Cincinnati Bengals

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The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are currently members of the Northern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Bengals began play in the American Football League as a 1968 expansion team, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger.

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Franchise history

In 1967 a Cincinnati-based ownership group led by Paul Brown was granted a franchise in the American Football League. He named the team the Bengals in order "to give it a link with past professional football in Cincinnati." [1] Another Bengals team existed in the city from 1937 to 1941, and played in various incarnations of older American Football Leagues. The city of Cincinnati's Zoo was famous for having the rare Bengal Tiger in captivity which was very uncommon in the United States during that time.

Brown had become a coaching legend in football by 1967. As head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1962, Brown led his team to a .759 winning percentage and seven league championships. He became known as an innovator for his approach to training, game plans and other aspects of football. In a controversial move, Brown was fired by new Browns owner Art Modell following the 1962 season.

By 1965, Brown had made known his desire to become involved with professional football again. Working with son Mike, he met with Ohio governor James Rhodes and agreed that the state could handle a second football team. In 1966 the Cincinnati city council approved the construction of Riverfront Stadium, and the next year Brown's group had their franchise.

With the completion of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the NFL's Browns were switched into the AFL-based American Football Conference and landed in the AFC Central, the same division as the Bengals. An instant rivalry was born, fueled initially by Paul Brown's rivalry with Modell.

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The first three seasons

Image:Cincinnati-paul-brown-stadium.jpg For their inagural season they played at Nippert Stadium which is the current home of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. 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.

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First Three Season Coach

Founder Paul Brown coached the team for its first three seasons, accumulating 15 wins and 27 losses and one tie. One of Brown’s college draft stategies was to draft players with above average intelligence. Punter/wide receiver Pat McInally attended Harvard and linebacker Reggie Williams attended Dartmouth 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 in commentary and broadcasting as well as the arts. In addition, Brown had a knack for locating and recognizing pro football talent in unusual places.

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First Three Seasons Game Notes

  • November 9, 1969 - The Bengals record the first and currently only tie in franchise history with a 31-31 stalemate against the Houston Oilers. Tight end Bob Trumpy caught 3 touchdown passes in the game, becomeing the first tight end in francise history to do so.
  • December 20, 1970 - In the final game of its third season as a pro football franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Boston Patriots 45-7 to clinch the AFC Central division title. This is the first season after the NFL/AFL merger (which brought about the NFL as it is structured today), and the Bengals become the first AFC Central division champion.
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The 1970s

In the '70s they moved to play at Riverfront Stadium, a home they shared with the Cincinnati Reds until the team move to Paul Brown Stadium in 2000.

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1970s Coaches

Four men coached the team to a 72-76 record during this period.

  • Paul Brown led the team to a 40-32 record. He moved to General Manager and eventually majority ownership of the Bengals.
  • Bill "Tiger" Johnson took over the team in 1976. Tiger won 18 and lost 15, but resigned five games into the 1978 season after starting 0-5.
  • Homer Rice took over at head coach in 1978 and led the team through 1979, winning 8 and losing 19.
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Memorable players from the 1970s

