The Cincinnati Bengals - Part 2

1980’s games of note

*     December 20th, 1981: The Bengals defeated the

       Atlanta Falcons 30 – 28 in the final regular season

       game. With their 12 – 4 record the Bengals won

       the AFC Central division title. Quarterback Ken 

       Anderson won his third NFL passing title.

*     January 3rd, 1982: Cincinnati hosted its first NFL

       playoff game as the Bengals defeated the Buffalo

       Bills 28 – 21 in Riverfront Stadium. It was the first

       postseason win in franchise history.

*     January 10th, 1982: “The Freezer Bowl”, 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 -56o oF (-49o oC). 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 the Freezer Bowl.

*     Super Bowl XVI: January 24th, 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 a Super Bowl before.

       (Super Bowl XX is the only game 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, a fumble cost the Bengals a sure score and

       another gave the 49ers a field goal. By halftime,

       the 49ers had built a 20 – 0 lead, the largest half

       time 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 turn-overs; 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 20th, 1982: On a Monday Night Foot-

       ball 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 28th, 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 2nd, 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 completing 20 consecutive passes in the game

       and finished the season winning his second con

       secutive 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 9th, 1983: The New York Jets traveled to
       Cincinnati and beat the Bengals 44 – 17 in the first

       round of the NFL Playoffs.

*     October 28th, 1984: Bengals’ bruising fullback 

       Lenny Kinnebrew scored four touchdowns setting

       a team single game scoring record as the Bengals

       drilled the Houston Oilers 31 – 13.

*     December 21st, 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 16th, 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 6th, 1988: Bengals wide receiver

       Eddie Brown set a single-game tam record

       with 216 receiving yards as the Bengals

       defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 42 – 7 in

       Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

*     December 17th, 1988: In the regular season

       finale, Bengals place kicker Jim Breech

       kicked a short field goal in overtime to edge the

       Washington Redskins 20 – 17. The win brought

       the team to 12 – 4 and locked up the

       organization’s fifth 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 8th, 1989: The Cincinnati Bengals shut

       down the Buffalo Bills 21 – 10 to win the

       organization’s second AFC Championship.

*     Super Bowl XXIII January 22nd, 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 un

       fortunate events prevented the team from

       capturing the world championship. The night

       before the game, Bengals fullback 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. Bengals All-

       Pro nose tackle Tim Krumrie broke his leg in

       three places while tackling Roger Craig early

       in the first quarter. At the start of the fourth

       quarter, Bengals cornerback Lewis Billups

       dropped a sure interception in the end zone

       which would have sealed a Cincinnati win.

       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,

       which erased a Bengals lead and put the 49ers

       ahead for good.

*     October 29th, 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 1990’s: the Bengals become the “Bungles”

*     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, and

       Dick LeBeau coached the Bengals in the

      ‘90’s.

Memorable players from the 1990’s

*     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 – 1999) and Darnay

       Scott, both wide receivers along with

       quarterback Jeff Blake (1994 – 1999): 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 Akili Smith. Blake remained in the

       league as 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 Dillion (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 line

       backer. 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 season, 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 Wilkenson, 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 of

       these draft 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.

1990’s games of note

*     October 7th, 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 30th, 1990: The Bengals won the

       Battle of Ohio, beating the Cleveland Browns

       21 – 14. The victory made the team once again

       AFC Central division champs.

*     January 13th, 1991: In the organization’s sixth

       home game playoff game, Sam Wyche and the

       Bengals again drilled the Houston Oilers 41 – 14.

*     January 13th, 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 17th, 1995: The Bengals lose

       to their interstate rival, the Cleveland Browns

       26 – 10, in 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 4th, 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 21st, 1997: Bengals’ quarterback

       Boomer Esiason played his last NFL game. 

       His last play was a 79-yard touchdown play-

       action pass to wide receiver Darnay Scott.

       Cincinnati won the game 16 – 14 against the

       Baltimore Ravens. Boomer finished the

       season with a 107-quarterback rating.

*     October 10th, 1999: The Browns return to

       the NFL and host their interstate rivals, with

       the Bengals winning 18 – 17.

2000’s: Return to relevance

Intensification of rivalry with the 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 three years, the

Oilers/Titans 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 2000’s.

Memorable players from the 2000’s

*     Carson Palmer: 2002 Heisman Trophy Award

       winner, was the first Bengals quarterback to

       have a 100+ passer rating for the season and

       broke several team passing records in his year

       as a starter (attempts, completions, and touch

       downs). 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 4,035 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 to

       ever 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 and Levi Jones: they 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 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: Were both 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 season. 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.

Part 3 of this article will be

 posted  on October 8, 2024 

The Cincinnati Bengals - Part 1

 

Photo Credit

https://1000logos.net/cincinnati-bengals-logo/

researched and compiled

by Carrie Birdsong

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional franchise within the National Football League (NFL). Since starting off as an expansion franchise in the American Football League (AFL) 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

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown began planning to create the Bengals franchise in 1965, and Cincinnati’s city council approved the construction of Riverfront Stadium in 1966(1). On May 23rd, 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, the majority shareholder with 30%, John Sawyer with 20%, The Cincinnati Enquirer with 11%, and seven others who had a combined share of 29%(3).

