Former Cleveland Browns head coachPaul Brown began planning for the creation of the Bengals franchise in 1965, and Cincinnati's city council approved the construction of Riverfront stadium in 1966.[1] On May 23, 1967,Cincinnati was granted a franchise in theAmerican Football League.[2] The franchise was sold to a Cincinnati-based ownership group led by Brown, who had an ownership share of 10%. The other investors includedAustin E. Knowlton who was the largest shareholder with 30%, John Sawyer with 20%,The Cincinnati Enquirer with 11% and seven others who had a combined ownership share of 29%.[3]
As a founder and head coach of theCleveland Browns from1946 to1962, Brown led his team to a .759 winning percentage and seven championships, which includes four championships earned while a member of theAll-America Football Conference. The Browns were champions of that league in each of the four years it existed. When the AAFC folded after the1949 season, the Browns, as well as theSan Francisco 49ers and the first incarnation of theBaltimore Colts, were absorbed into the National Football League.
Brown became a recognized innovator for his approach to training, game planning, and the passing game. However, he was only a minority owner of the Browns and lacked the resources to buy out the rest of the ownership group. In1961, businessmanArt Modell assumed control of the team and on January 9, 1963, Modell controversially fired Brown. Many believe that Modell had tired of complaints of Brown'sautocratic style; others claim it was Brown's decision to trade forSyracuse University'sHeisman Trophy-winning running backErnie Davis, who was drafted by theWashington Redskins, without Modell's knowledge. However, Davis was diagnosed withleukemia shortly afterward. Brown didn't want to play Davis; Modell insisted he could play. The relationship between Paul Brown and Art Modell, which was never warm to begin with, deteriorated further. Davis died on May 18, 1963.
By1966, Paul Brown wanted to become involved in professional football again.James A. Rhodes, then the governor of Ohio, convinced Brown that Ohio needed a second team. AsColumbus was already home to theOhio State Buckeyes football program, Cincinnati was deemed the only realistic home for a second professional football team. Brown initially sought a franchise in theNational Football League but had been rebuffed, in no small part because Cincinnati did not have an adequate facility. The city's largest football venue then in place, theUniversity of Cincinnati’sNippert Stadium, seated only 28,000 people, nowhere near the minimum 50,000 capacity the league required for prospective expansion teams. The NFL deemed it unsuitable even for temporary use.
Although he was only the third-largest shareholder, Brown became the public face of the team. He was named general manager and head coach, with the same total authority over the football side of the operation he had held for his first 15 years in Cleveland. He was also given the right to represent the team at league meetings and exercise its voting rights. Brown named the team the Bengals "to give it a link with past professional football in Cincinnati." The name honoredan earlier Bengals team that played from 1937 to 1941, most notably in thesecond andthird American Football Leagues. Brown knew the original Bengals had made a good account of themselves on the field. Most notably, while playing as an independent team in 1938, the original Bengals defeated theChicago Bears and tied theChicago Cardinals in exhibition games.[4][1] Possibly as an swipe at Modell, Paul Brown chose the exact shade of burnt orange used by his former team, with black as the secondary color. Brown chose a very simple logo: the word "BENGALS" in black lettering.
A turning point came in 1966 when the American Football League agreed toa merger with its older and more established rival. Merger negotiations had been complicated by several factors, one being that members of theUnited States Congress were seeking guarantees that any merger would include all existing AFL teams. Under pressure from Congress, NFL commissionerPete Rozelle had promised that professional football would be maintained in each of the twenty-three markets where it then existed. There were a total of 24 franchises in the two leagues at the time (fifteen in the NFL and nine in the AFL), but the powerful congressional delegation ofLouisiana led by SenatorRussell Long and CongressmanHale Boggs had further insisted on an NFL franchise inNew Orleans in return for their support. As a result, theNew Orleans Saints became the NFL's sixteenth franchise in 1967.
Having just stocked the Saints' roster, the NFL's owners did not want to risk having the talent pool of their own league becoming further diluted by way of anotherexpansion draft. They also realized that an odd number of teams would unbalance the schedule. The NFL owners quickly agreed that the AFL should add another team. From the AFL's perspective, adding another team was highly desirable because the guarantee of an eventual place in the NFL meant the league could charge a steep expansion fee of $10 million – 400 times the $25,000 the original eight owners paid when they founded the league in 1960. The cash from the transaction provided the American Football League with the funds needed to pay the indemnities required to be paid by the AFL to the NFL, as stipulated by the merger agreement.
Prior to the merger being announced, Paul Brown had not seriously considered joining the American Football League, and was not a supporter of what he openly regarded to be an inferior competition, once famously stating that "I didn't pay ten million dollars to be in the AFL."[5] However, with the announcement of the merger, Brown realized that the AFL expansion franchise would likely be his only realistic path back into the NFL in the short term. Brown ultimately acquiesced to joining the AFL when after learning that the team was guaranteed to become an NFL franchise after the merger was completed in 1970, provided a larger stadium was completed by then. An additional consideration was that the AFL was willing to allow Cincinnati to play at Nippert Stadium for the team's two pre-merger seasons, buying them time to find another stadium.
Ultimately, the stadium issue was settled in no small part because theCincinnati Reds ofMajor League Baseball were also in need of a facility to replace the antiquatedCrosley Field, which they had used since1912. Parking nightmares had plagued the park as far back as the 1950s, the little park lacked modern amenities, and New York City, which after1957 had lost both theirNational League teams, theDodgers and theGiants to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively, was actively courtingPowel Crosley. However, Crosley was adamant that the Reds remain in Cincinnati and tolerated the mounting problems with the Crosley Field location, which were increased with theMillcreek Expressway (I-75) project that ran alongside the park.