  • Greg Cook - Record setting rookie quarterback whose career was cut short by a devastating shoulder injury the following spring. He would return three years later for one game. As a rookie, Cook set a single season NFL record for average gain per completed pass (17 yards).
  • Ken Anderson (1971-1986) – A four time Pro Bowl quarterback, particularly noted for his high-efficiency in passing holding a handful of NFL records. Returned as QB position coach and was offensive coordinator. In his 13 seasons as Bengals' starting quarterback, Anderson completed 59.3% of his passes, threw for 32,838 yards, and 197 touchdowns. He holds the team record for career passing yards and career touchdown passes. Anderson led his team to the NFL playoffs four times, won three division titles and one AFC Championship. He holds the NFL season completion percentage record (70.6%), and won four season passing titles. The NFL awarded him MVP trophy in 1981, and he went on to lead his team to Super Bowl XVI where he set Super Bowl records for most completions(25) and highest completion percentage(73.5). He was one of the innovators of the West Coast offense. Despite these credentials, Ken Anderson has not been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
  • Isaac Curtis (1973-1984) - four time pro bowl wide receiver known for his speed and exceptional pass catching ability. Isaac played twelve seasons and holds the team record for receiving yards (7,101) and average yards per catch(17.1).
  • Bob Trumpy (1968-1977) - Outspoken three time pro bowl tight end who now does commentary. Bob holds the team record for touchdown catches and average yards per catch by a tight end.
  • Dave Lapham (1974-1983) - A mutli-position offensive lineman who now does commentary for the team's radio broadcasts.
  • Pat McInally (1976-1985) – wide receiver and pro bowl punter. Harvard educated, McInally is the only known player to attain a perfect score (50 points) on an NFL intelligence test. He was also the first Harvard graduate ever to play in a pro bowl and a Super Bowl.
  • Bruce Coslet (1969-1976) - Played tight end for the Bengals. Returned as offensive coordinator under Sam Wyche, left the team for a head coaching position with the New York Jets, to return to Cincinnati as head coach from 1996-2000, winning 21 and losing 39.
  • Ken Riley (1969-1983) - Ken was one of the best cornerbacks 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 the AFC 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. Ken Riley has not been voted into the NFL's Hall of Fame.
  • Lemar Parrish (1970-1977) - An 8 time pro bowler (six times with the Bengals) at cornerback, 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 of 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 was 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
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1970s Games of Note

  • December 17, 1972 - The Bengals set a team scoring record as they massacred the Houston Oilers 61-17. In the game, Bengals' defensive back Lemmar Parrish set a single game team record by intercepting three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns.
  • December 16, 1973 - Traveling to Houston, the Bengals defeat the Oilers 27-24 to clinch its second AFC 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 the Pittsburgh Steelers for the division championship.

In one of the more memorable games in the history of Monday Night Football, the Buffalo Bills' running back O.J. Simpson runs for 197 yards, but the Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson passes for 447 yards as the Bengals defeat the Bills 33-24 in front of a sellout crowd in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium.

  • December 28, 1975 - In the organization's third playoff game, the Bengals once again had to travel. Despite a 14-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders in week five of the regular season, the Raiders top the Bengals in Oakland, 31-28.
  • November 20, 1977 - In a game against the Miami Dolphins during a driving rainstorm, quarterback Ken Anderson threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bob Trumpy on a flea flicker play to give the team a 23-17 win, knocking Miami out of playoff contention. The play involved 3 different players handling the ball before Trumpy caught it, first a handoff to Archie Griffin, then a pitch to receiver John McDaniel, and finally a handoff back to Anderson, setting up the game winning touchsdown pass. Trumpy's touchdown catch in the game was his only touchdown of the season and the last one of his steller career, as he retired after the season ended.
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The 1980s

The Bengals were an entertaining and successful team reaching the Super Bowl twice, but overall, the 1980s was a decade of missed opportunities for the team.

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1980s Coaches

  • Forrest Gregg continued to coach the Bengals through the 1983 season winning 28 and losing 17.
  • Former Bengals' backup quarterback Sam Wyche began coaching the Bengals in 1984. Sam would stay on as head coach through the rest of the decade, winning 61 and losing 57. Famous quote: “The next person that throws anything onto this field, point ‘em out and get ‘em outta here! You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!”
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Memorable players from the 1980s

  • Eddie Brown(1985-1991) - Superb deep threat Wide 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, assisting the Bengals to Super 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 then 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 outside linebacker and served on Cincinnati city council. Williams intercepted 14 passes in his career.
  • Jim Breech (1980-1992) - Breech was the Bengals place kicker 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 perfect 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 lead the team in tackles in five seasons. He returned as DL position coach until 2002. Suffered a gruesome broken leg in Super Bowl XXIII.
  • Rodney Holman (1982-1992) - A 3 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.
  • Dan Ross (1979-1985) - Pro bowl tight end who assisted the Bengals to Super 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 the Super 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, 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 team 11 consecutive times. In 1994, Muñoz 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.
  • Cris Collinsworth (1981-1988) - 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. Has done commentary for HBO, NBC, and Fox Sports.
  • James Brooks(1984-1991) – In his eight years as a Bengal running back, Brooks rushed for 6447 yards averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Brooks earned spots on four pro bowls. He left the team as the team’s all-time leading rusher, a record now held by Corey Dillon with 8061 yards.
  • Ickey Woods (1988-1991) - Fullback who balanced well with his halfback counterpart, James Brooks, to provide balance in the high potency offense. Ickey was famous for his “Ickey Shuffle” dance after he would score a touchdown. He rushed for 1066 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.
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1980s Games of Note

