Cincinatti Bengals History

Planning for the Cincinnati Bengals franchise began three full years before the team started playing in the American Football League in 1968.

Paul Brown, who had enjoyed success as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns before departing in 1962, had the urge to get back into football. In 1965, he met with Governor Jim Rhodes and the two agreed that the state could accommodate a second pro football team.

In 1966, Cincinnati’s city council approved the construction of Riverfront Stadium. The next year Brown was awarded an American Football League franchise that would begin play in 1968.

The 1968 Bengals won their first two games and finished with a record of 3-11, the most an expansion team of the 1960′s recorded.

Cincinnati improved so much in 1969 that Brown was named AFL Coach of the Year. In 1970, they won the AFC central division title and became the first expansion team to win a championship of any kind in just three years.

In 1971, the Bengals selected quarterback Ken Anderson in the third round of the draft. For 16 seasons, Anderson was the key man of the Cincinnati offense and a four-time AFC individual passing champion.

Cincinnati won its second AFC Central championship in 1973 and a wild-card birth in the 1975 playoffs.

The Bengals missed the playoffs the next five years, but won the AFC championship in 1981 going on to lose Super Bowl XVI to the San Francisco 49ers, 26-21.

The Bengals had a second shot at the Super Bowl following the 1988 season when, under coach Sam Wyche and quarterback Boomer Esiason, they improved from a dismal 4-12 record in 1987 to a 12-4 record the next year.

They defeated Buffalo 21-10 for the AFC championship. But in Super Bowl XXIII, they lost 20-16 on a last-minute touchdown pass by Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bengals have had very good players over the years, but none more outstanding than tackle Anthony Munoz, a first round draft pick in 1981. The USC graduate was selected to 11 straight Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

In 2004 the Bengals selected USC star quarterback Carson Palmer as the number 1 overall pick. With wide receiver Chad Johnson, running back Rudi Johnson, and Carson Palmer, a new era of football had begun for the Cincinnati Bengals. With coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals looked to improve and get back on a winning track. However, Cincinnati finished 8-8 with a third place finish in the AFC North. Palmer didn’t far so well in his rookie season as he threw 18 touchdowns with 18 interceptions. Rudy Johnson was named to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,454 yards and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco enjoyed an All-Pro season as he caught 95 passes for 1,274 yards.

The Cincinnati Bengals wanted to make sure the 2005 season was different from 2004 and proved they were worthy opponents by going 11-5 for a 1st place finish in their division. Carson Palmer was on fire as he threw 32 touchdowns for 3,386. Ochocinco made the All-Pro 1st Team as he caught 97 passes and had 9 touchdowns. Deltha O’Neal led their secondary and had 10 interceptions on his way to an invitation to the Pro Bowl. The Bengals reached the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

After such a promising 2005 season, the 2006 was very different as they seemed to go backwards and at the end of the season they were 8-8 for a second place finish in the AFC North. Palmer had another Pro Bowl year as he threw 28 touchdowns for 4,035 yards. Ochocinco provided Palmer with his great hands as he caught 87 passes for 1,369 yards.

The 2007 season for the Bengals was one they would like to forget as they couldn’t find a way to win ball games. Their 7-9 record was the worst since 2004 as they finished a disappointing third place in the AFC North. Even though Cincinnati ranked 11th in offense, it was their defense that suffered, ranking 24th in the league. Ochocinco led Cincinnati’s offense with 91 catches and 1,440 yards as he made his 5th Pro Bowl appearance. Ochocinco wasn’t alone as fellow wide receiver T.J Houshmandzadeh caught 42 passes for 1,143 yards, earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Things went downhill for Cincinnati in 2007 and it only got worst in 2008 as they finished the season 4-11-1. Head coach Marvin Lewis made sure they didn’t repeat their performance in 2009 as they finished the season with a 10-6 record and won the AFC North division. For Cincinnati’s performance, Lewis was named AP Coach of the Year, but news off the field would dominate the headlines. Wide Receiver Chris Henry was killed when he fell off his truck in a domestic dispute that left the entire team in shock. Cincinnati made the postseason but were put out in the AFC Wild Card game against the New York Jets 24-14.