With assistance from Ohio governor James A. Rhodes,Hamilton County and the Cincinnati city council agreed to build a single multi-purpose facility on the dilapidated riverfront section of the city. The new facility had to be ready by the opening of the1970 NFL season and was officially namedRiverfront Stadium, which was its working title.
With the completion of the merger in 1970, the Cleveland Browns were moved to the AFL-basedAmerican Football Conference. Unexpected victories for AFL teams inSuper BowlsIII andIV had persuaded NFL owners, starting with Art Modell, to re-consider the question of divisional alignments and ultimately led to the Browns and Bengals both being placed in theAFC Central. An instantrivalry was born, fueled initially by Paul Brown's rivalry with Modell. The Bengals played their inaugural season in1968.
For their first two seasons, they played at Nippert Stadium. The team finished its first season with a 3–11 record, although one bright spot was running backPaul Robinson. Robinson rushed for 1,023 yards and was named the AFL Rookie of the Year. In 1970, the Bengals joined the NFL and made their first playoff appearance, having finished with the best record in the newly formed AFC Central division, but lost to theBaltimore Colts.FounderPaul Brown coached the team for its first three seasons, accumulating 15 wins and 27 losses and one tie. One of Brown's college draft strategies was to draft players with above average intelligence. Punter/wide receiverPat McInally attendedHarvard, andlinebacker Reggie Williams attendedDartmouth College and served on Cincinnati city council while on the Bengals’ roster. Because of this policy, many former players were highly articulate and went on to have successful careers incommentary andbroadcasting as well as the arts. In addition, Brown had a knack for locating and recognizing pro football talent in unusual places.
In the summer of 1970, coinciding with the completion of the AFL-NFL merger, Riverfront Stadium (later known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002), a home they shared with theCincinnati Reds until the team moved toPaul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium) in2000, was opened. Brown,Bill "Tiger" Johnson,Homer Rice, andForrest Gregg coached the Bengals during the '70s. The Bengals were placed in the AFC Central division with the completion of the merger, and were its first division champions in 1970.
Greg Cook (1969–1974) – Record-setting rookie quarterback whose career was cut short by a devastating shoulder injury the following spring. He would return three years later for just one game. As a rookie, Cook set a single-season NFL record for average yards per completion (17 yards).
Ken Anderson (1971–1986) – Ken Anderson's 16 seasons are the most by a Bengals player. The four-time Pro Bowler played 192 games in a career highlighted by leading the Bengals to their first Super Bowl while winning the NFL MVP and passing title in 1981. Anderson is one of five players in NFL history to win at least four league passing titles, and the only one to win consecutive passing titles in two different decades – 1974-75 and 1981-82. He's one of only five men to win at least four NFL passing titles.His third one in 1981 not only gave him the league MVP, but also NFL Comeback Player of the Year. After getting benched in the opener, Anderson showed the resourcefulness of his franchise-longest 16 seasons when he bounced back the next week to lead them to a 31-30 victory over the Jets at Shea Stadium. The press box phones conked out and Anderson had to decipher the hand signals before he helped carry the team to Super Bowl XVI.In 2021, Anderson was enshrined in the Bengals Ring of Honor, with the inaugural class.
Isaac Curtis (1973–1984) – four-timePro Bowlwide receiver known for his speed and exceptional pass-catching ability. Isaac played twelve seasons and held the team record for receiving yards (7,101) until 2007. His 17.1 yards per catch average remains a franchise record.
Jim LeClair (1972–1983) – linebacker who played 12 seasons for the Bengals and made the pro bowl in 1976. Also a member of theUnited States Army Reserve for six years.
Bob Trumpy (1968–1977) – Outspoken three-timePro Bowltight end who now does radio and television commentary. Bob holds the team record for touchdown catches and average yards per catch by atight end.
Bruce Coslet (1969–1976) – Playedtight end for the Bengals. Returned as offensive coordinator under Sam Wyche, left the team for a head coaching position with theNew York Jets, to return to Cincinnati as head coach from 1996 to 2000, winning 21 and losing 39.
Mike Reid (1970–1974) – two-timePro Bowldefensive end who retired early from football to pursue a career inpiano and songwriting. Reid has written severalGrammy-winning songs.
Coy Bacon (1976–1977) – Coy was an expert pass rusher. He earned aPro Bowl spot by setting the single season team record forquarterback sacks in 1976 with 22.
Ken Riley (1969–1983) – Ken was one of the bestcornerbacks of all time. He set the team single-season record for interceptions (9) and the career record (65). In his last season of play, Riley led theAFC with eight interceptions. At the time of his retirement, Ken Riley was number three in the NFL record book for all-time career interceptions with 65.
Lemar Parrish (1970–1977) – An 8-timePro Bowl player (six times with the Bengals) atcornerback, Lemar had 25 interceptions with the Bengals and 47 total in his career. In addition to being a great defensive back, he excelled at kick and punt returning on special teams. Parrish is the Bengals' all-time leader in touchdowns scored by "return or recovery" with 13 (4 on punt returns, 4 on interception returns, 3 on fumble returns, 1 on a kickoff return, and 1 on a blocked field goal return). He is the only player in franchise history ever to score 2 "return or recovery" touchdowns in a single game, a feat he accomplished 3 times.
December 17, 1972 – The Bengals set a team scoring record as they massacred theHouston Oilers 61–17. In the game, Bengals' defensive back Lemar Parrish set a single-game team record by intercepting three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns.
December 16, 1973 – Traveling toHouston, the Bengals defeat theOilers 27–24 to clinch its secondAFC Central division crown. Cincinnati won its final six games (the last two of which were on the road) to finish 10–4 in the '73 season, edging out thePittsburgh Steelers for the division championship.