  • September 6, 1981 - In the season opening game of the 1981 season against the Seattle Seahawks, quarterback Ken Anderson was intercepted 3 times in the first half as the Seahawks built up a 21-0 halftime lead. Coach Forrest Gregg decided to bench Anderson in the second half and brought in third string quarterback Turk Schonert(second string quarterback Jack Tompson was injured at the time). With Schonert in command of the offense, the Bengals stormed back and won the game 27-21. Despite his poor performance in the game, Anderson went on to have the best season of career and win the NFL's MVP award while leading the Bengals to Super Bowl XVIII. He threw only 7 interceptions in the remaining 15 games of the season.
  • January 10, 1982 - The Bengals defeated the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game, 27-7, the coldest game ever played in NFL history. The wind chill factor brought the game-time temperature down to −56 degrees Fahrenheit (−45 °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 became known as the Freezer Bowl.
  • Super Bowl XVI, January 24, 1982 - Cincinnati appeared in Super Bowl XVI facing the San Francisco 49ers. Played in Detroit's Silverdome, It was the first Super Bowl north of the Mason Dixon line. it was also the first Super Bowl since Super Bowl III to feature two teams who had never appeared in one. (Super Bowl XX is the only game since with this feature.) The Bengals hurt themselves 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, leading to a 49ers touchdown on their ensuing possession. Later, a fumble cost the Bengals a sure score, and another gave the 49ers a field goal. By halftime, the 49ers had built up a 20-0 lead, the largest 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 more costly turnovers; another interception and a turnover on downs when the 49ers stuffed an attempted fourth down conversion attempt on their own one yard line. Cincinnati ended up losing the game 26-21 despite outgaining the 49ers in totall 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).

November 28, 1982 - Defensive back Ken Riley tied his own franchise record by intercepting 3 passes from Los Angeles Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett, assisting the Benglas to a 31-17 win.

  • January 2, 1983 - In the regular season's final game, the Bengals beat the Houston Oilers 35-27. Cincinnati once again won the AFC Central division crown. Ken Anderson set an NFL record by completed 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.
  • Super Bowl XXIII, January 22, 1989 - The Bengals earned a rematch with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII, but lost 20-16 in Miami's Joe 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 the world championship. The night before the game, Bengals full back Stanley Wilson suffered a cocaine relapse, and did not participate in the game. Head coach Sam Wyche was forced to alter the game plan only hours before the opening kickoff. Also, Bengals all-pro nose tackle Tim Krumrie broke his leg in three places while tackling Roger Craig early in the first quarter of the game. At the start of the fourth quarter, Bengals cornerback Lewis Billups dropped a sure interception in the end zone. The 49ers Jerry 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 from Joe Montana to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left in the contest, erased a Bengal lead and put the 49ers ahead for good.
  • December 17, 1989 - Head coach Sam Wyche was known as an emotional, quotable and outspoken leader. A rivalry developed with the head coach of the Houston Oilers, Jerry Glanville. In an extremely unusual move for an NFL coach, Wyche grossly inflated the final score on Glanville's Oilers. Up 45-0 in the final period, Wyche called for a fourth down conversion attempt (which was successful), and an onside kick (also successful). The final score was 61-7. After the game Wyche said his only regret was that Bengal kicker Lee Johnson missed an extra point. Sam also observed that that Glanville's Oilers were the dumbest, most undiciplined team he had ever seen.
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The 1990s

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 passing, the Bengals' fortunes changed for the worse for a long time.

