Established: 1968
Home Field: Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio
Owner(s): Mike Brown
General Manager: Mike Brown
Head Coach: Marvin Lewis

The Bengals were formed in 1968 as part of the American Football League. They officially joined the NFL in 1970 with the AFL-NFL merger. Because of an ongoing rivalry between Browns owner Art Modell and Bengals owner Paul Brown the two teams, placed in the same division, immediately formed a rivalry. The Bengals now play in the AFC North.

With Brown (he coached the team for their first eight seasons) at the helm, the team recorded a 3-11 record for their first season. Though the inaugural season wasn’t quite what Brown had expected, he was determined to make the team successful. He soon devised a strategy for drafting college players with above average intelligence (which resulted in many players moving on to have successful careers in broadcasting and the arts) and became known for his ability to find talent in unusual places.

By the 1970s the team started to gel. They reached the playoffs three times in that decade, even posting an 11-3 record in 1975, which continues to be the highest winning percentage posted by an NFL franchise. The team went on to make it to two Super Bowls in the 1980s, but by 1990 the team fell out of contention. Since, they have posted 14 consecutive losing seasons. They began to emerge from this slope upon hiring Marvin Lewis as head coach in 2003. The team made it to the playoffs in 2005. It was the first time since 1990.

Championships

League Championships
None

Conference Championships
AFC: 1981, 1988

Division Championships
AFC Central: 1970, 1973, 1981, 1988, 1990,
AFC North: 2005

Bengals Trivia

• In 2000, the team moved to the newly constructed Paul Brown Stadium.
• They are one of only four teams that operate without a General Manager.
• The tiger striped helmets were debuted in the 1981 season.