December 22, 1973 – In their second playoff game, the Bengals were once again on the road and fell again to the eventualSuper Bowl champions. In theMiami Orange Bowl, theMiami Dolphins defeated the Bengals 34–16.
November 10, 1974 – Quarterback Ken Anderson completed 20 of 22 passes (a single game team completion percentage record) as Cincinnati defeats thePittsburgh Steelers 17–10.
December 21, 1975 – In the regular season's final game, the Bengals blew up theSan Diego Chargers 47–17. Despite their 11–3 season record, the Bengals finished second in theAFC Central division to the defending and eventualSuper Bowl championPittsburgh Steelers, who finished 12–2. The 11–3 record enabled the Bengals to capture the AFCWild Card gave the team their highest winning percentage in franchise history. Ken Anderson won his second consecutive NFL passing title.
December 28, 1975 – In the organization's third playoff game, the Bengals once again had to travel. Despite a 14–10 victory over theOakland Raiders in week five of the regular season, the Raiders top the Bengals in Oakland, 31–28 in what would be Paul Brown's final game as Cincinnati head coach.
December 12, 1976 – During the final game of theseason in New York City'sShea Stadium, Bengals' defensive end Coy Bacon sackedNew York Jets' quarterbackJoe Namath four times in a 42–3 Bengals' rout. Coy got to the opposing passer 22 times in 1976, but the NFL did not record quarterback sack statistics until 1982. Defensive backKen Riley also recorded a franchise record 3 interceptions in the game, 2 from Namath and 1 fromRichard Todd.
October 22, 1978 – In the lowest scoring game in Cincinnati Bengals' history, theBuffalo Bills defeated the Bengals 5–0.
December 21, 1980 – Bengals defensive end Eddie Edwards set a single game team record by sackingCleveland Browns' quarterbackBrian Sipe five times. TheBrowns, needing a win to qualify for theplayoffs, came out ahead 27–24.
The Bengals were a successful team during the 1980's, reaching the Super Bowl twice, but overall, it was a decade of missed opportunities for the team. The team was coached by Gregg andSam Wyche during the decade.
Perhaps the most significant change occurred prior to the 1981 season, when the Bengals replaced their somewhat conservative uniform design of standard black jerseys at home and white jerseys on the road with some orange trim, along with their plain orange helmet logo that said "BENGALS" in black lettering, with a new, radical (for its time) look, which featured orange and black tiger stripes on the shoulders of their jerseys, down the sides of their pants, and, most prominently, on their helmets.
Eddie Brown (1985–1991) – Superb deep threatWide receiver who finished his career with 363 receptions for 6,134 yards (an impressive 16.9 yards per catch average) and 41 touchdowns. Brown was selected as the NFL's offensive rookie of the year in 1985. In 1988, he recorded 53 receptions for 1,273 yards and 9 touchdowns, helping the Bengals toSuper Bowl XXIII and setting franchise single-season records for receiving yards and yards per catch.Chad Johnson surpassed Brown's receiving record with 1,355 yards in 2003, but it took him 37 more receptions than Brown (90) to do so. Brown also set a franchise record with 216 receiving yards in a single game in the 1988 season.
Reggie Williams (1976–1989) – played effectively at outsidelinebacker and served on the Cincinnati city council. Williams intercepted 14 passes in his career.
Jim Breech (1980–1992) – Breech was the Bengals'placekicker for 13 seasons. He is the team's all-time leading scorer with 1,151 points, and was a perfect 9 for 9 in overtime field goals during his career, an NFL record. Breech was also automatic in both of the Bengals' Super Bowl appearances in the 1980s, not missing a field goal or extra point in either one.
Tim Krumrie (1983–1994) – All-Pro nose tackle who led the team in tackles in five seasons. He returned as DL position coach until 2002. He suffered a gruesome broken leg in one of the most replayed moments ofSuper Bowl XXIII.
David Fulcher (1986–1992) – hard-hitting, All-Pro linebacker-sized strong safety. The "vulture" had 31 careerinterceptions and made the Pro Bowl three times. He also led the team intackles and caused afumble inSuper Bowl XXIII.
Rodney Holman (1982–1992) – A three-time pro bowl (1988–1990) tight end, Holman's superb blocking and pass catching was a key reason for the Bengals' success in the 1980s and assisted them toSuper Bowl XXIII. Career stats are 365 receptions for 4,771 yards and 36 touchdowns. As of 2005, Holman's 318 receptions with the Bengals ranks him as their 6th all-time leading receiver.
Dan Ross (1979–1985) – Pro Bowl tight end who assisted the Bengals toSuper Bowl XVI. Ross recorded a Super Bowl record 11 receptions for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game, which would have likely earned him theSuper Bowl MVP award if his team had won. Career stats are 290 receptions for 3,419 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
Anthony Muñoz (1980–1992) – Considered by many peers and fans alike to be one of the finest offensive tackles ever and even as far as the greatest player to ever grace the face of the NFL, Anthony Muñoz was a perennialPro Bowl selection, a three-time Offensive Lineman of the Year (1981, 1987, and 1988), and was named to the Pro Bowl squad 11 consecutive times. In 1994, Muñoz, a USC alumni, was named to theNational Football League's 75th anniversary all-time team. In 1998, Anthony Muñoz was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, becoming the first Hall of Fame player ever to play his entire career for the Bengals.
Cris Collinsworth (1981–88) – Tall, lanky, affable wide receiver and three-time Pro Bowler. His initial foray into broadcasting was substituting for former Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy on Trumpy's WLW radio show. He has done commentary forHBO,NBC, andFox Sports.