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1990s Coaches

  • Sam Wyche's last year as head coach came was in 1991. After winning 3 and losing 13, Bengals' president and CEO Mike Brown insisted that Wyche resigned, but Sam insists that Brown fired him.
  • David Shula (son of legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula) was promoted from WR position coach to head coach in 1992 as the youngest NFL head coach. His last full season was 1995. Shula lost his job after starting the 1996 season 1-6. Shula accumulated win/loss record was 19-52.
  • Former Bengals' tight end and long-time offensive coordinator, Bruce Coslet took over the coaching duties midway through the 1996 season and coached the Bengals through 1999. Coslet resigned after the first three games of the 2000 season, losing his last game to the Baltimore Ravens 37-0. Coslet won 21 and lost 39 as Bengals' head coach.
  • Dick Lebeau, former DB for Detriot, filled the coaching vacancy left by Coslet. He was the defensive coordinator for the Bengals under Coslet after being coordinator for the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Lebeau led the Bengals to a season record of 4-12 in 2000.
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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 higher than the coaches) and was suspended, fineda and then cut from the team before the Pickens' incident. Johnson was one of the more recognizable and veteran players.
  • Carl Pickens (1992-1999), Darnay Scott (1994-2001), both wide receivers with quarterback Jeff Blake (1994-1999). The trio rekindled the Bengals' identity as a high-powered offense. Pickens was a fast and very elusive receiver, well disciplined in routes and excellent hands. Darnay complimented him with his own amazing speed. Pickens was a more favored target of Blake, and when Pickens left Darnay 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 it fell apart for them as a team or individual.
  • Pickens made the Pro Bowl twice with the Bengals and holds the team record for most receptions in the regular season at 100. 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 disparagring 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 than Esiason in '97 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 Klingler when Coslet arrived. 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(274)
  • Takeo Spikes (1998-2002) - Fast, strong (takled 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 season under Lebeau believing Cincinnati would not turn itself around under the rookie head coach Lewis.
  • 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 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 and high paying initial contract.
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1990s Games of Note

  • September 1, 1991 - The Denver Broncos stomped the Bengals 45-14 to open the season. This game would prove to be the beginning of what would come to be known as "the lost decade". Including 1991, the Bengals would go on to post a losing record in eleven of the next twelve seasons. There would be few games of note during this period.
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The Early 2000s

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. 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.

Intensification of Rivalry with Pittsburgh Steelers
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 a few 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). While the Bengals were in the midst of a terrible decade the intensity of the rivalries tapered off.

  • Ben Roethlisberger was brought onto the Steelers' team in 2004 and his impressive early achievements, along with those of Carson Palmer, have been heralded as the beginning of a dynamic rivalry for some time to come.
  • Dick Lebeau was fired from the head coach position from Cincinnati and returned to Pittsburgh as defensive coordinator. He either coached for Pittsburgh or Cincinnati for most of his NFL coaching career often going from one directly to the other.
  • Kimo Von Olhoffen was drafted by the Bengals and when Lebeau returned to Pittsburgh (the first time after being defensive coordinator for the Bengals) he took Kimo with him. Kimo, the former Bengal, was responsible for the hit that took Carson Palmer out of the '05-'06 AFC Wild Card game with a knee injury.
  • Troy Polamalu, the high profile safety for the Steelers, and Palmer were USC roommates. In one particular play Polamalu intercepted Palmer and, on the runback, Palmer was the last remaining Bengal in position to tackle him and Polamalu ran over him in a brutal surge and scored.
  • Rudi Johnson grew up in the same neighborhood as a Steelers linebacker and they actually played against each other growing up.
  • Head coaches, Lewis and Bill Cowher, grew up in the same area of Pittsburgh and actually played against each other in little-league football. Later, Cowher would hire Lewis as an assistant coach for defense, giving him his first NFL job.
  • The Steelers began taunting the Bengals by using Cincinnati cheers and chants in a mocking fashion. Hines Ward celebrated a touchdown in their regular season victory at Paul Brown Stadium by doing the Ickey Shuffle. After the Steelers beat the Bengals in the 1st round of playoffs the Steelers were noted chanting "Who-Dey!" followed by a "We dey!"

