History of the Cincinnati Bengals

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Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, home of the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football franchise in the National Football League. Since starting off as an expansion franchise in the American Football League in 1968, they have appeared in three Super Bowls, but lost all three times, twice to the San Francisco 49ers and once to the Los Angeles Rams.

Origins

See also: Cincinnati Reds (NFL) (1933–1934)

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Paul 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 the American 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 included Austin E. Knowlton who was the majority 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 the

Baltimore 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. In

Washington Redskins, without Modell's knowledge. However, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia
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.

By

James A. Rhodes, then the governor of Ohio, convinced Brown that Ohio needed a second team. Cincinnati was deemed a logical choice. Brown initially sought a franchise in the National 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, the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert 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.

Brown named the team the Bengals in honor of

an earlier Bengals team that played from 1937 to 1941, most notably in the second and third American Football Leagues. While playing as an independent team in 1938, the original Bengals defeated the Chicago Bears and tied the Chicago Cardinals in exhibition games.[4] Brown knew the original Bengals had made a good account of themselves on the field, and named his team the Bengals in order "to give it a link with past professional football in Cincinnati." [1]
Possibly as an insult to Art Modell, Paul Brown chose the exact shade of orange used by his former team. He added 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 to

Russell Long and Congressman Hale Boggs had further insisted on an NFL franchise in New Orleans in return for their support. As a result, the New 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 another expansion 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 the

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 the 1970 NFL season and was officially named Riverfront Stadium, which was its working title.

With the completion of the merger in 1970, the Cleveland Browns were moved to the AFL-based

1968
.

The first two seasons

Nippert Stadium, located on the University of Cincinnati campus, served as the Bengals' first home stadium

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 back

Paul 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 the Baltimore Colts
. Founder
commentary and broadcasting
as well as the arts. In addition, Brown had a knack for locating and recognizing pro football talent in unusual places.

The 1970s: Growing pains

Riverfront Stadium, home of the Bengals from 1970 to 1999

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 the

Bill "Tiger" Johnson, Homer Rice, and Forrest 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.

Memorable players from the 1970s

  • 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.

1970s games of note

The 1980s: Reaching the Super Bowls

A ticket for the 1989 AFC Championship Game between the Bengals and the Bills.

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 and Sam 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.

Memorable players from the 1980s

  • Eddie Edwards (1977–1988) – Defensive end who holds the team single game record for quarterback sacks (5) and career record (83.5).
  • 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.
  • offensive tackle Max Starks
    .
  • Reggie Williams (1976–1989) – played effectively at outside linebacker and served on the Cincinnati city council. Williams intercepted 14 passes in his career.
  • interceptions
    with 33.
  • 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 of Super Bowl XXIII.
  • interceptions and made the Pro Bowl three times. He also led the team in tackles and caused a fumble in Super 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 to Super 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.
  • Super Bowl MVP
    award if his team had won. Career stats are 290 receptions for 3,419 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
  • interceptions
    .
  • 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 perennial Pro 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 the National 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.
  • Fox Sports
    .
  • pro bowls. He left the Bengals as the team's all-time leading rusher, a record now held by Corey Dillon
    with 8,061 yards.
  • NFL MVP in 1988. Boomer currently does national broadcasting for the NFL 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.
  • 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 a touchdown. 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 two knee
    surgeries cut his promising career short.

1980s games of note
The Bengals playing against the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI.
  • field 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 a Monday Night Football stage, Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson set a single-game team record by completing 40 passes in a 50–34 shootout loss to the San Diego Chargers.
  • November 28, 1982 – Defensive back Ken Riley tied his own franchise record by intercepting 3 passes from Los Angeles Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett, leading the Bengals to a 31–17 win.
  • January 2, 1983 – In the regular season's final game, the Bengals beat the
    AFC 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 – The New York Jets traveled to Cincinnati and beat the Bengals 44–17 in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
  • October 28, 1984 – Bengals' bruising
    fullback Larry Kinnebrew scored four touchdowns setting a team single game scoring record as the Bengals drilled the Houston Oilers
    31–13.
  • December 21, 1986 – In the final game of the 1986 season, Bengals' quarterback Boomer Esiason set a team record by throwing five touchdown passes as Cincinnati shot down the New 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 the New England Patriots.
  • November 6, 1988 – Bengals' wide receiver Eddie Brown set a single-game team record with 216 receiving yards as the Bengals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 42–7 in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium.
  • December 17, 1988 – In the regular season finale, Bengal
    AFC Central division title. Quarterback Boomer 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 the Seattle Seahawks 21–13.
  • January 8, 1989 – The Cincinnati Bengals shut down the
    AFC Championship
  • John 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 for touchdown passes in a game as the Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 56–23. The Bengals tied a team record with eight touchdowns in the game.