James Brooks (1984–1991) – In his eight years as a Bengalrunning back, Brooks rushed for 6,447 yards averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Brooks earned spots on fourPro Bowls. He left the Bengals as the team's all-time leading rusher, a record now held byCorey Dillon with 8,061 yards.
Boomer Esiason (1984–1992, 1997) – Bengals' quarterback who became renowned early on in his career for his ability to execute theplay action pass. His 14-year NFL career ended after completing 57% of his passes for 247 touchdowns and 37,920 passing yards. He holds the Bengals single game records for passing yards (490) and touchdown passes (5). Esiason led the Bengals to twoAFC Central division titles (1988, 1990) and oneAFC Championship, 1988. The season before his last, as quarterback for theArizona Cardinals, Boomer threw for over 1,500 yards in just a three-week span, leading the Cardinals to victories over theWashington Redskins,Philadelphia Eagles, andNew York Giants. He was theNFL MVP in 1988. Boomer currently does national broadcasting for theNFL on CBS. He also heads fund-raising for cystic-fibrosis charities.
Tim McGee (1986–1992, 1994) – McGee recorded 282 receptions for 4,703 yards in his 8 seasons with the Bengals, a 16.7 yards per catch average, the third highest in franchise history. He also led the NFL in kickoff return yards in his rookie season.
Ickey Woods (1988–1991) – Fullback who balanced well with his halfback counterpart,James Brooks, to provide balance in the highly potent offense during the Super Bowl season of 1988. Ickey was famous for his "Ickey Shuffle" dance after he would score atouchdown. He rushed for 1,066 yards, caught 21 passes for 199 yards, and scored an NFL rookie record 15 touchdowns in his first season, but twoknee surgeries cut his promising career short.
December 20, 1981 – The Bengals defeated theAtlanta Falcons 30–28 in the final regular season game. With their 12–4 record, the Bengals won theAFC Central division title. Quarterback Ken Anderson won his third NFL passing title.
January 3, 1982 – Cincinnati hosted its first NFL playoff game as the Bengals defeated theBuffalo Bills 28–21 in Riverfront Stadium. It was the first postseason win in franchise history.
January 10, 1982 – "The Freezer Bowl", The Bengals defeated theSan Diego Chargers in theAFC Championship Game, 27–7, the coldest game ever played in NFL history. Thewind chill factor brought the game-time temperature down to −56 °F (−49 °C). The Bengals' offensive linemen were on the field with their standard sleeveless jerseys in an effort to intimidate a Charger team more accustomed to the warmer California weather. The game has entered NFL lore as theFreezer Bowl.
The Bengals playing against the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI.
Super Bowl XVI, January 24, 1982 – Cincinnati appeared inSuper Bowl XVI facing theSan Francisco 49ers. Played inDetroit'sSilverdome, it was the firstSuper Bowl north of theMason–Dixon line. It was also the first Super Bowl sinceSuper Bowl III to feature two teams who had never appeared in a Super Bowl before. (Super Bowl XX is the only game since with this feature.) The Bengals hurt themselves early and often in the game. After recovering a fumble from the 49ers on the opening kickoff, the Bengals gave the ball right back to San Francisco by throwing an interception, which led to a 49ers touchdown on their next possession. Later, afumble cost the Bengals a sure score and another gave the 49ers afield goal. By halftime, the 49ers had built a 20–0 lead, the largest halftime margin in Super Bowl history, at the time. The Bengals made a valiant comeback attempt in the second half, and managed to outscore San Francisco by 15 points, but committed even more costly turnovers; another interception and a turnover on downs when the 49ers stuffed an attempted fourth down conversion attempt on the San Francisco one-yard line. Cincinnati ended up losing the game 26–21 despite outgaining the 49ers in total yards 356 to 274 and setting 3 Super Bowl records: most receptions by one player (11 by Dan Ross), most completions (25 by Ken Anderson), and highest completion percentage (73.5).
December 20, 1982 – On aMonday Night Football stage, Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson set a single-game team record by completing 40 passes in a 50–34 shootout loss to theSan Diego Chargers.
November 28, 1982 – Defensive backKen Riley tied his own franchise record by intercepting 3 passes fromLos Angeles Raiders quarterbackJim Plunkett, leading the Bengals to a 31–17 win.
January 2, 1983 – In the regular season's final game, the Bengals beat theHouston Oilers 35–27. Cincinnati once again won theAFC Central division crown. Ken Anderson set an NFL record by completing 20 consecutive passes in the game and finished the season winning his second consecutive passing title. It was the second time in his career he had won the title in back-to-back seasons. Anderson finished the season completing 70.55% of his passes, an NFL single season record.
January 9, 1983 – TheNew York Jets traveled to Cincinnati and beat the Bengals 44–17 in the first round of theNFL playoffs.
October 28, 1984 – Bengals' bruisingfullbackLarry Kinnebrew scored four touchdowns setting a team single game scoring record as the Bengals drilled theHouston Oilers 31–13.
December 21, 1986 – In the final game of the1986 season, Bengals' quarterbackBoomer Esiason set a team record by throwing five touchdown passes as Cincinnati shot down theNew York Jets 52–21. It was also the last game for Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson.
October 16, 1988 – After leading Cincinnati to six straight wins to begin the season,Boomer Esiason set a single game team record throwing 5 interceptions in a 27–21 loss to theNew England Patriots.
November 6, 1988 – Bengals'wide receiver Eddie Brown set a single-game team record with 216 receiving yards as the Bengals defeated thePittsburgh Steelers 42–7 in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium.
December 17, 1988 – In the regular season finale, Bengalplace kickerJim Breech kicked a shortfield goal in overtime to edge theWashington Redskins 20–17. The win brought the team to 12–4 and locked up the organization's fifthAFC Central division title. QuarterbackBoomer Esiason finished the season as the NFL's top rated passer.