As a founder and head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1962, Brown led his team to a .759 winning percentage and seven championships, which included four championships earned while a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The Browns were champions of that league in each of the four years it existed. When the AAFC folded after the 1949 season, the Browns, as well as the San Francisco 49ers and the first incarnation 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 1961, businessman Art Modell assumed control of the team and on January 9th, 1963, Modell controversially fired Brown. Many believe that Modell had tired of complaints of Brown’s autocratic style; others claim it was Brown’s decision to trade for Syracuse University’s Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ernie Davis, who was drafted by the 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 18th, 1963.

By 1966, Paul Brown wanted to become involved in professional football again. James A. Rhodes, then 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 (NFL) 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 a 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 (AFL) agreed to a merger with its older and more established rival. Merger negotiations had been complicated by several factors, one being that members of the United States Congress were seeking guarantees that any merger would include all existing AFL teams. Under pressure from Congress, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had promised that professional football would be maintained in each of the twenty-three markets where it then existed. There was 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 of Louisiana led by Senator 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 Saint’s roster, the NFL’s owners did not want to risk having the talent pool of their own league 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.

Before the merger was 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 for 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 Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) were also in need of a facility to replace the antiquated Crosley Field, which they had used since 1912. Parking nightmares had plagued the park as far back as the 1950s, the little part lacked modern amenities, and New York City, which after 1957 had lost both of their National League teams, the Dodgers and the Giants to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively, was actively courting Powel 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 the Millcreek 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 the 1970 NFL season and was 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 American Football Conference (AFC). Unexpected victories for AFL teams in Super Bowls III and IV 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 the AFC Central. An instant rivalry was born, fueled initially by Paul Brown’s rivalry with Modell. The Bengals played their inaugural season in 1968.

The first two seasons

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 Paul Brown coached the team for its first three seasons, accumulating 15 wins 27 losses, and one tie. One of Brown’s college draft strategies 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.

The 1970s: Growing Pains

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 Cincinnati Reds until the team moved to Paul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium) in 2000, was opened. Brown, 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 passing titles in two different decades – 1974 – 1975 and 1981 – 1982. 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 the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. After getting benched in the opener, Anderson showed the resourcefulness of his franchise-longest 16 season when 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.

· Paul Robinson (1968 – 1972) – two-time Pro Bowl running back, rookie of the year, 1968 (expansion year).

· Isaac Curtis (1973 – 1984) – four-time Pro Bowl wide 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 the United States Army Reserve for six years.

· Bob Trumpy (1968 – 1977) – Outspoken three-time Pro Bowl tight end who now does radio and television commentary. Bob holds the team record for touchdown catches and average yards per catch by a tight end.

· Pete Johnson (1977 – 1983) – Large Pro Bowl fullback who holds the team record for career touchdowns (70).

· Dave Lapham (1974 – 1983) – A multi-position offensive lineman who now does commentary for the team’s radio broadcasts.

· Pat McInally (1976 – 1985) – wide receiver and Pro Bowl punter. A Harvard graduate, McInally became the only player to attain a perfect score (50 points) on an NFL intelligence test. He was also the first Harvard graduate to ever play in a Pro Bowl and 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 returned to Cincinnati as head coach from 1996 – 2000, winning 21 and losing 39.

· Mike Reid (1970 – 1974) – two-time Pro Bowl defensive end who retired early from football to pursue a career in piano and songwriting. Reid has written several Grammy-winning songs.

· Coy Bacon (1976 – 1977) – Coy was an expert pass rusher. He earned a Pro Bowl spot by setting the single-season team record for quarterback sacks in 1976 with 22.

· Ken Riley (1969 – 1983) – Ken was one of the best cornerbacks of all time. He set the 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.

· 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 kicks 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, 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.

· Tommy Casanova (1972 – 1977) – a three-time Pro Bowl safety, Tommy collected 17 career interceptions.

1970’s games of note

· December 17th, 1972 – The Bengals set a team scoring record as they massacred the Houston 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 16th, 1973 – Traveling to Houston, the Bengals defeated 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.

· December 22nd, 1973 – in their second playoff game, the Bengals were once again on the road and fell again to the eventual Super Bowl champions. In the Miami Orange Bowl, the Miami Dolphins defeated the Bengals 34 – 16.

· November 10th, 1974 – Quarterback Ken Anderson completed 20 of 22 passes (a single-game team completion percentage record) as Cincinnati defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 17 – 10.

· December 21, 1975 – In the regular season’s final game, the Bengals blew up the San Diego Chargers 47 – 17. Despite their 11 – 3 season record, the Bengals finished in second in the AFC Central division to the defending and eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who finished 12 – 2. The 11 – 3 record enabled the Bengals to capture the AFC Wild Card and gave the team their highest winning percentage in franchise history. Ken Anderson won his second consecutive NFL passing title.

· December 28th, 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 defeated the Bengals in Oakland, 31 – 28 in what would be Paul Brown’s final game as Cincinnati’s head coach.

· December 12th, 1976 – During the final game of the season in New York City’s Shea Stadium, Bengals’ defensive end Coy Bacon sacked New York Jets quarterback Joe 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 back Ken Riley also recorded a franchise record of 3 interceptions in the game, 2 from Namath and 1 from Richard Todd.

· October 22nd, 1978 – In the lowest scoring game in Cincinnati Bengals’ history, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Bengals 5 – 0.

· December 21st, 1980 – Bengals defensive end Eddie Edwards set a single-game team record by sacking Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Brian Sipe five times. The Browns, needing a win to qualify for the playoffs, came out ahead 27 – 24.

This is a three-part article.  The copyrights,  and 

the citations  information  will be posted   at

 the end of part three of this article. Part 2

 will be posted on October 4, 2024