The Cincinnati Bengals franchise, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a professional American Football team (gridiron). The Bengals play in the AFC North Division in the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). Their divisional rivals include the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals play their home games at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati, a stadium that was formerly known as Paul Brown Stadium.
Originally, the team was founded back in 1966 as a member of the AFL – the American Football League, by the former Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns, Paul Brown. The Bengals started professional play in the 1968 season. Paul Brown had been the Head Coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from the day of their inception up until 1975.
In 1963, he was dismissed as the Browns Head Coach by Art Modell, who had bought a majority share in the team in 1961. After this, Brown had shown keen interest in establishing another NFL franchise in Ohio, considering Columbus and Cincinnati. He opted for Cincinnati after a deal between Hamilton County, the city and the MLB’s Cincinnati Reds. The MLB had an interest in the deal as they were looking for a replacement to the obsolete Crosley Field. The new deal resulted in an agreement to build a multipurpose stadium that could play host the football games and baseball games.
As a result of the upcoming merger between the AFL and NFL, due to take effect in the 1970 season, Brown agreed to sign up with the AFL as the league’s tenth franchise. After the merger, along with the other AFL teams, they joined the AFC. Another benefit of being located in Cincinnati was that they could draw support from numerous large nearby cities including Columbus, Dayton, Kentucky, Lexington, Louisville, and Springfield – all less than 10 miles away from Cincinnati.
All About the Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals fans had reason to celebrate when the team won the AFC Championships twice in the 1980s – in 1981 and then again in 1988. However, they lost both corresponding Super Bowls to the San Francisco 49ers. When Paul Brown died in 1991, the controlling interest in the team went to his son, Mike Brown. In 2011, Brown bought shares of the team that had previously been owned by co-founder, Austin Knowlton, to become the franchise’s majority owner.
The team went through some serious struggles throughout the 1990s and 2000s. It was during this time that disgruntled fans referred to the team as the Bungles. As of the 1990 season, they had gone 14 consecutive seasons without being able to achieve a winning record or make the playoffs. The team went through a number of head coaches and had a number of top draft picks that didn’t quite work out.
The team, heading into the 2023/23 NFL, doesn’t have an official General Manager. They operate with Mike Brown as the owner and president. He is responsible for the normal running and day-to-day operations that would normally be handled by the GM.
At one point, Brown was rated as one of the worst team owners in pro sports (2011). However, this isn’t to say the Bengals’ fortunes didn’t look promising at some points in his career. But between 1991 and before making the Super Bowl in the 2021/2022 NFL playoffs, the Bengals did not win a playoff game.
The Cincinnati Bengals Player Personnel
- Owner: Mike Brown
- President: Mike Brown
- Head coach: Zac Taylor
The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the 12 teams in the NFL that has failed to win a Super Bowl. They are also one of just six teams in the NFL that haven’t won any football league championship, whether in the Super Bowl era or prior to the AFL/NFL merger.
In very recent team history, the Cincinnati Bengals have been a strong contender. 2021, for instance, was an improved season for the franchise. They managed their first playoff win since 1990 by beating the Las Vegas Raiders. That playoff win was so exciting for them that it started a new tradition after Head Coach Zac Taylor and players dropped game balls at Pontiac, Mount Lookout Tavern, and Walt’s Hitching Post. The win over Vegas culminated in a playoff run that almost saw the Bengals win the Super Bowl. They lost to the LA Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
The Cincinnati Bengals Main Rivalries
The Cincinnati Bengals main rivals in the NFL are:
The Pittsburgh Steelers
The rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers has been around since 1970. They were both originally placed in the AFC Central division after the AFL-NFL merger and both teams have subsequently been moved to the division’s successor, the AFC North division.
In terms of their overall series, the Pittsburgh Steelers lead the way with a far superior record of 68-39 on head-to-head match-ups. They have also met twice in playoff games, with the Steelers getting both playoff wins in the 2005 postseason and again in the 2015 Wild card round.
The first meeting between the two took place in November 1970, a game that the Steelers won. In total, they have played each other 107 times. The Bengals, despite the losing record, have the longest winning streak, with 6 games between 1988 and 1990. The two teams will next play on November 26th, 2023.
The Cleveland Browns
The rivalry between the Browns and the Bengals is often called the Battle of Ohio. The two teams are members of the AFC North Division in the American Football Conference, which means they play each other twice every season.
