| PRO FOOTBALL
RETURNS TO CINCINNATI
The AFL Years
Planning for the Cincinnati Bengals franchise
began three full years before the team began playing in the American Football League in
1968. Paul
Brown, had tremendous success as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns for 17
seasons. The Cleveland Browns were born in a major football league called the All American
Football Conference. Paul Brown succeeded in winning every
AAFC title. The league lasted only four short years, but merged with the NFL in 1950.
Paul's Cleveland Browns teams (in the NFL) proceeded to win seven NFL Conference
Championships and three NFL League Championships.
In 1962 new Browns owner Art Modell fired Paul Brown
and after a few years on the sideline, Paul had the urge to get back into pro football. So
in 1965, he met with Governor Jim Rhodes and the two agreed the state could accommodate a
second pro football team.
A year later in 1966, Cincinnati's city council
approved the construction of 60,389-seat Riverfront
Stadium, which was scheduled for completion by 1970. The facility would house both the
Reds &
Bengals. The following year, a group headed by Brown was awarded an American Football
League franchise that would begin play in 1968. The AFL actually encouraged Paul Brown
to place his expansion team in Seattle, which was an up & coming city. But Paul Brown,
being the true buckeye he was, declined and insisted that Cincinnati deserved the team.
The AFL was the rival league to the NFL. And by
the time Cincinnati was awarded an AFL franchise, the two major football leagues had
agreed upon a merger. Paul Brown was very adamant about the
Bengals being an NFL team eventually. He was quoted as saying "I didn't pay 2 million
dollars to play in the AFL". The merger wouldn't take place until 1970. So Paul Brown
and his Bengals first two years were played in a second major league aside the NFL.
Despite Paul Brown's utmost loyalty to
the NFL, he did reach back in major league footballs past for a team nickname. Before the
AFL of the 1960's, there were a handful of other major leagues that competed against the
NFL. Among those leagues were a few early American Football Leagues. The first AFL lasted
one season in 1926. The second AFL formed in 1936 and lasted two short years. But among
the 1937 season was a team called the Cincinnati Bengals.
Paul
Brown was aware of the Bengals of the 1930's and it was here where Paul Brown acquired
his new team's nickname.
His new Cincinnati Bengals would play in the
AFL West division with the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers &
Denver Broncos. The AFL East consisted of the Boston Patriots, New York Jets, Houston
Oilers (Titans),
Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
Brown himself returned to the coaching
ranks on the Bengals sidelines and would stay there until 1975. His first draft pick would
be center Bob Johnson from the University of Tennessee. Paul Brown filled out the rest of his
offense with Ernie Wright at left tackle, Dave Middlendorf at left guard, Pat Matson at
right guard, Howard Fest at right tackle, Bob Trumpy at tight end, Paul Robinson & Tom
Smiley at running back, Saint Saffold & Rod Sherman at wide receiver and John Stofa at
quarterback.
Paul Browns defense consisted of Jim Griffin at
left end, Andy Rice at left tackle, Bill Staley at right tackle, Harry Gunner at right
end, Al Beauchamp at left lineback, Sherrill Headrick at middle line back, Frank Buncorn
at right lineback and Jess Phillips & Bobby Hunt at saftey.
While the Bengals awaited the opening of Riverfront
Stadium, the teams home games were played in Nippert Stadium.
Which seated 28,000 and was located on the University of Cincinnati's campus. To kick off
the franchises inaugural season the Bengals would square off against the Chargers in San
Diego on September 6th 1968. The first quarter saw running back Paul Robinson score a 2
yard touchdown, putting the Cincinnati Bengals on the board for the first time in
franchise history. However, the Chargers answered with a touchdown and a field goal.
Bengals kicker Dale Livingston answered with a 22 yard field goal, sending the Bengals
& Chargers into the third quarter in a tie. Cincinnati managed to add on more field
goal to the board, while San Diego put up 19 more points. The match saw Cincinnati lose
its first game 13-29.
Despite the inaugural game loss, Cincinnati
came home to Nippert Stadium
to take on the Denver Broncos on September 15th. The two teams held each other scoreless
for the first half. In the third quarter, Livingston kicked a field goal and Bengals
quarterback John Stofa connected with tight end Bob Trumpy for a 58 yard touchdown.
Despite the Broncos answering with a field in the third quarter and a touchdown in the
fourth quarter. The Bengals put up two more touchdowns. The end result was a final score
of Benagls 24 - Broncos 10. The Cincinnati Bengals had won their first game. Cincinnati
would follow the victory with another win over the Bills the following week.
