National Football League
Cincinnati Bengals
AFC/North
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Bengals History
With the AFL Expansion in 1968, Paul Brown became the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals who played on the University of Cincinnati stadium. Their first game was a success with a 29-13 loss to the San Diego Chargers. The next week had the Bengals beating the Buffalo Bills 34-23. There would only be two more victories for the team as they finished the season with a 3-11 record. The next year the team won 1 more game then the previous year but took solace in the fact that they beat the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chief in week 3 with a 24-19 home win.
In 1970 with the merger of the AFL and NFL an instant rivalry was born between the Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. The season got off to a rocky start with a 1-6 record but the Bengals bounced back and reeled off a 7-game winning streak that launched them into 1st place in the AFC Central. In the playoffs the Bengals found themselves matched up against a strong Indy team that beat the Bengals 17-0. The Colts would be the eventual Super Bowl Champions.
The next two seasons the Bengals had a combined record of 12-16 but in 1973, and with QB Ken Anderson leading the way, the Bengals post a 10-4 record but the team was again kicked out of the playoffs, this time by the Miami Dolphins as they smothered the Bengals 34-16. Inconsistency would again raise its ugly head as the team followed up a winning season with a disappointing 7-7 record
The '75 season saw QB Ken Anderson pass for 3,169 yards and the Bengals try and establish themselves as a power house. The team fights for first place with the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and faces them for 1st place. The team loses and would only lose two more games to finish with an 11-3 record. In the AFC Wild Card game, the Bengals faced the Oakland Raiders but would fall short with a 28-31 loss. Paul Brown would retire from coaching and stay on as owner and GM..
The team would finally break into the AFC Championship game in 1981. They take the AFC Central Title with a 12-4 record. QB Ken Anderson wins the NFL MVP Award as well as Offensive Player of the Year. In the playoffs, the Bengals first faced the Buffalo Bills in the first Playoff Game at Riverfront Stadium and won 28-21 in frigid wind chill of 59 below zero. Next up were the San Diego Chargers and the Bengals easily handled them 27-7 and won the right to advance to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XVI matched the Bengals against the San Francisco 49er's. The Bengals moved the ball easily enough but fumbled (and continued to fumble) in the end zone 3 times. At one point in the game, the Bengals had the Niner's at 1st and goal at the 1 yard line but were repelled by San Francisco. The Bengals would trail by as many as 16 points but closed the gap by the end of the game to make it a more respectable loss at 26-21.
The team followed up with a strike laden '82 season that saw them go 7-2. In the first round of the playoffs, the team had trouble stopping NY Jets RB Freeman McNeil who rushed for 211 yards on 22 carries. Despite an awesome passing day by veteran QB Ken Anderson (356 passing yards) the team loses 44-17 and all chances of repeating as Super Bowl Champions are dashed.
It would not be until the 1988 season that the team again emerged from the NFL Pack. Led by QB Boomer Easison the team would finish 12-4. Easison would win the NFL MVP Award as well as wrap up the AFC Central Title. RB Ickey Woods also had a breakout season with 1066 yards and 15 touchdowns and the a dance that would become known as the "Ickey Shuffle" The team would meet the Seattle Seahawks and destroyed them 21-13 and advanced to meet the Buffalo Bills for the AFC Championship. In a game marred with fights, the Bengals would win 21-10 to advance to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXIII again matched the Bengals against the San Francisco 49er's. The game was tight throughout and by halftime the game was tied at 3. The Bengals would enter the 4th Quarter with a slim 13-6 lead but the Niner's came clawing back to tie the game at 16. Joe Montana would then move the ball at a slow and deliberate pace as he organized a 90-yard drive that ate up precious minutes and culminated in Montana hitting John Taylor w/34 seconds remaining in the game and bringing the score to 20-16. The Bengals were out of time and were again defeated.
The Bengals have yet to make it to another Super Bowl.
The Cincinnati Bengals have had 3 Hall of Famers on their rosters: Coach Paul Brown (1968-1975), Charlie Joiner (1972-75) and Anthony Munoz (1980-1992).
The Bengals have made the playoffs 8 times in 41 seasons and have won their division 6 times (1970, 73, 1981, 88, 1990 and 2005). They have won the AFL Championship twice (1981 and 1988) and have not made any Super Bowl appearances.
Team Awards include a Coach of the Year Award (1969 Paul Brown), two AFL Rookie of the Year Awards (1968 Paul Robinson and 1969 Greg Cook), two Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards (1985 Eddie Brown and 1992 Carl Pickens), a Offensive Player of the Year Award (1981 Ken Anderson) and two NFL MVP Awards (1981 Ken Anderson and 1988 Boomer Esiason)
The Bengals have retired one Jersey: #54 Bob Johnson.
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