A major part of this rivalry is down to heritage and geography. Cincinnati and Cleveland are at the opposite corners of Ohio. Moreover, both of these teams were founded by Head Coach Paul Brown, who remains the namesake of the Browns franchise. He created the Cincinnati Bengals as part of the AFL after being fired from the Browns.
The teams first played in 1970, when they were both placed in the AFC Central division after the AFL-NFL merger. They stayed there until the Browns suspended operations after they relocated to Baltimore. A new Browns expansion team was awarded to Cleveland a short time later. The expansion Browns and original Browns both played in the AFC Central and were made part of the AFC North Division after the 2002 realignment. In terms of overall series, the Bengals lead 52-47. They have never met in the postseason divisional round. These two franchises will open their upcoming seasons, meeting on September 10th, 2023.
Baltimore Ravens
The NFL rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens began in 1996. This is the year when the Ravens were created after the Cleveland Browns – another rival team of the Bengals, moved over to Baltimore. It wasn’t until 2003 that the rivalry gained more traction after the Bengals signed a new Head Coach – Marvin Lewis (the Ravens’ former defensive coordinator).
These two teams have played twice every year since 1996 when the Ravens took the Browns’ spot in what used to be the AFC Central Division. Then, as part of the 2002 NFL realignment, both of the teams became part of the AFC North division. To date, the Ravens slightly lead the series – 28-27. The teams did meet in the most recent NFL playoffs. The Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24-17 just last season in the Wild Card round.
Cincinnati Bengals Facts
Everything you need to know about the Cincinnati Bengals…
Cincinnati Bengals Nicknames
- The Swat Team (during the 1980 season)
- The Bungles (during the 1990s and 2000s)
Championships Wins:
In NFL history, the Cincinnati Bengals have never won the league Championship or Super Bowl Championships.
NFL/AFC Conference Championships
In the Cincinnati Bengals history, they have won the AFC Conference Championships twice:
- 1981
- 1988
- 2021
Division Championships
The Cincinnati Bengals NFL team has won 11 Division championships – five as part of the AFC Central division:
- 1970
- 1973
- 1981
- 1988
- 1990
Plus a further five as a part of the AFC North division.
- 2005
- 2009
- 2013
- 2015
- 2021
- 2022
Playoff Berth Appearances
The Cincinnati Bengals clinched NFL playoffs spots 15 times since they were first established as part of the National Football League:
1970, 1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1990, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021 and 2022
Cincinnati Bengals Home Fields
Since they were first created, the Cincinnati Bengals have had three main home fields:
- The Nippert Stadium between 1968 and 1969
- The Riverfront Stadium between 1970 and 1999
- The Paycor Stadium from 2000 until present (formerly known as The Paul Brown Stadium)
Cincinnati Bengals Pro Football Hall of Famers
Here are the players who have spent all or part of their football careers playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Players
- No. Player Position Dates Induction
- 18 Charlie Joiner WR 1972–1975 1996
- 78 Anthony Muñoz OT 1980–1992 1998
- 81 Terrell Owens WR 2010 2018
Cincinnati Bengals Most Valuable Player Awards
In the history of the Super Bowl, they have had two Super Bowl MVP players,
- Season Player Position
- 1981 Ken Anderson QB
- 1988 Boomer Esiason QB
Cincinnati Bengals FAQs
Should I Bet on the Bengals Winning the Super Bowl?
If you are living in a legal betting state then there are more NFL sites for betting than ever – but given the Bengals previous lack of success, whether you should take them to win the 2023/24 Super Bowl or not is questionable. To back the Bengals, simply find a legislated bookmaker, click on Super Bowl, menu, teams ,and scroll through for the Bengals. You can then bet on the team reaching the Super Bowl.
There will be other options for the regular-seasons fixtures as well, including win bets, totals, bets and even single-player playlist playoffs performances.
Before you make your bet, check out the current location network news, pause and bet with your head and not your heart. Check out the team’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook pages, look through gamepass games insights etc to try and predict how the team will perform. Furthermore, consult betting tipsters as food for thought and think critically about what they have to offer. Only bet with a bookmaker that has been endorsed and preferably one that offers features such as live streaming, in-play bets, an audio gallery, promo offers, and more.
Can I Make NFL Fantasy Bets on NFL Sites?
If you live in a state where it is legal then yes. All you need to do is pick a regulated fantasy football site and download draft fantasy filter. Look through the players and choose the on form Bengals players. You can then look through the draft fantasy menu games and compete against other wannabe NFL managers.