Although the team would go on a seven game
losing streak, which was finally snapped in Miami, the Bengals finished the season with a
record of 3 - 11 and finished dead last in the AFL's Western Division. Believe it or not,
a 3 - 11 record was tied for the best record of any expansion team in the 1960's. So the
season was a slight success.
|
©
Courtesy of Cincinnati Bengals |
The
Cincinnati Bengals finished with a 4-9-1 record. The 1969 season would be the American
Football Leagues last. The league would merge with the NFL for 1970. |
For the 1969 Bengals season and what would be
the last year of the American Football League. Cincinnati drafted in the first round from
the University of Cincinnati quarterback Greg Cook. Cook would have a great rookie season,
leading the AFL in passing and averaged 17.5 yards a completion. Greg Cook was
complimented on offense with Eric Craptree & Speedy Johnson at wide receiver, Ernie
Wright at left tackle, Ernie Parl at left guard, Bob Johnson at center, Pat Matson at
right guard, Howard Fest at right tackle, Bob Trumpy at tight end and Paul Robinson &
Jess Phillips at running back.
The Bengals defense consisted of Royce Berry at
left end, Andy Rice at left tackle, Bill Staley at right tackle, Steve Chornyszak at right
end, Al Beauchamp at left lineback, Bill Bergy at middle lineback, Bill Peterson at right
lineback, Fletcher Smith at left cornerback, Ken Riley at right cornerback, Al Coleman at
left safety and Bobby Hunt at right saftey.
The 1969 Cincinnati Bengals would get off to a
roaring start and become the talk of the football world. The Cincinnati Bengals won their
first three games with victories over Miami, San Diego and Kansas City. But in week 4 the
Bengals fell apart which resulted in losses to the San Diego Chargers, New York Jets,
Denver Broncos & Kansas City Chiefs.
With four straight losses, Cincinnati was now
3-4 on the season and with John Maddens undefeated Oakland Raiders coming to town. The
Bengals needed a win to stay alive. With a capacity crowd of 28,000 fans at Nippert Stadium,
the Bengals did not disappoint. Cincinnati's defense held the Raiders scoreless in the
first half. While the Bengals offense saw running backs Paul Robinson & Chip Myers
score three touchdowns with kicker Horst Muhlman adding a field goal to the total.
Cincinnati entered half time with a score of 24-0. The Raiders finally managed to score a
field goal in the third quarter. But Cincinnati answered in the fourth with a touchdown by
Jess Phillips. Oakland added two more touchdowns in the fourth but it was to late.
Cincinnati won 31-17, handing the Oakland Raiders their first and only loss on the season.
Cincinnati went on to play the Houston Oilers (Titans)
in week 9, which ended in a tie. The Bengals went on to drop the remaining games on their
schedule. At the end of the 1969 season, Cincinnati finished dead last in the AFL West,
with a record of 4-9-1. Despite the poor record, Paul Brown won Coach Of the Year and
quaterback Greg Cook won Rookie Of the Year in what would be the last season for the
American Football League. Greg Cook finished the season with an arm injury that would
leave him benched for the entire 1970 season. He ended the 1969 season with 197 Attempts,
106 Completions, 1854 Yards & 15 Touch Downs.
NEW LEAGUE & TWO DIVISION TITLES
After the 1969 season, the AFL and the Bengals
would be absorbed into the NFL. The NFL would create new conferences. The AFL teams would
play in the American Football Conference. While the NFL teams would play in the National
Football Conference. Since the NFL had sixteen teams and the AFL had ten teams. The new
conferences were unbalanced. So in order to correct this problem, the Cleveland Browns,
Baltimore Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers would play in the AFC. Each conference was
also broken down into three divisions. And the Bengals were placed in the AFC Central with
the Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers (Titans) & Pittsburgh Steelers.
After playing at Nippert Stadium
for their first two years, Riverfront
Stadium was ready for the Bengals to move in. The Reds opened Riverfront
Stadium with a World Series against the
Baltimore Orioles. And many hoped that the Reds success would spill over on the
football field.
The 1970 season saw the Bengals overcome injury
and adversity. With Greg Cook out for the season with an arm injury. Paul Brown
had to decide on who he would start at quarterback. He had Sam Wyche who had been a
reliable back up. And newly acquired Virgil Carter from Buffalo. Paul Brown
decided to start Sam Wyche
The Bengals would kick off there run in their
new league with a victory over John Maddens Oakland Raiders. Wyche performed fabulously
and lead the Bengals to a 31 - 21 win. But the following week against the Lions. Wyche
couldn't handle Detroits powerful defense and the Lions handed Cincinnati a 38 - 3 lose.
Week three saw the Bengals play division foe Houston Oilers (Titans).
But the team was handed another lose.