The 1990s: the Bengals become the "Bungles"

Paul Brown, legendary NFL personality and innovator, died in 1991. He had already transferred control to his son,

David Shula, Bruce Coslet, and Dick LeBeau
coached the Bengals in the '90s.

Memorable players from the 1990s

  • Lee Johnson (1988–1998) – Was the Bengals punter for 11 seasons. Set a Super Bowl record for longest punt with a 63-yard punt in Super 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) and Darnay Scott (1994–2001), both wide receivers along with quarterback Jeff 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 to Carl Pickens and Darnay 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 of Akili 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 replacement Rudi Johnson). He left the Bengals prior to the 2004 campaign and won Super Bowl XXXIX with the New 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 RB Jerome Bettis with one hand by the neck collar from behind), emotional and talented inside linebacker. Coupled with Brian 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, and David 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.

1990s games of note

  • October 7, 1990 – Bengals' quarterback Boomer Esiason threw for 490 yards (a single game team passing record) in a 34–31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
  • December 30, 1990 – The Bengals won the
    AFC Central
    division champs.
  • January 6, 1991 – In the organization's sixth home playoff game, Sam Wyche and the Bengals again drilled the Houston Oilers 41–14.
  • January 13, 1991 – A week after the victory over the Oilers, the Los Angeles Raiders knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs by a 20–10 score. During the game, All-Pro running back Bo Jackson suffered a career ending hip injury on a routine tackle by linebacker Kevin Walker.
  • December 17, 1995 – The Bengals lose to intrastate rival
    Cleveland 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 the Baltimore Ravens
  • December 4, 1997 – Running back Corey Dillon rushed for 246 yards on 39 carries, breaking the NFL rookie record of 237 yards set by Jim Brown in 1957. This mark would later be eclipsed by Mike Anderson of the Denver Broncos.
  • December 21, 1997 – Bengals' quarterback
    quarterback rating
    .
  • October 10, 1999 – The Browns return to the NFL and host their intrastate rivals, with the Bengals winning 18–17.

2000s: Return to relevance

Paul Brown Stadium, current home of the Bengals, opened in 2000
.

Intensification of rivalry with Pittsburgh Steelers

Main article:
Bengals-Steelers rivalry

The Bengals have played the Steelers more than any other team in the NFL (the Browns missed keeping pace by being 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 and Marvin Lewis coached the Bengals in the 2000s.

Memorable players from the 2000s

Quarterback Carson Palmer, wide receiver #84 T. J. Houshmandzadeh, and the rest of the Bengals line up to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.
  • Willie Anderson and Levi Jones are the left and right tackles. Willie Anderson has started a franchise record number of consecutive games.
  • Deltha O'Neal and Tory 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 the Pro Bowl in 2005.
  • T. J. Houshmandzadeh was a collegiate teammate of Chad Johnson's at Oregon 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.
  • Linebacker Odell Thurman and wide receiver Chris 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.

2000s games of note

AFC Wild-Card Round

2000–2005

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 the 2005 season, the Bengals became known for their players' off-field and non-football related violations of league substance policies and legal troubles.

2006–2008

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 backup Ryan Fitzpatrick playing for most of the season.

2009

Main article: 2009 Cincinnati Bengals season

The season opener against Denver was a 12–7 defeat, but afterward the Bengals won four in a row against the Packers, Steelers, Browns, and Ravens. The team lost at home to the Texans, then beat the Bears, Ravens, and Steelers. In Week 11 however, Cincinnati fell into a trap game when it lost to the 3–7 Raiders. 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 over Detroit), 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 the Vikings 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 against San Diego. After a victory over the Chiefs, 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.

2010s: the Andy Dalton era

Lewis and Zac Taylor have coached the Bengals in the 2010s.[6]

Memorable players from the 2010s

  • 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.
  • A. J. Green, wide receiver. Selected 4th overall in the 2011 NFL draft, Green made the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven seasons and was named an All-Pro twice.
  • 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 and Jeremy Hill formed a respectable running back tandem for several seasons between 2013 and 2017, but both were supplanted by Joe 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 the Buffalo Bills.
  • Kevin Huber, punter. A Cincinnati native who attended both high school and college in the city, Huber was recognized as an All-Pro in 2014.