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.

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Early 2000's Coaches

Dick Lebeau lost his job as head coach after winning just two games throughout the 2002 season. Lebeau went 12-33 as head coach. His last season was a franchise worst 2-14 and had the worst winning percentage of all non-interim Bengal coaches of 26.67%. He returned to Pittsburgh as the defensive coordinator.

Current head coach Marvin Lewis won 8 and lost 8 in both the 2003 and the 2004 season. He secured the 1st winning season for the Bengal's franchise since 1991-92 playoff. Has not had a losing season since taking over. He has introduced season "themes", from "Do Your Job" in 2004-05 to "Keep on Digging" 2003-04.

Defensive coordinators under Lewis were Leslie Frazier then followed by Chuck Bresnahan. Frazier, who was hired by Lewis in his first year, left the club citing personality differences and left to become a successful defensive coordinator for Chicago Bears. Bresnahan was brought in and the Bengal's turnover differential in his 1st year was a huge turnaround amounting to a +24 differential after the 12th game.
Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski was held over from Dick Lebeau's coaching staff. In the years following Cincinnati has regained it's franchise-characteristic high-potency offense.
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Memorable players from the early 2000s

  • Carson Palmer, 2002 Heisman Trophy Award winner. First Bengal's 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)
  • The Johnsons, wide receiver: Chad Johnson, tailback: Rudi Johnson, and fullback/lead blocker: Jeremi Johnson formed an offensive trio that propelled the Bengals' offense into it's high-standing.
  • Chad Johnson broke the team record for reception yards in consecutive years ('04 & '05 season, 1400+ yards)
  • Rudi Johnson broke the team record for rushing yards in consecutive years ('04 & '05 season)
  • Willie Anderson and Levi Jones are the left and right tackles. Willie Anderson has started a franchise record amount 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, and has not yet missed an extra point in his career.
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Early 2000s Games of Note

  • November 16, 2003 - By week 11 of the 2003 regular season the Kansas City Chiefs were the only remaining undefeated team in the league, at 9-0. The Bengals had the worst record of any NFL team between 1991 and 2002, and at the time had a record of only 4-5 under rookie head coach Marvin Lewis. Chad Johnson, Cincinnati's 2nd-year wide receiver, made headlines with a pre-game guarantee that the Bengals would win the game [2]. The Bengals went on to beat the Chiefs, 24-19. After the game, Marvin Lewis declared, "The NFL is back in Cincinnati."
  • October 17, 2004 - Prior to this game in Cleveland, Ohio, WR Chad Johnson sent his team's in-state rival, the Cleveland Browns, some Pepto Bismol to his opposing defenders, because he thought that they would get sick of trying to cover him. Unfortunately for him and the Bengals, the Browns would win Round 1 of 2004's Battle of Ohio, hold Chad Johnson to just three receptions for 37 yards and no touchdowns. Also, then-opposing QB Jeff Garcia completed a 99-yard pass to former Browns WR André Davis, marking the 10th time in NFL history that a 99-yard pass was recorded. The Bengals fell to 1-5, as they lost to the Browns 34-17.
  • October 25, 2004 - With much fanfare from Cincinnati residents, Monday Night Football returned to Cincinnati after a fifteen-year absence. In their first MNF appearance in twelve years, the Bengals (1-4) were matched against the Denver Broncos (5-1), whose defense was ranked number one in the NFL. Considered a long shot, the Bengals defeated the Broncos, 23-10.
  • November 28, 2004 - The Cleveland Browns once again find themselves on the losing end of the Battle of Ohio, losing 58-48 to the Bengals in the second-highest scoring game in NFL history (106 total points). In this game, the Bengals won the re-match for this season.
  • December 5, 2004 - In another hopeful sign for fans that the Bengals were truly shedding their losing ways, they beat the Baltimore Ravens, 27-26. More importantly than the divisional win was the fact that it marked the first time since 1990 the Bengals had won a game on the road when facing a team with a winning record (an NFL record 42 straight losses).
  • September 24, 2005 - After forcing five interceptions 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 the Green Bay Packers, another NFC North team, and also intercepted 5 passes on their way to victory.
  • December 4, 2005 - With a 38-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals assured themselves of the team's first winning season since 1990. Additionally, the team moved ahead of the Steelers by 2 games, taking a major step towards securing a playoff berth, and just as important, gained respect for the Bengals after years of futility.
  • December 18, 2005 - The Bengals clinch the AFC North title and their first playoff appearance in fifteen years with a 41-17 rout of the Detroit Lions. Carson Palmer (QB) sets a franchise record with 32 touchdown passes in a single season, Deltha O'Neal (CB) even sets 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 at Paul Brown Stadium, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Star quarterback Carson Palmer was injured on his second play from scrimmage, his first postseason pass attempt, (which was completed to rookie wide receiver Chris 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 around Jon Kitna. Multiple injuries and many fights marred the game demonstrating the intense friction due to familiarity and tension between the teams. The almost incestuous relationship between management and players (due to trades, mentoring, even players growing up in the same neighborhood) bind the teams closely together and are a great source of bitterness as well. Many predict that this game will escalate the rivalry between the Steelers and Bengals.
This year neither team's home field advantage proved advantageous. In the series the home team lost every game. The Steelers defeated the Bengals in the wild-card playoff game, 31-17.
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Logo and uniforms

