The "Super" Years

      Though the Cincinnati Bengals have experienced more "downs" than "ups" throughout their history (as shown in the chart below) two seasons shine brightly above the rest. Despite having losing seasons the years before, the Bengals teams of 1981 and '88 attained the pinnacle of the sport and participated in the The Super Bowl  both years.
      Even though they fell short in both attempts, those Bengal teams proudly serve as reminders that acheiving the ultimate goal is never seen as "imposible."

SEASON by SEASON RESULTS YEAR 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Totals W 3 4 8 4 8 10 7 11 10 8 4 4 6 14 7 7 8 7 10 4 14 8 10 3 5 3 3 7 8 7 3 4 4 6 0 229 L 11 9 7 10 6 5 7 4 4 6 12 12 10 5 3 9 8 9 6 11 5 8 8 13 11 13 13 9 8 9 13 12 12 10 0 298 T 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Ave. .214 .321 .533 .286 .571 .667 .500 .733 .714 .571 .250 .250 .375 .737 .700 .437 .500 .437 .625 .267 .737 .500 .556 .187 .312 .187 .187 .437 .500 .437 .187 .250 .250 .375 0 .435 PF 215 280 312 284 299 302 283 368 335 238 252 337 244 497 249 346 339 441 409 285 506 404 411 263 274 187 276 349 372 355 268 283 185 226 0 10,674 PA 329 367 272 265 229 265 259 277 210 235 284 421 312 358 221 302 339 437 394 370 372 285 386 435 364 319 406 374 369 405 452 460 359 309 0 11,441

      This section is dedicated to the teams of 1981 and '88, complete with a game by game chronicle of both seasons. and a special "recap" of the two Super Bowls in which they participated.

1981 GAME-BY-GAME OPPONENT RESULT SCORE Seattle Seahawks New York Jets Cleveland Browns Buffalo Bills Houston Oilers Baltimore Colts Pittsburgh Steelers New Orleans Saints Houston Oilers San Diego Chargers Los Angeles Rams Denver Broncos Cleveland Browns San Francisco 49ers Pittsburgh Steelers Atlanta Falcons W W L W L W W L W W W W W L W W 27-21 31-30 17-20 27-24 10-17 41-19 34-7 7-17 34-21 40-17 24-10 38-21 41-21 3-21 17-10 30-28 AFC-DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF Buffalo Bills W 28-21 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP San Diego Chargers W 28-7

RECAP
Date: January, 24, 1982
Teams: Cncinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers
Where: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Attendance: 81,270
Final Score: San Francisco 26 - Cincinnati 21
MVP: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco
       Ray Wersching's Super Bowl record-tying four field goals and Joe Montana's controlled passing helped lift the San Francisco 49ers to their first NFL championship with a 26-21 victory over Cincinnati.

       The 49ers built a game-record 20-0 halftime lead via Montana's 1-yard touchdown run, which capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive; fullback Earl Cooper's 11-yard scoring pass from Montana, which climaxed a Super Bowl record 92-yard drive on 12 plays; and Wersching's 22- and 26-yard field goals.

       The Bengals rebounded in the second half, closing the gap to 20-14 on quarterback Ken Anderson's 5-yard run and Dan Ross's 4-yard reception from Anderson, who established Super Bowl passing records for completions (25) and completion percentage (73.5 percent on 25 of 34).

       Wersching added early fourth-period field goals of 40 and 23 yards to increase the 49ers' lead to 26-14.

       The Bengals managed to score on an Anderson-to-Ross 3-yard pass with only 16 seconds remaining. Ross set a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions for 104 yards.

       Montana, the game's most valuable player, completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards.

       Cincinnati compiled 356 yards to San Francisco's 275, which marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the team that gained the most yards from scrimmage lost the game.

1988 GAME-BY-GAME OPPONENT RESULT SCORE Phoenix Cardinals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Cleveland Browns Los Angeles Raiders New York Jets New England Patriots Houston Oilers Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers Kansas City Cheifs Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills San Diego Chargers Houston Oilers Washington Redskins W W W W W W L W L W L W W W L W 21-14 28-24 17-12 24-17 45-21 36-19 21-27 44-21 16-23 42-7 28-31 38-24 35-21 27-10 6-41 20-17 AFC-DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF Seattle Seahawks W 21-13 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP Buffalo Bills W 21-10

RECAP
Date: January 22, 1989
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers
Where: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 75,129
Final Score: San Francisco 20 - Cincinnati 16
MVP: Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco
       NFC champion San Francisco captured its third Super Bowl of the 1980s by defeating AFC champion Cincinnati 20-16.

       The 49ers, who also won Super Bowls XVI and XIX, became the first NFC team to win three Super Bowls. Pittsburgh, with four Super Bowl titles (IX, X, XIII, and XIV), and the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, with three (XI, XV, and XVIII), lead AFC franchises.

       Even though San Francisco held an advantage in total net yards (453 to 229), the 49ers found themselves trailing the Bengals late in the game. With the score 13-13, Cincinnati took a 16-13 lead on Jim Breech's 40-yard field goal with 3:20 remaining. It was Breech's third field goal of the day, following earlier successes from 34 and 43 yards.

       The 49ers started their winning drive at their 8-yard line. Over the next 11 plays, San Francisco covered 92 yards with the decisive score coming on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to wide receiver John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining.

       At halftime, the score was 3-3, the first time in Super Bowl history the game was tied at intermission.

       After the teams traded third-period field goals, the Bengals jumped ahead 13-6 on Stanford Jennings's 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in the quarter.

       The 49ers didn't waste any time coming back as they covered 85 yards in four plays, concluding with Montana's 14-yard scoring pass to Jerry Rice 57 seconds into the final stanza.

       Rice was named the game's most valuable player after compiling 11 catches for a Super Bowl-record 215 yards. Montana completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl-record 357 yards and two touchdowns.
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