With the Bengals record 1 - 2 on the season, Paul Brown's
next game would be against his old team the Cleveland Browns. He would be returning to his
old stomping. There was nothing more that he wanted then a victory over Art Modell's
Cleveland Browns. So Paul decided to bench Wyche for Virgil Carter. In hopes of getting
the offense up and running. The Bengals first game against the Browns transpired on
October 11th 1970. Carter started the game with nine passes and nine completions. With the
Bengals leading most of the game. A Bengal victory seemed in the bag. Until Clevelands
LeRoy Kelly ran a completed pass down to the Bengals 10 yard line.. Cleveland would snatch
victory from Cincinnati with a final score of 30-27.
After Cincinnati's first game win over the
Raiders, the Bengals proceeded to go on a six game losing streak. With loses to Detroit,
Houston, Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and Pittsburgh. That saw the team sink to dead
last in the division with a record of 1 - 6. The season appeared OVER. Until a win over
the Buffalo Bills that saw rookie Lemar Parrish dominate the Bills. After the victory
against Buffalo, Cincinnati proceeded to win a total of seven games from that point on.
Putting the Bengals at the top of the AFC Central. The 1970 AFC Central Division Title was
theirs. An unbelievable achievement seeing as how the season was left for dead by many.
Unfortunately, Cincinnati would go on to lose against the Colts in the AFC Divisional
Playoffs.
The Bengals would be the first NFL team to
achieve a division title in only its first three years of existence. An unbelievable
achievement for its time AND now. The record has sense been broken by the Jacksonville
Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. Who did it in two years.
After such a great 1970 football season, Paul Brown
and his Bengals felt very confident in reclaiming the AFC Central Division Title. And make
a serious run at a Conference Title. Especially after coming out of the 1971 pre-season
with 5 victories. The Bengals first regular season game was against the Philadelphia
Eagles. And the Bengals opened the regular season in devastating style lead by quarterback
Virgil Carter. Cincinnati proceeded in whipping the Eagles 37 - 14. Giving the Bengals
their eighth straight regular season victory in a two year period. The strong performance
solidified opinions that the Bengals were the cream of their division.
Until the second game versus the Pittsburgh
Steelers. The Bengals offense was nowhere to be found. Despite a great performance by
Virgil Carter. The Bengals rushed for only 28 yards against the Steelers. Needless to say,
Pittsburgh handed the Bengals their first regular season loss in nine games. The loss
began the Bengals downward spiral.
The Bengals next game against the Packers the
offense was yet again nowhere to be seen. While the defense was up to standard led by
Lemar Parrish. But during the game, Cincinnati was dealt a crushing blow, with an injury
to saftey Ken Dyer. And quarterback Virgil Carter who suffered a dislocated shoulder. The
Green Bay games was completed by inexperienced rookie quarter Ken Anderson. Paul Brown was
hoping to work Ken Anderson into his system slowly. But with the unexpected injury to
Carter, Anderson was thrown in. While he showcased a noble effort,bringing the Bengals
within 3 points. But mistakes took their toll in the game. And the Packers handed the
Bengals their second loss on the season.
The following Sunday versus the Dolphins, Ken
Anderson got his first NFL start. Anderson's first touchdown pass (in a start) was to
tightend Bob Trumpy. And due to many costly mistakes, the Dolphins handed the Bengals
their third straight loss.
Anderson's performance in week 5 against the
Browns showed the poise of an established NFL quarterback. And running back Essex Johnson
played brilliantly scoring two touchdowns. While the Bengals outplayed the Browns, the
team still succumbed to another defeat on the season. The lossing didn't stop there. The
Bengals proceeded to lose three more games against the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons
and division foe Houston Oilers (Titans). Putting the Cincinnati
Bengals at 1 - 7 on the season.
The next game versus the Denver Broncos saw the
return of Virgil Carter. And with his return, he brought back the high energy vibe the
Bengals seemed to lack. With that said, the Bengals came to play and handed the Broncos a
loss of 24-10. And gave the Bengals their first win in seven weeks.
After the win over the Bronocs, the Bengals
were 2-7 on the season. And believe it or not, Cincinnati was only 2 games out of the
division race. The Steelers and Browns were both tied with a record of 4-5. While the
Oilers were in last place with a record of 1-7-1. This placed the Bengals in a good
position to start another late season run at the division crown.
Cincinnati proceeded to win two more games
versus the Oilers (Titans) and the Chargers. But in week
12 versus the Browns, the wheels would fall off the Bengals for good. They proceeded to
loss three straight. Ending the season with a record of 4-10.
Coming off of a horrible 1971 season in which
many high hopes were pinned. Paul Brown expected a far greater
performance out of his club for the 1972 NFL season. Brown brought in wide receiver (and
future Hall of Famer) Charlie Joiner from the Oilers (Titans)
to add to the offense.