Image:Old bengals helmet.GIF Image:CincinnatiBengals 100.png When the team debuted in 1968, the similarities between the Bengals and Brown's old club were striking. The Cleveland Browns' team colors were orange, brown and white, and their helmets were solid orange with a white dorsal stripe over the crest. The Bengals' team colors were orange, black and white, and their helmets were a similar shade of orange, with the only variations being the word "Bengals" in block letters on either side of the helmet and no stripe on the helmet.

The team did not discard their Cleveland-like uniforms until 1981. During that year, a then-unique uniform design was introduced. Although the team kept black jerseys, white jerseys, and white pants, they were now trimmed with orange and black tiger stripes. The team also introduced orange helmets with black tiger stripes.

In 1997, the Bengals designed an alternate logo consisting of a leaping tiger, and it was added to the uniform sleeves. However, the orange helmet with black tiger stripes continued to be the team's primary trademark.

In 2004, a new tiger stripe pattern and more accents were added to the uniforms. The black jerseys now featured orange sleeves, while the white jerseys began to use black sleeves and orange shoulders. A new logo consisting of an orange "B" covered with black tiger stripes was introduced. The team also started rotating black pants and debuted an alternate orange jersey.

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Contributions to NFL Culture

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The Ickey Shuffle

The most commonly recognized contribution comes from the "Ickey Shuffle", a celebratory dance created by Bengals running back Ickey Woods in his rookie season of 1988 during the Bengals' Super Bowl run. This dance, done after Woods would score a touchdown, was the catalyst for the NFL instituting penalties against excessive celebratory performances (resulting in the backronym "No Fun League"), and before the 1989 season was over it was relegated to the sidelines. (although not before Darrell Waltrip used it in Victory Lane celebrations after winning the 1989 Daytona 500)

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No Huddle Offense

A No-Huddle Offense was commonly used by all teams when time in the game was running low. However, Sam Wyche, the head coach of the Bengals in 1988, along with offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet, made the high-paced offense the standard modality for the ball club regardless of time remaining. By quickly setting up for the next play (often within 5-10 seconds after the last play despite being afforded 45 seconds) this hindered the other teams' defense from substituting situational players, regrouping for tactics, and, some suggest, increased the defenses' rate of fatigue (This is attributed to the belief that the offense dictates when a play starts so they tend to be more mentally relaxed and prepared for the start of a play where the defense must remain on a different level of alert before the play starts). In response to this tactic the NFL instituted several rules related to this tactic:

  • Allowing the defense ample time for substitutions
  • If a player's injury causes the play-clock to stop, the player must sit out at least one play
  • Charging a time-out to a team when a player is injured within a certain time period of the game

The tactic was used by the franchise from the late 80s while Sam Wyche was the coach. The main rivals for AFC supremacy were the Buffalo Bills, coached by Marv Levy. Most of the high-profile games (the various games for AFC Conference titles and regular season games) between the two led to these changes in NFL rules.