2010

Main article: 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season

During the offseason, the Bengals signed wide receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year deal, giving the team two dominant but aging receivers with Owens and Chad 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.

2011

Main article: 2011 Cincinnati Bengals season

With the 4th pick in the 2011 draft, the Bengals took WR

2013. 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 the Houston Texans
in the wild-card round.

2012

Main article: 2012 Cincinnati Bengals season

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 the Houston Texans.

2013

Main article: 2013 Cincinnati Bengals season

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 the San Diego Chargers beat the heavily favored Bengals.

2014

Main article: 2014 Cincinnati Bengals season

Head coach

Mike Brown prior to the season. The Bengals finished 10–5–1 and once again made the playoffs, but were knocked out by the Indianapolis Colts
.

2015: fifth straight playoff appearance

Main article: 2015 Cincinnati Bengals season

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 the

Adam "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.

2016–17

Main articles: 2016 Cincinnati Bengals season and 2017 Cincinnati Bengals season

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]

2018: final year of the Marvin Lewis era

Main article: 2018 Cincinnati Bengals season

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 play Jeff 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]

2019: Zac Taylor takes over

Main article: 2019 Cincinnati Bengals season

To replace Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati hired

2020 NFL Draft
.

2020s: the Joe Burrow era

2020

Main article: 2020 Cincinnati Bengals season

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 the

2021
.

2021

Main article: 2021 Cincinnati Bengals season

The Cincinnati Bengals finished the regular season with a 10–7 record, clinching the AFC North with a 34–31 victory over the

Comeback Player of the Year
after the year concluded.

2022

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 the previous season and clinched the AFC North title for the second straight year. Cincinnati's Week 17 game against Buffalo was declared a no-contest after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest, resulting in only 16 games played.[15]

The Bengals defeated Baltimore 24–17 in the Wild Card round. The most notable play was a fumble recovery and 98-yard touchdown return by defensive end Sam Hubbard after linebacker Logan Wilson stripped the ball from Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley on a quarterback sneak.[16] The following week, the Bengals traveled to face Buffalo. Despite Buffalo's home-field advantage and snowy conditions, the Bengals prevailed 27–10.[17] With the win, they advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year, a first in franchise history. The Bengals faced Kansas City in Arrowhead 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 eventual Super Bowl LVII champions.[18]

Early 2023

As of November 12th 2023 the Cincinnati Bengals have 5 wins and 3 losses which puts them in last place for the AFC North

See also

References

  1. ^ "Team History | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
  2. ^ "Team Facts | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
  3. ^ "Bengals: The Cost of a Family Business". Newspapers.com. The Cincinnati Enquirer. 26 Dec 1999. p. 18. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  4. ^ Jay McDonnell (June 6, 2010). "The origin of the Cincinnati Bengals". Cincy Jungle.
  5. ^ "Paul Brown". Conigliofamily.com. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
  6. ^ "Zac Taylor Named 10th Bengals Head Coach". Bengals.com.
  7. ^ Frank Schwab (November 12, 2017). "Vontaze Burfict, NFL's dirtiest player, gets himself ejected and imitates Johnny Manziel". yahoo.com. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  8. ^ Ryan Phillips (September 7, 2017). "Vontaze Burfict, Football's Dirtiest Player, Signs $38.68 Million Extension". thebiglead.com. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  9. ^ Tadych, Frank (July 28, 2010). "Owens will wear signature No. 81 for Bengals". NFL Network. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  10. ^ "Vontaze Burfict, Pacman Jones commit two personal fouls to give Steelers game-winner". SBNation.com. 9 January 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  11. ^ "Marvin Lewis stays with Bengals on two-year contract". nfl.com. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Terrell, Katherine (December 31, 2018). "Marvin Lewis out as coach of Bengals after long run". ESPN. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  13. ^ "Zac Taylor Named 10th Bengals Head Coach". Bengals.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Gordon, Grant (October 29, 2019). "Bengals bench Andy Dalton for rookie Ryan Finley". NFL.com.
  15. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  16. ^ "Ravens 17-24 Bengals (Jan 15, 2023) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  17. ^ "Bengals 27-10 Bills (Jan 22, 2023) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  18. ^ "Bengals 20-23 Chiefs (Jan 29, 2023) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-05-12.

External links

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