The season kicked off on the road against the
New England Patriots. The Bengals defense held the Patriots offense to only 54 yards.
While the Bengals offense peirced the New Englands defense for 246 yards. Starting
quarterback Ken Anderson completed 10 of 15 passes in the opening season's 31-7 victory.
The Bengals came home to play the division
rival Pittsburgh Steelers in week 2. It was a defensive showdown so the Bengals victory
was received thanks to 5 field goals by the special teams. In week 3 the Bengals went to
Cleveland. Cincinnati failed to score any touchdowns against the Steelers in week 2 and
unfortunatly that trend continued against the Browns. The Browns went on to beat
Cincinnati 27-6.
For week 4, the Bengals squared off against the
Denver Broncos. And after nine quarters of not scoring a touch down, the Bengals rookie
Tommy Casonova returned a punt for a 6 pointer. Later in the game Casonova did it again.
He ran back a 66 yard punt return for his second TD in one game...Not bad.
Cincinnati went on to win went on to win their
next two of three games, putting the club at 5-2. The record was the best start the club
had reached and had them tied for first place in the AFC Central with the Pittsburgh
Steelers. With seven more games left in the season and the defense being top in the
league, Cincinnati looked ready to bounce on another division crown. However, the Bengals
went on to lose their next three games. While Pittsburgh continued to win and the
Cleveland Browns took off also.
On December 9th (in week 13), the Bengals would
play the Browns in a nationally televised games. Cincinnati was 7-6 on the season, while
the Browns were 9-4. Cincinnati had to win their next two games if they were to make it to
the play offs. During the game Cincinnati had two touch downs called back due to
penalties. Lost Ken Anderson to an injury and in the final minutes of the game (during a
succesful drive down field), back up Virgil Carter threw an interception. Final score
24-27. Browns win!
With the Bengals play off hopes dead, the club
set out to at least finish the season with a modest record. In the final game of the
season, Cincinnati destroyed the Houston Oilers (Titans). In the first five minutes of
the game, the Bengals scored three touch downs. The offense came back and scored 40 more
points by games end. The lowly Houston Oilers (Titans) only scored 17 points in the
game. Cincinnati ended the season with a bang and a final record of 8-6.
For the 1973 football season, the Bengals
starting roster for the offense consisted of Tim George, Charlie Joyner, Chip Mayes &
rookie Isaac Curtis at wide receiver. Rufus Mayes at left tackle, Howard Fest at left
guard, Bob Johnson at center, Pat Matson at right guard, Vernon Holland at right tackle,
Bob Trumpy at tight end, Essex Johnson at halfback, rookie Boobie Clark at fullback and
Ken Anderson at quarterback.
For the season, Ken Anderson completed 179 out
of 329 passes. Thowing for 2,428 yards and connecting for 18 touchdowns. Essex Johnson ran
for 997 yards. While rookie Booby Clark ran for 988 yards, scoring 8 tocuhdowns. Boobie
Clark would go on to earn the AFC Rookie of the Year.
The defense consisted of Royce Berry at left
end, Mike Reid at left tackle, Ron Carpenter at right tackle, Sherman White at right end,
Al Beauchamp at left linebacker, Bill Bergy at middle linebacker, Ron Pritchard at right
linebacker, Lemar Parrish at left cornerback, Ken Riley at right cornerback and Tommy
Casanova at saftey. Casanova led the team in interceptions, snagging 4 for the season.
Paul Brown would return to the
sidelines as Bengals head coach. Paul Brown's Bengals began the season
with a thud in Denver. The Broncos handed the Bengals a 28-10 loss. However, Cincinnati
bounched back the following week against the division rival Houston Oilers (Titans).
In week 3 Cincinnati squared off against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers starting
quarterback was Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas. Unitas and the Chargers were not up to the
task of warding off the Bengals defense. Cincinnati racked up 6 sacks. While on offense
Essex Johnson had 237 yards scoring 2 touchdowns. The Bengals went on to defeat the
Chargers 20-13.
In week 4 the Bengals traveled up state and
were pitted against their bitter rival's Cleveland Browns. The Browns were in no mood to
lose to Cincinnati on their home turf. The Bengals were held to just one touchdown and
field goal as the Browns defeated the Bengals 10-17. For week 5 the Bengals would return
home to face the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati was up to the challenge,
holding Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw to just 67 passing yards. The Bengals defeated
the undefeated by a score of 19-7. In week 6 Cincinnati went on to defeat the Kansas City
Cheifs putting the Bengals at 4-2 on the season.
