Nov 10, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson (51) knocks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) out of bounds during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Looking back on the Bills' last trip to Cleveland

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Owen Klein | Last updated Dec 19, 2025 9:38 AM ET

The last time the Buffalo Bills played in Cleveland, they were still raw and hungry, which is way different than the grizzled, yet youth-driven bunch that'll be heading there for the first time in six years on Sunday.

The Bills were in excellent shape at 6-2 in Week 10 of the 2019 NFL season and rolled into town to face a Browns team that had all the hype before the season, but had lost four straight and were at 2-6.

What happened last time Bills played Browns in Cleveland?

Baker Mayfield and the Browns drove down the field in six plays for a touchdown on the opening drive, with the rival from Josh Allen's draft class finding Jarvis Landry for the game's first points. Austin Seibert missed an extra point, and that turned to be critical late in the game.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Sandwiched around a run-heavy Bills touchdown drive, capped off by an Allen 10-yard scamper that gave them a 7-6 lead in the second quarter, was a very satisfying sequence for Bills fans.

On two of the Browns' next three possessions following their opening drive, they had the ball inside the Bills' 3-yard line for 11 plays. Cleveland had eight plays on the first possession, and even though there were a couple of penalties on the Bills, Buffalo had a goal-line stand.

The Bills stopped the Browns on three straight goal-to-go plays on the second such possession, and Cleveland lined up to go for it on 4th-and-goal. However, a false start penalty prompted them to kick a field goal and make it a 9-7 game.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Buffalo wasn't as fortunate on the next drive, as Stephen Hauschka shanked a 34-yard field goal wide left with time winding down, leaving the Browns with their lead into halftime.

Out of the locker room, the Bills got an immediate spark. Corey Bojorquez downed a punt at the 7-yard line, then Tremaine Edmunds sacked Mayfield in the end zone for a safety on the next play to tie the game.

The Browns tacked on a field goal on their next drive to take the lead while the Bills' offense was stuck in quicksand, with three punts and a turnover on downs on their first four second-half possessions.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Allen got his act together and led a seven-play, 48-yard drive and ran in a score from a yard out to give Buffalo the lead back with 5:26 left. He finished the day 22-of-41 for 266 yards passing and scored twice on the ground, but was off that day.

Mayfield responded in kind, finding Rashard Higgins in the end zone to reclaim the lead after a long drive of his own. The Bills had one more shot, but Hauschka whiffed from 53, handing the Bills a 19-16 loss.

The Bills' and Browns' dynamics are much more different than they were in 2019, but there can be that lingering reminder of that game for Allen as the AFC playoff race nears its end.