December 31, 1988 – Cincinnati hosted its fourth NFL playoff game. A sellout crowd at Riverfront Stadium watched the Bengals beat theSeattle Seahawks 21–13.
January 8, 1989 – The Cincinnati Bengals shut down theBuffalo Bills 21–10 to win the organization's secondAFC Championship
Super Bowl XXIII, January 22, 1989 – The Bengals earned a rematch with the 49ers inSuper Bowl XXIII, but lost 20–16 inMiami'sJoe Robbie Stadium. The Bengals boasted the highest-scoring offense in 1988, and rebounded from a 4–12 record in 1987. But a few unfortunate events prevented the team from capturing theworld championship. The night before the game, Bengalsfullback Stanley Wilson suffered a "cocaine relapse", and did not participate in the game. Head coachSam Wyche was forced to alter the game plan only hours before the opening kickoff. BengalsAll-Pronose tackleTim Krumrie broke his leg in three places while tacklingRoger Craig early in the first quarter. At the start of the fourth quarter, Bengalscornerback Lewis Billups dropped a sureinterception in theend zone which would have sealed a Cincinnati win. The 49ersJerry Rice scored on the next play. Despite all the adversity, the game remained close and the Bengals led the 49ers in the waning minutes of the game until the memorable drive late in the game, capped by a touchdown pass fromJoe Montana toJohn Taylor with only 34 seconds left in the contest, which erased a Bengal lead and put the 49ers ahead for good.
October 29, 1989 –Boomer Esiason tied his own record fortouchdown passes in a game as the Bengals beat theTampa Bay Buccaneers 56–23. The Bengals tied a team record with eight touchdowns in the game.
Paul Brown, legendary NFL personality and innovator, died in 1991. He had already transferred control to his son,Mike Brown, but was reported to still influence the daily operations of the team. Shortly after his death, the Bengals' fortunes changed for the worse for a long time. During the decade, the team was nicknamed the "Bungles" by detractors, as the team began a lengthy playoff drought that lasted until 2005. Wyche,David Shula,Bruce Coslet, andDick LeBeau coached the Bengals in the '90s.
Lee Johnson (1988–1998) – Was the Bengals punter for 11 seasons. Set a Super Bowl record for longest punt with a 63-yard punt inSuper Bowl XXIII. Overall, Johnson played 18 seasons in the NFL and recorded a career total of 51,979 punting yards, the third most in NFL history when he was cut from the team. During the dismal decade Johnson made a bitter comment about team management (referring to individuals higher than the coaches) and was suspended, fined and then cut from the team before the Pickens incident. Johnson was one of the more recognizable and veteran players.
Carl Pickens (1992–99) andDarnay Scott (1994–2001), both wide receivers along with quarterbackJeff Blake (1994–99). The trio rekindled the Bengals' identity as a high-powered offense. Pickens was a fast and elusive receiver; he was well disciplined in running routes displaying excellent hands. Scott complimented him with his own amazing speed. Pickens was the more favored target of Blake and when Pickens left, Scott was unable to fill the vacancy. Pickens, with other teams, was nowhere near as successful without Blake as his quarterback. The three worked excellently together and when one wasn't there the chemistry was gone for them as a team or individual.
Pickens made the Pro Bowl twice with the Bengals and held the team record for most receptions in the regular season until 2007. He left the team due to personality conflicts (which led to some fines as well as a new player contract clause for later players nicknamed the "Pickens Clause" which penalizes players for disparaging remarks about the club or management).
Scott recorded over 800 receiving yards in all of his 7 seasons with the Bengals, with the sole exception of 1997, when he recorded 797 yards.
Blake was the only other quarterback, other than Esiason in 1997, to lead the team to a non-losing record (8-8) during the string of bad seasons. He was famous for his short stature and his "moon ball" (nicknamed such for its high arc) which was a very successful play toCarl Pickens andDarnay Scott. He was drafted by the Jets under their head coach of the time, Coslet, and came over as a backup to David Klingler when Coslet arrived. He got the start due to injuries and was never challenged for the quarterback position by Klingler again. He was benched after the drafting ofAkili Smith. Blake remained in the league as a starter and backup beyond 2005 whereas neither of his favorite receivers remained in the league for another 2 years after they left the Bengals.
Corey Dillon (1997–2003) – Controversial but highly talented running back. He broke many league rookie records (which were subsequently broken in the next year) and Bengal franchise records (which were broken by his replacementRudi Johnson). He left the Bengals prior to the 2004 campaign and wonSuper Bowl XXXIX with theNew England Patriots. Left the Bengals with insulting statements which many Bengals' fans reacted to with anger. He holds Bengals records for most career rushing yards (8,061) and rushing yards in one game (278).
Takeo Spikes (1998–2002) – Fast, strong (tackled hulking and lumbering RBJerome Bettis with one hand by the neck collar from behind), emotional and talented inside linebacker. Coupled withBrian Simmons, he was a powerful force and emotional leader for the maligned defense. He left Cincinnati for the Buffalo Bills after the 2-14 2002 season under Dick LeBeau, believing Cincinnati would not turn itself around under rookie head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals went 27–21 over the next three seasons, including an 11-5 AFC North Division Championship season in 2005. The Bills went 20–28 over the same period with no postseason appearances.
Ki-Jana Carter,Dan Wilkinson,Akili Smith, andDavid Klingler, were four players drafted during this period touted as "franchise-saving" individuals. Whether it was a lack of talent, poor coaching, bad luck with injuries, each one of these drafts proved to be an astoundingly horrible selection. Dan Wilkinson, the first pick of the 1994 draft, is the only one who remained in the league with other teams but never had the "breakout season" to justify his 1st-round draft status, high paying initial contract, or being the number one overall draft pick.