By week 7 the Pittsburgh Steelers were leading
the division while Cincinnati & Cleveland were tied for second place. To win the AFC
Central, it was going to be a slug match between the three, down to the end. The Bengals
however, went on to lose their next two games, putting them at 4-4 on the season.
Pittsburgh was 7-1 while the Browns were 4-3-1. It appeared that Cincinnati would not be
returning to the play-offs. But after a close victory against Buffalo in week 9, the
Bengals took off while the Steelers and Browns fell apart. Cincinnati went on to win their
next 5 games ending the season with a record of 10-4. The Steelers also ended the season
with a 10-4 record, but the division title was given to Cincinnati. Cincinnati went on to
loss in the first round of the play-offs to the unstoppable Miami Dolphins.
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| © Photo
courtesy of Cincinnati Bengals. |
| 1974 Bengals team photo |
After such a great run the Bengals had in 1973,
all hopes were pinned on advancing to the Super Bowl in 1974. Paul Brown
would return as head coach. His offensive unit consisted of Isaac Curtis & Charlie
Joyner at wide receiver, Rufus Mayes at left tackle, Howard Fest at left guard, Bob
Johnson at center, John Shinners at right guard, Stan Walters at right tackle, Bob Trumpy
at tight end, Boobie Clark & rookie Charles Davis at running back, and Ken Anderson at
quarterback.
Paul Brown's defensive unit consited
of Ken Johnson at left end, Mike Reid at left tackle, Ron Carpenter at right tackle,
Sherman White at right end, Al Beauchamp at left lineback, Doug Adams, Jim LeClair &
Ken Avery at middle linebacker, Ron Pritchard at right lineback, Lemar Parrish at left
cornerback, Ken Riley at right cornerback and Tommy Casanova at safty.
The 1974 football season began on September
15th at Riverfront
Stadium against the Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati proceeded to spank their cross-state
rivals with a final score of 33-7. Week 2 for the Bengals wouldn't be so great. Cincinnati
lost to the San Diego Chargers by a score of 17-20. Week 3 saw the Bengals travel out to
the west coast to take on the NFC's 49ers. Cincinnati managed to hold San Fransico to a
single field goal in their 21-3 victory.
The Bengals came home take on the Washington
Redskins. The attendance that day was a whopping 56,175 and the Bengals did not
dissapoint. Cincinnati handed the DC's a 28-17 loss, putting the Bengals at 4-1 on the
season. However, after 2 losses to the Oakland Raiders & Houston Oilers (Titans),
the Bengals were beginning to show signs of weakness.
After two straight losses, Cincinnati managed
to bounce back with victories over the Baltimore Colts & Pittsburgh Steelers. The
Steelers victory was crucial to keep Cincinnati in the play-off hunt. The win put the
Bengals a game behind the Steelers in the division. However, the Steelers kept on winning
while the Bengals 4 of their final five games. Cincinnati finished the season with a 7-7
record. Placing them three games behind the division winning and soon to be Super Bowl
champion Steelers.
For the 1975 football season Paul Brown
would return as head coach. It would mark his final season as head coach. After 17 seasons
coaching the Browns & 8 seasons coaching the Bengals, Paul Brown would call it quits. The
offense in his final season consisted of Charlie Joyner & Isaac Curtis
at wide receiver, Rufus Mayes at left tackle, Howard Fest at left guard, Bob Johnson at
center, Dave Lapham at right guard, Vernon Holland at right tackle, Bob Trumpy at tight
end, Stan Fritts & Lenvill Elliot at halfback & Boobie Clark at fullback.
Paul Browns' defense was Ken Johnson
at left end, Bob Brown at left tackle, Ron Carpenter at right tackle, Sherman White at
right end, Al Beauchamp at left linebacker, Jim LeClair at middle lineback, Ron Pritchard
at right lineback, Lemar Parrish at left cornerback, Ken Riley at right cornerback and
Tommy Casanova & Bernard Jackson at saftey.
The 1975 season for the Bengals began on
September 21st at home against the hated Cleveland Browns. After the Bengals poor season a
year prior, Cincinnati was out to prove that 1974 was a fluke. In front of a home crowd of
53,000 fans, Cincinnati smacked Cleveland around and earned a 24-17 victory. For week 2
Cincinnati traveled down to New Orleans to square off against the NFC's Saints. The
Bengals defense turned out to be stingy, not allowing New Orleans a single point. While
the Bengals offense was hot, scoring three touchdowns in their victory. Next on
Cincinnati's schedule was the Houston Oilers (Titans). Unlike the past two games,
Houston played Cincinnati tough, but couldn't come away with a win. The Bengals defeated
the Oilers (Titans) 21-19.
Cincinnati was looking fabulous, starting the
season 3-0. The winning just kept coming. Cincinnati plowed through their next three
opponents New England, Oakland & Atlanta. Putting the Bengals at 6-0 on the season.
