka had alerted the PGA Tour of his plans before the LIV announcement, according to one person aware of communication. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been publicly disclosed.
The first step for Koepka to return would be to re-apply for membership. He was not among the LIV players who were part of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour in 2022.
Koepka, who spent 47 weeks at No. 1 in the world in 2018 and 2019, was one of the biggest signings by LIV when it launched in 2022. He had been coping with injuries and later suggested he might not have joined had his health been better.
He had been part of a meeting at the 2022 U.S. Open with top PGA Tour players a week earlier encouraging them to rally around the tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan had even gone to Koepka's wedding in the Caribbean weeks before he jumped over to LIV.
Koepka was the first LIV player to win a major in 2023 when he won the PGA Championship at Oak Hill for his fifth major. Bryson DeChambeau won the U.S. Open the following year.
Koepka won five times on LIV Golf, but he had only two top 10s — his best was a runner-up — in 2025 and finished 31st in the standings of the 54-man circuit. He missed the cut in five of the eight tournaments he played outside LIV this year, including three majors.
A blunt speaker, Koepka had expressed frustration earlier in the year that LIV wasn't as far along as he hoped it would be.
His departure leaves DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, both two-time major champions, as the biggest draws in the league that also includes Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton.
LIV did not say how Koepka would be replaced. The league has signed only Victor Perez and Laurie Canter for the 2026 season, which starts in February in Saudi Arabia. It has a “promotions” tournament in January where two players can gain entry into LIV.
The league also is awaiting word on its application to become part of the Official World Golf Ranking system. One of the sticking points has been LIV selecting players for its circuit, which is different from the other tours that are part of the ranking system.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - Brooks Koepka, of the United States, acknowledges the crowd on the 5th green during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)