October 7, 1990 – Bengals' quarterbackBoomer Esiason threw for 490 yards (a single game team passing record) in a 34–31 victory over theLos Angeles Rams.
January 6, 1991 – In the organization's sixth home playoff game,Sam Wyche and the Bengals again drilled theHouston Oilers 41–14.
January 13, 1991 – A week after the victory over the Oilers, theLos Angeles Raiders knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs by a 20–10 score. During the game,All-Prorunning backBo Jackson suffered a career ending hip injury on a routine tackle by linebacker Kevin Walker.
December 17, 1995 – The Bengals lose to intrastate rivalCleveland Browns 26–10, in the last NFL game ever played atCleveland Municipal Stadium. It would also be the last game played in the "Battle of Ohio" series for the next four years, as the Browns relocated to Baltimore following the '95 season and became theBaltimore Ravens
December 4, 1997 – Running backCorey Dillon rushed for 246 yards on 39 carries, breaking the NFL rookie record of 237 yards set byJim Brown in 1957. This mark would later be eclipsed byMike Anderson of theDenver Broncos.
The Bengals have played the Steelers more than any other team in the NFL (the Browns missed keeping pace bybeing out of the league for three years, the Oilers/Titans team was moved from the division, and the Baltimore Ravens are considered a "new" franchise as Cleveland retained its rights to the name and history). LeBeau andMarvin Lewis coached the Bengals in the 2000s.
Carson Palmer, 2002Heisman Trophy Award winner. First Bengals QB to have a 100+ passer rating for the season, and broke several team passing records in his 2nd year as a starter (attempts, completions, and touchdowns). He also tied the NFL record for consecutive games with a 100+ rating during the same season. He holds the Bengals' Single Season Passing Yards with 4035 yards [2006], as well as the record for touchdown passes in a season (32) and single game (6).
The Johnsons, wide receiver:Chad Johnson, tailback:Rudi Johnson, and fullback:Jeremi Johnson formed an offensive trio that propelled the Bengals' offense into its high-standing.
Chad Johnson broke the team record for reception yards in consecutive years ('04 & '05 season, 1,400+ yards), also first Bengal ever to lead the NFL in receiving yards in 2006. In 2007, he became the team's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards.
Rudi Johnson broke the team record for rushing yards in consecutive years ('04 & '05 season)
Jeremi Johnson, while used primarily as a blocking fullback, is a very capable receiver and elusive in the open field.
Willie Anderson andLevi Jones are the left and right tackles. Willie Anderson has started a franchise record number of consecutive games.
Deltha O'Neal andTory James alternated leading the Bengals in interceptions, where one or both gained yearly recognition by making it into the Pro Bowl. In 2005, O'Neal set a franchise record with 10 interceptions.
Shayne Graham signed by the Bengals after being cut from 2 other teams, Graham set a Bengals record by making 88% (22 of 25) of his field goals in his first season with them. He made thePro Bowl in 2005.
T. J. Houshmandzadeh was a collegiate teammate of Chad Johnson's atOregon State and, like Johnson, had a troubled history. Originally a third and fourth receiver, Houshmandzadeh overcame hamstring problems that plagued him in his second year, shed some weight to improve his performance and was promoted to the starting lineup in 2004 with the release of Peter Warrick. While not quite as fast as Johnson, Houshmandzadeh has proven himself a dependable possession receiver who's willing to make the tough short and medium range catches in traffic where he is prone to taking hard hits. In 2007, he set the team record for receptions in a season.
Peter Warrick was another Bengals first-round pick that didn't pan out.
LinebackerOdell Thurman and wide receiverChris Henry. Both were high draft picks in 2005 and they made immediate positive impacts on the field for the Bengals. Odell was a candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Chris Henry provided a second deep threat alongside Chad Johnson and bolstered the offense tremendously. Both, however, had off-field issues involving league substance violations and legal troubles. During their short careers, they had a limited amount of playing time before being released between the 2007–2008 seasons. Their non-football related troubles are often considered to be the most visible incidents giving the Bengals a stigma of being in trouble with the law and the league.
December 8, 2002 – TheCarolina Panthers dropped 52 points on the Bengals, the most ever relinquished by any Bengal team. The final score was 52––31.
September 24, 2005 – After forcing fiveinterceptions the previous week against the Vikings, the Bengals intercepted five more this game against the Bears. In doing so, the team accomplished a feat that had not been done in 34 years. The last team to have back-to-back games with 5 or more interceptions was the 1971 Browns. Later in the season, they faced theGreen Bay Packers, another NFC North team, and also intercepted 5 passes on their way to victory.
December 18, 2005 – The Bengals clinch the AFC North title and their first playoff appearance in 15 years with a 41–17 rout of theDetroit Lions.Carson Palmer (QB) sets a franchise record with 32 touchdown passes in a single season andDeltha O'Neal (CB) set a franchise record for most interceptions in a season with 10.
AFC Wild-Card Round
January 8, 2006 – The Bengals hosted their first ever playoff game atPaul Brown Stadium, against thePittsburgh Steelers. Star quarterbackCarson Palmer was injured on Cincinnati's second play from scrimmage, his first postseason pass attempt, (which was completed to rookie wide receiverChris Henry for a Bengals postseason record play of 66 yards; Henry was also injured on that very play) with a torn ACL, and the team failed to rally aroundJon Kitna. Multiple injuries and many fights marred the game. The Steelers defeated the Bengals in the wild-card playoff game, 31–17.