However, the Steelers & Oilers (Titans) were hot on the Bengals trail.
Both clubs trailed Cincinnati in the standings by one game, with Pittsburgh coming to town
in week 7. With a capacity crowd at Riverfront
Stadium, Cincinnati was handed their first loss on the season. Also in week 7, the
Houston Oilers (Titans) defeated the Kansas City
Chiefs. So the AFC Central was now a three way tie for first place.
Week 8 & 9 saw the Bengals keep up their
winning ways with victories over the Denver Broncos & Buffalo Bills. The Oilers (Titans)
lost some ground in the division race with a lost to Pittsburgh, but the Steelers matched
the Bengals in the standings victory for victory. In week 10, Cincinnati traveled up to
Cleveland who was a crummy 0-9 on the season. A Bengals victory should have been easy to
obtain. However, the Browns saw it otherwise. Cleveland nabbed their first win in the 1975
season with a 35-28 victory of Cincinnati. With the Bengals loss and the Steelers victory
over the Houston Oilers (Titans), the Bengals were now in
second place.
Cincinnati finished the 1975 season with a
record of 11-3. But the record was not good enough for the AFC Central crown. With a late
season loss to Pittsburgh, the Steelers finished the season 12-2. However, the Bengals did
nab a wildcard spot for the play-offs. But Cincinnati would go on to lose in the
divisional play-offs to the Oakland Raiders by a final score of 31-28. Pittsburgh went on
to win the Super Bowl. The Bengals franchise was now 0-3 in the play-offs.
For the 1976 season, the NFL added two new
teams to the league. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers & the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks
would play in the NFC West, while the Buccaneers surpirsingly would play in the AFC West.
Tampa Bay lost every game.
As for the Bengals, Paul Browns'
head coaching replacement was long time assistant Bill Johnson. Brown
was a touch act to follow, but Bill Johnson was up to the challenge. Johnons main offense
consisted of Billy Brooks & Isaac Curtis at wide receiver, Rufus Mayes at left tackle,
John Shinners at left guard, Bob Johnson at center, Dave Lapham at right guard, Vernon
Holland at right tackle, Bob Trumpy at tight end, Ken Anderson at quarterback and Boobie
Clark & rookie Archie Griffin at running back.
Bill Johnsons main defensive unit was Gary
Burley at left end, Bob Brown, left tackle, Ron Carpenter at right tackle, Coy Bacon at
right end, Bo Harris at left lineback, Jim Le Clair at middle lineback, Reggie Williams at
right lineback, Tommy Casanova & Marvin Cobb at saftey and Lemar Parrish & Ken
Riley at cornerback. Riley finished second in the league with 9 interceptions.
Bill Johnsons' first Bengals squad took the
field on September 12th to do battle with the Denver Broncos. Both defenses shut each
others offense down for the first half. After the Broncos scored a touchdown in the third
quarter, Cincinnati answered with a field goal. Down 7-3 in the fourth quarter, Ken
Anderson began his air attack, connecting with wide receiver Chip Myers for one touchdown.
Which put Cincinnati on top by 4 points. And shortly after, connecting with tight end
Bruce Coslet to seal the deal.
Week 2 saw the Bengals head to Baltimore to
take on the Colts. The Bengals and Colts played a tight contest, scoring a touchdown each
in the first & second quarter. The Bengals added 6 more points to the score board
before half time. After a minor concussion, Ken Anderson would miss most of the rest of
the game. Back up quarterback John Reaves would take over. Despite the Bengals adding one
touchdown to their score and a noble effort by Reaves, the Colts pulled out the victory
with a final score of 27-28.
Cincinnati went on to win their next three
games over Green Bay, Cleveland & Tampa Bay, putting the Bengals at 4-1 on the season.
Cincinnati was tied with the Houston Oilers (Titans) for first place in the AFC
Central, with the Steelers (1-4) sitting in the cellar and next on their schedule. Little
did the Bengals know how improtant this game would be.
The Bengals kicker Chris Bahr kicked a 22 yard
field goal in the first quarter. While the Steelers answered with two field goals and a
touchdown in the second quarter. The Steelers "steal curtin" defense proved just
to much for the Bengals. Cincinnati managed to only put 3 more points on the board in the
second half. While the Steelers answered with 10 more points. The final score was 6-23.
Pittsburgh didn't lose another game for the rest of the regular season.
Cincinnati went on to win their final six of
eight games, putting them at 10-4 on the season. The Steelers also finished with a final
record of 10-4, but were declared AFC Central division winners. The Baltimore Colts and
New England Patriots both finished in the AFC East with a regular season record of 11-3.