Wyche recalled that before the '88 AFC title game the Buffalo Bills had seemingly convinced league officials to penalize the Bengals for running a no-huddle offense. In a statement made to the Bengals' press in 2005, he relayed "The NFL was nice enough to come to us an hour and 55 minutes before the game and tell us we would be given a 15-yard penalty every time we used it. Of course we had practiced it all week. We told them if they wanted to answer to the public for changing the competitive balance of the AFC championship game, that was up to them, but we were using it. They never dropped a flag."

The ironic part was afterwards the Bills began to employ the no-huddle (with Jim Kelly) and used it to near-perfection, winning the AFC title four years straight.

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West Coast Offense/Paul Brown's Offense

The West Coast Offense, which is commonly employed by many teams (most notably, it was used by San Francisco during their dynasty, and the Buffalo Bills during their domination of the AFC) is the popular name for the high-percentage passing scheme designed by Paul Brown and Bill Walsh. This play scheme was used by Ken Anderson during the Bengals' initial Super Bowl run.

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Season-by-season records

Template:Start NFL SBS |- | colspan="6" align="center" | Cincinnati Bengals (AFL) |- |1968 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 5th AFL West || -- |- |1969 || 4 || 9 || 1 || 5th AFL West || -- |- | colspan="6" align="center" | Merged into NFL |- |1970 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 1st AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (B. Colts) |- |1971 || 4 || 10 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1972 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 3rd AFC Central || -- |- |1973 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) |- |1974 || 7 || 7 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || -- |- |1975 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) |- |1976 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || -- |- |1977 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 3rd AFC Central || -- |- |1978 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1979 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1980 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1981 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Bills)
Won Conference Championship (Chargers)
Lost Super Bowl XVI (49ers) |- |1982 || 7 || 2 || 0 || 3rd AFC Conf. || Lost First Round (Jets) |- |1983 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 3rd AFC Central || -- |- |1984 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || -- |- |1985 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || -- |- |1986 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || -- |- |1987 || 4 || 11 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1988 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks)
Won Conference Championship (Bills)
Lost Super Bowl XXIII (49ers) |- |1989 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1990 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 1st AFC Central || Won Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (L.A. Raiders) |- |1991 || 3 || 13 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1992 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1993 || 3 || 13 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1994 || 3 || 13 || 0 || 3rd AFC Central || -- |- |1995 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 2nd AFC Central || -- |- |1996 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AFC Central || -- |- |1997 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 4th AFC Central || -- |- |1998 || 3 || 13 || 0 || 5th AFC Central || -- |- |1999 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 5th AFC Central || -- |- |2000 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 5th AFC Central || -- |- |2001 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 6th AFC Central || -- |- |2002 || 2 || 14 || 0 || 4th AFC North || -- |- |2003 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd AFC North || -- |- |2004 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AFC North || -- |- |2005 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 1st AFC North || Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) |- !Totals || 258 || 334 || 1 |colspan="2"| (including AFL & NFL playoffs) Template:End box

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Players of note

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Current roster

Template:Cincinnati Bengals roster

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Pro Football Hall of Famers

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Retired numbers

54 Bob Johnson Offensive lineman, 1st ever draft pick of the Bengals.

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Reserved numbers

Although these jersey numbers were not officially retired, they are not used in the regular season as an unofficial tribute to the former players.

After Esiason left the Bengals following the 1992 season, David Klingler wore #7. Boomer wore #7 after returning to the Bengals in 1997. No Bengal player has worn #7 since 1997.
Worn by punter Dan Pope later in Bengals history, but no other players since
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Current Staff

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