The Bengals began to emerge from more than a decade of being the worst-performing team of that era (edging out the Cardinals) into a new era of increased consistency under Marvin Lewis, after the team finished with its worst record in history in 2002 with a 2–14 record. Carson Palmer, the future star quarterback, was drafted in 2003 but did not play a snap that whole season, as Jon Kitna had a comeback year (voted NFL Comeback Player of the Year). Despite Kitna's success, Carson was promoted to starting quarterback the following season and Kitna, apparently happily, took the position of backup quarterback and embraced the role of mentor for the young quarterback.
Paul Brown Stadium was built for the 2000 season using private and public money. In tribute to his father, Mike Brown refused corporate offers to have the stadium renamed for their company which became a trend in the NFL and other sports team around that time.
During the2005 season, theBengals became known for their players' off-field and non-football related violations of league substance policies and legal troubles.
After making the playoffs for the first time since 1990, the Bengals regressed to 8–8 in 2006. They continued to slide the next two years, finishing with a 7–9 record in 2007 and 4–11–1 in 2008. In all three years, numerous Bengals players aside from Henry and Thurman were involved with legal issues. In 2008, Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending injury, leading to backupRyan Fitzpatrick playing for most of the season.
The season opener againstDenver was a 12–7 defeat, but afterward the Bengals won four in a row against thePackers,Steelers,Browns, andRavens. The team lost at home to theTexans, then beat theBears, Ravens, and Steelers. In Week 11 however, Cincinnati fell into a trap game when it lost to the 3–7Raiders. After another defeat of Cleveland, the Bengals had won all six of their divisional matches for the year. Following the next game (an easy win at home overDetroit), Chad Ochocinco was fined $20,000 by the NFL for donning a poncho and sombrero after scoring a touchdown (he had been fined three weeks earlier for joking about bribing the referees). Week 14 saw the Bengals travel to Minnesota, where theVikings routed them 30–10. During the week after that game, tragedy struck when Chris Henry fell out of a pickup truck during a domestic dispute and died from his injuries. The team's previously lighthearted mood turned to one of mourning, and they lost the next match againstSan Diego. After a victory over theChiefs, the Bengals secured the AFC North title for only their second playoff berth since 1990. They traveled to the Meadowlands for a match with the New York Jets, but still shaken from Chris Henry's death, they were shut out 37–0. The Bengals and Jets had to face each other again in the wild-card round of the playoffs, but now in Cincinnati. Their season, which looked so promising a few weeks earlier, ended with a whimper as the Jets won a second time, the score being 24–14.
Andy Dalton, quarterback. Dalton has set numerous quarterback records for the Bengals since he was thrust into the starting role as a rookie and has passed for at least 3,000 yards in each of his first seven seasons.
Vontaze Burfict, linebacker. An undrafted player, Burfict became one of the NFL's most dominant and feared defensive players but has also been accused of dirty play.[7][8]
Giovani Bernard andJeremy Hill formed a respectable running back tandem for several seasons between 2013 and 2017, but both were supplanted byJoe Mixon in later years.
Adam "Pacman" Jones, cornerback and return specialist. Despite controversy amid his signing stemming from past off-field issues, Jones became a stalwart on the Bengals defense for numerous years.
Russell Bodine, center. Bodine started every game in his Bengals career before signing with theBuffalo Bills.
Kevin Huber, punter. A Cincinnati native who attended both high school and college in the city, Huber was recognized as anAll-Pro in 2014.
During the offseason, the Bengals signed wide receiverTerrell Owens to a one-year deal, giving the team two dominant but aging receivers with Owens andChad Ochocinco.[9] Nonetheless, the team collapsed after a 2–1 start, losing 10 games in a row on the way to finishing with a 4–12 record, the worst finish for Marvin Lewis as head coach.
With the 4th pick in the 2011 draft, the Bengals took WRA. J. Green from Georgia. Most of the off-season was marred by a league lockout and Carson Palmer's sudden demand to be traded to another team. Mike Brown flatly refused to either release or trade him, and Palmer instead announced his plans to retire from the NFL. Another familiar face departed when Chad Ochocinco was traded to New England in August. With this, the Bengals decided to name unproven rookie QBAndy Dalton as their starter. On October 17, Palmer, who had been holding out since Brown announced he refused to trade him, was traded to theOakland Raiders for 2 first round picks in2012 and2013. The Bengals finished with a record of 9-7 and qualified for the playoffs as the 6th seed in the AFC. They lost 31–10 to theHouston Texans in the wild-card round.
This was the first non-strike year that the Bengals qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The Bengals finished 10–6, improving on their record from the previous year and securing the #5 seed in the AFC, but lost again to theHouston Texans.
The Bengals came into the 2013 season as division favorites and as a dark horse for the Super Bowl. The Bengals attained an 11–5 record, winning the AFC North division title. However, their season came to an end in the wild-card round when theSan Diego Chargers beat the heavily favored Bengals.
Head coachMarvin Lewis was given authority over many day-to-day football operations by ownerMike Brown prior to the season. The Bengals finished 10–5–1 and once again made the playoffs, but were knocked out by theIndianapolis Colts.
The 2015 season saw the Bengals attain an 8–0 start, thanks to strong play from Andy Dalton. However, Dalton broke his thumb in week 14 against thePittsburgh Steelers. BackupA. J. McCarron was serviceable, leading the team to finish at 12–4 and clinched the AFC North title for the second time in three seasons. The Bengals were set to win their first playoff game since the 1980s against the Steelers in the wild-card round, but linebackerVontaze Burfict inflicted a helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers wide receiverAntonio Brown in the waning seconds of the game, drawing a personal foul penalty. An additional personal foul by cornerbackAdam "Pacman" Jones set the Steelers up in Bengals territory and allowed them to kick the game-winning field goal.[10] With the 18–16 loss, the Bengals lost in the wild-card round for the fifth straight season and were knocked out of the playoffs once again.