The Colts were declared division winner, while the Patriots were awarded the only wild
card playoff spot. Despite Cincinnati having the same record as the Steelers (10-4), the
Bengals were out.
Prior to the 1977 football season, the NFL
decided to realign the 1976 expansion Buccaneers & Seahawks. The Seahawks played in
the NFC West, while the Buc's played in the AFC West, Having the Buc's in the west made no
sense. So the league shifted the Seahawks to the AFC West and put the Buc's in the NFC
Central.
For the Bengals, Bill Johnson would return to
the sidelines for the 1977 season. His main offensive unit was Isaac Curtis & Billy
Brooks at wide receiver, Rufus Mayes at left tackle, John Shinners at left guard, Bob
Johnson at center, Dave Lapham at right guard, Vernon Holland at right tackle, Bob Trumpy
at tight end, Archie Griffen & Pete Johnson at running back and Ken Anderson at
quarterback.
The 1977 Bengals main defensive unit contained
Gary Burley at left end, Eddie Edwards at left tackle, Wilson Whitley at right end, Bo
Harris at left lineback, Jim LeClair at middle lineback, Reggie Williams at right
lineback, Lemar Parrish & Ken Riley at cornerback and Tommy Casanova at safety.
Cincinnati began the 1977 season at home
against crosstown rival Cleveland Browns. The Browns held the Bengals scoreless in the
first half, while Browns proceeded to scored a field goal in the first quarter and a
touchdown & field goal in the second quarter. Cincinnati finally got some points on
the board after Chris Bahr kicked a field goal in the third quarter. It would be the only
points scored by both teams in the second half. The Browns maintained the victory by a
final score of 13-3.
The Bengals went on to beat the Seahawks in
week 2 and lost to the Chargers in week 3. Cincinnati traveled to Milwaukee in week 4 on
October 9th to take on the Green Bay Packers. Both teams remained scoreless in the first
quarter. The Packers scored a touchdown in the second quarter and Cincinnati answered when
Anderson connected with Isaac Curtis for an 8 yard touch down. The Bengals followed up in
the third quarter when Tony Davis ran a 2 yard touchdown. Chris Bahr added to the lead in
the fourth quarter with a 32 yard field goal. Cincinnati left County Stadium with a 17-7
victory. The win put the Bengals at 2-2 on the season.
Cincinnati proceeded to drop their next two
games against Pittsburgh and Denver. The Pittsburgh loss would turn out to be another
costly loss for the Bengals down the stretch. Cincinnati was now 2-4 on the season, while
the Steelers & Browns were tied for first place with a record of 4-2. Cincinnati had
dug themselves into a an unfortunate hole. However, the AFC Central was a fairly weak
division in 1977 and little did anyone know how tight the division race would turn out to
be.
With Cincinnati left for dead, the club went on
to win their next two of three games, while the Steelers, Browns & Oilers (Titans)
were stumbling. By week 10, the Bengals, Browns & Oilers (Titans)
were all 4-5, while the Steelers were 5-4. The AFC Central was still anyone's division.
Cincinnati proceeded to win their next four
games over Miami, New York Giants, Kansas City and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland fell
apart losing out for the season. Houston & Pittsburgh won three of their next four
games. By the final week of the season, the Bengals & Steelers were tied for first
place with a record of 8-5 while Houston was a game behind. The Steelers were set to play
the Chargers, while the Bengals & Oilers (Titans) were set to square off against
each other in the final week. A Bengals & Steelers loss could result in a three way
tie in the AFC Central.
The Bengals traveled to the Astrodome on
December 18th and absolutely had to win. Cincinnati managed two field goals to the Oilers
(Titans)
two field goals & one touchdown in the first half. In the third quarter, the Oilers
sacked Ken Anderson in their end zone to tack on 2 more points. The Oilers defense was
just unstoppable, denying touchdowns in four Bengals drives inside the Oilers 10 yard
line. Cincinnati managed to finally score a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the
Oilers (Titans)
answered with two field goals. The final score was Houston 21 - Cincinnati 16. Meanwhile
Pittsburgh defeated the Chargers 10-9. Cincinnati was out of the play-offs by one game yet
again.
During the off season, the NFL decided to
expand the regular football season from 14 to 16 games. The NFL last expanded its regular
season in 1961 (from 12 games to 14 games). The reason for the change was due to the rival
American Football League (that began in 1960) had a 14 game season.
Also during the off-season,the NFL decided to
expand the play-offs by adding another wild card winner for each conference. Producing 2
wild card teams (and three divison winners) per conference. The first round would have the
two wild card teams play each other to determine who would advance to the second round to
play the division winners.