For the first time in Andy Dalton's career, the Bengals missed the playoffs in 2016 when they finished with a disappointing 6–9–1 record. The following season, the Bengals finished with another losing record and missed the playoffs again, the first time in Marvin Lewis' tenure as head coach that the team finished with consecutive losing seasons. Lewis and the Bengals agreed on a two-year contract extension following the season after much speculation otherwise.[11]
The Bengals started with a 4–1 record, but stumbled the rest of the season to a 6–10 record, once again missing the postseason. Andy Dalton suffered another season-ending injury, forcing the team to playJeff Driskel in his stead. Following the season, the Bengals and Marvin Lewis mutually decided to part ways following three consecutive non-playoff years and an 0–7 record in the postseason.[12]
To replace Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati hiredZac Taylor, who had previously served as the quarterbacks coach for theLos Angeles Rams.[13] The Bengals started the season off poorly at 0–9. Andy Dalton started the first eight games at quarterback before being benched for rookieRyan Finley.[14] After falling to 0–11 for the first time in franchise history, Dalton was made the starter again. The Bengals got their first win of the season in week 13 with a 22–6 victory against theNew York Jets. After a 38–35 overtime loss to theMiami Dolphins in week 16, the Bengals finished the season 2–14 (equaling the 2002 season as the team's worst in history) and clinched the first overall pick in the2020 NFL draft.
The 2020 season marked the first time since 2010 that Andy Dalton wasn't on the roster, as he was released by the Bengals a week after thedraft, when the Bengals used their first overall pick onLSU quarterbackJoe Burrow. The Bengals started off with a close 16–13 loss to theLos Angeles Chargers, followed by a 35–30 loss to theCleveland Browns. In week 3, the Bengals met thePhiladelphia Eagles, and kept it close for the entire game; in overtime, however, both teams failed to score, as the game ended in a 23–23 tie. The Bengals recorded their first victory, a 33–25 contest over theJacksonville Jaguars in week 4. The Bengals would get blown out by theBaltimore Ravens 27–3 in week 5, followed by a 31–27 loss to theIndianapolis Colts in which the Bengals blew a 21–0 first-quarter lead. Week 7 against the Browns was a high-scoring match. Despite scoring in the final minutes to take a 34–31 lead, the Bengals would falter, allowing a game-winning drive by the Browns, and lost 37–34. The Bengals then stunned the 5–1Tennessee Titans 31–20 in week 8 to acquire their second victory. After their bye week, they got blown out by thePittsburgh Steelers, who improved to 9–0 after the victory, by a score of 36–10. Week 11 against theWashington Football Team was close in the first half. However, Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third quarter, allowing Washington to get away with a 20–9 victory. The Bengals wouldn't recover for three weeks, losing to theNew York Giants,Miami Dolphins (which eliminated them from playoff contention), andDallas Cowboys by scores of 19–17, 19–7, and 30–7, respectively. The Bengals then experienced a moment of success in week 15, when they upset the 14.5-point favored Steelers 27–17 to not only win their third game of the season, but to hand the Steelers their third consecutive loss after starting 11–0. After a 37–31 win over theHouston Texans and a 38–3 beatdown loss by the Ravens, the Bengals finished at 4–11–1, last in the division, and secured the fifth overall pick in2021.
The Cincinnati Bengals finished the regular season with a 10–7 record, clinching the AFC North with a 34–31 victory over theKansas City Chiefs in Week 17. The Bengals defeated theLas Vegas Raiders in the wild-card round 26–19, clinching their first playoff victory since 1990, before proceeding to squeak past the top-seededTennessee Titans, 19–16, in the divisional round. A week later in the AFC Championship, in a rematch against the number 2-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals came back from a 21–3 second quarter deficit to win 27–24 in overtime, sending the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years. Kansas City won the coin toss and had possession to begin the overtime period, but Cincinnati'sVonn Bell intercepted aPatrick Mahomes throw to set up a drive to the Chiefs' 13-yard line.Evan McPherson then kicked the game-winning field goal, his fourth of the game. InSuper Bowl LVI, the Bengals faced theLos Angeles Rams and lost 23–20. Joe Burrow would be named the 2021Comeback Player of the Year after the year concluded.
After an 0–2 start, the Bengals quickly turned around, winning 12 out of their last 14 games to match their franchise best record of 12–4. The Bengals improved upon their 10–7 record from theprevious season and clinched the AFC North title for the second straight year. Cincinnati's Week 17 game againstBuffalo wasdeclared a no-contest after Buffalo safetyDamar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest, resulting in only 16 games played.[15]
The Bengals defeatedBaltimore 24–17 in the Wild Card round. The most notable play was a fumble recovery and 98-yard touchdown return by defensive endSam Hubbard after linebackerLogan Wilson stripped the ball from Ravens quarterbackTyler Huntley on a quarterback sneak.[16] The following week, the Bengals traveled to faceBuffalo. Despite Buffalo's home-field advantage and snowy conditions, the Bengals prevailed 27–10.[17] With the win, they advanced to theAFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year, a first in franchise history. The Bengals facedKansas City inArrowhead Stadium for a rematch of the previous year's contest and found themselves tied late into the fourth quarter. However, a personal foul penalty by the Bengals would aid a late Kansas City field goal attempt and the Bengals ultimately lost 23–20 to the eventualSuper Bowl LVII champions.[18]
The Bengals finished with a record of 9–8, third in the AFC North division, but missed the playoffs after the Denver Broncos shutout the Kansas City Chiefs.
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