For the 1978 Bengals, Bill Johnson returned to
the sidelines for a third year. His offensive unit consisted of Isaac Curtis & Billy
Brooks at wide reciever, Mike Wilson & Rufus Mayes at left tackle, Glenn Bujnoch at
left guard, Blair Bush at center, Dave Lapham at right guard, Vernon Holland at right
tackle, Don Bass at tight end, Achie Griffin & Deacon Turner at half back, Pete
Johnson & Boobie Clark at fullback and Ken Anderson at quarterback.
Johnsons defensive unit was Gary Burley at left
end, Wilson Whitley at left rackle, Eddie Edwards at right tackle, Ross Browner at right
end, Glenn Cameron at left lineback, Jim LeClair at middle lineback, Reggie Williams at
right lineback, Louis Breeden & Ken Riley at cornerback and Marvin Cobb at saftey.
Cincinnati began the season on September 3rd at
home against the Kansas City Chiefs. On the Chiefs sidelines was new rookie head coach and
future Hall of Famer Marv Levy. Levys Chiefs came out firing on all cylinders, employing a
wing-T offense. The Chiefs ran all over the Bengals, setting a franchise record of 69
rushing plays resulting in 267 yards. In the first quarter, Kansas City scored one
touchdown. The Bengals answered in the second quarter when Don Bass recovered a fumble in
the endzone. However, Cincinnati shanked the extra point, keeping the Bengals from tying
the game. It turned out to be a costly missed extra point. The Chiefs went on to add
another touchdown, while Cincinnati's kicker Chirs Bahr put three more points on the
board. Kansas City answered with 3 points of their own before the end of the first half.
In the third quarter, the Chiefs put seven more
points on the board while shutting out the Bengals. Cincinnati's defense stepped up in the
fourth quarter, shutting down the Chiefs offense. But with five minutes remaining in the
game, Cincinnati trailed 24-9. Archie Griffin managed to score a 26 yard touchdown, while
Scott Perry scored off of a blocked Chiefs punt return. With time running out, the Bengals
lost the match with a final score of 24-23.
Cincinnati went on to lose their next four
games against Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New Orleans & San Fransisco. After the loss to
the lowly 49ers, Bill Johnson was replaced by new head coach Homer Rice. The head coaching
change did nothing to improve the Bengals. Cincinnati went on to loss their next three
games against Miami, New England & Buffalo. The Buffalo loss came with a final score
of 0-5. Cincinnati was now heading into the ninth week with an 0-8 record. The worse
start in the teams 11 year history.
Cincinnati finally won a game on October 29th
against Houston. But the Bengals proceeded to drop four more games against San Diego,
Oakland, Pittsburgh & Houston. Cincinnati now entered week 4 with a record of 1-10.
But the Bengals somehow managed to win their final three games against Atlanta, Los
Angeles & Cleveland. The Bengals finished dead last in the AFC Central with a final
record of 4-10. Interestinly enough, three of the four Bengals victories were over play
off teams.
The 1979 season saw the return of head coach
Homer Rice. Rices main offensive unit consisted of Don Bass & Isaac Curtis at wide
receiver, Mike Wilson at left tackle, Glenn Bujnoch at left guard, Blair Bush at center,
Dave Lapham at right guard, Vernon Holland at right tackle, Dan Ross at tight end, Archie
Griffin & Pete Johnson at running back and Ken Anderson at quarterback.
Rices defensive unit consisted of Gary Burley
at left end, Eddie Edwards at left tackle, Wilson Whitely at right tackle, Ross Browner at
right end, Bo Harris at left lineback, Jim LeClair at middle line back, Reggie Williams at
right lineback, Louis Breeden at left cornerback, Ken Riley at right cornerback, Marvin
Cobb at saftey.
The Bengals began their season on the road at
Mile High Stadium against the Broncos.The Bengals offense was completely shut down by
Denver, who didn't allow Cincinnati to score in the entire game. The Broncos went on to
win the match 10-0. For week 2 Cincinnati faced the Buffalo Bills at Rich Stadium. The
Bills & Bengals went into half time tied 10 - 10. But the Bills offense exploded in
the third quarter. Buffalo scored 3 touchdowns while Cincinnati managed only 1. The Bills
went on to score 20 more points in the final quarter while Cincinnati could only manage a
single touchdown.
Cincinnati went on to lose their next four
games against New England, Houston, Dallas & Kansas City. With an 0-6 start, the
Bengals were left for dead. Cincinnati managed to string together 4 victories against
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, St Louis & Cleveland for the entire season. The Bengals
concluded the 1979 season with a crummy 4-12 record. Finishing dead last in the AFC
Central and posted the worst record in the American Football Conference.
Homer Rice was not retained after the 1979
season. |
