1990 Cincinnati Bengals season

NFL team season

The 1990 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 23rd year in professional football and its 21st with the National Football League (NFL). The Bengals won the AFC Central division for the second time in three seasons.

The Bengals would finish the season 9–7 and make the playoffs. In the postseason, Cincinnati won over the Houston Oilers in the wild-card round 41–14, but lost to the Los Angeles Raiders 20–10 in the divisional round. The Bengals would not make the playoffs again until the 2005 season and would not win a playoff game again until their Super Bowl-appearing 2021 season beginning what eventually became an 8-game playoff losing streak, tied with the Detroit Lions for longest in NFL history.

Offseason

NFL draft

1990 Cincinnati Bengals draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 12 James Francis  Linebacker Baylor
2 38 Harold Green *  Running back South Carolina
3 65 Bernard Clark  Linebacker Miami (FL)
4 91 Mike Brennan  Offensive tackle Notre Dame
5 122 Lynn James  Wide receiver Arizona State
6 150 Don Odegard  Defensive back UNLV
7 177 Craig Ogletree  Linebacker Auburn
8 204 Doug Wellsandt  Tight end Washington State
9 234 Mitchell Price  Defensive back Tulane
10 261 Eric Crigler  Offensive tackle Murray State
11 288 Tim O'Connor  Offensive tackle Virginia
12 314 Andre Riley  Wide receiver Washington
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[1]

Personnel

Staff

1990 Cincinnati Bengals staff

Front office

  • President – John Sawyer
  • General Manager – Paul Brown
  • Assistant General Manager – Mike Brown
  • Director of Player Personnel – Pete Brown

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

  • Quarterbacks – Dana Bible
  • Running Backs – Jim Anderson
  • Wide Receivers – Mike Stock
  • Tight Ends – Bill Johnson
  • Offensive Line – Jim McNally
 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special Teams – Marv Braden

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength – Kim Wood

Roster

1990 Cincinnati Bengals roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad

  • 62 Eric Crigler G/T

47 active, 5 inactive, 1 practice squad


Rookies in italics

[2]

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 9 New York Jets W 25–20 1–0 Riverfront Stadium Recap
2 September 16 at San Diego Chargers W 21–16 2–0 Jack Murphy Stadium Recap
3 September 23 New England Patriots W 41–7 3–0 Riverfront Stadium Recap
4 October 1 at Seattle Seahawks L 16–31 3–1 Kingdome Recap
5 October 7 at Los Angeles Rams W 34–31 (OT) 4–1 Anaheim Stadium Recap
6 October 14 at Houston Oilers L 17–48 4–2 Astrodome Recap
7 October 22 at Cleveland Browns W 34–13 5–2 Cleveland Stadium Recap
8 October 28 at Atlanta Falcons L 17–38 5–3 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Recap
9 November 4 New Orleans Saints L 7–21 5–4 Riverfront Stadium Recap
10 Bye
11 November 18 Pittsburgh Steelers W 27–3 6–4 Riverfront Stadium Recap
12 November 25 Indianapolis Colts L 20–34 6–5 Riverfront Stadium Recap
13 December 2 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 16–12 7–5 Three Rivers Stadium Recap
14 December 9 San Francisco 49ers L 17–20 (OT) 7–6 Riverfront Stadium Recap
15 December 16 at Los Angeles Raiders L 7–24 7–7 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
16 December 23 Houston Oilers W 40–20 8–7 Riverfront Stadium Recap
17 December 30 Cleveland Browns W 21–14 9–7 Riverfront Stadium Recap

Game summaries

Week 1 vs Jets

Week One: New York Jets (0–0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0–0)
Period 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 10 7320
Bengals 0 3 71525

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: September 9
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22.2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 56,467
  • Referee: Dale Hamer
  • TV: NBC
  • Box Score, Box Score
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring

Second quarter

  • CIN – Jim Breech 43-yard field goal, 14:52. Bengals 3–0.
  • NYJ – Al Toon 46-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Pat Leahy kick), 6:12. Jets 7–3.
  • NYJ – Pat Leahy 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Jets 10–3.

Third quarter

  • CIN – Eddie Brown 10-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 10:34. Tie 10–10.
  • NYJ – Al Toon 9-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Pat Leahy kick), 4:44. Jets 17–10.

Fourth quarter

  • NYJ – Pat Leahy 26-yard field goal, 13:47. Jets 20–10.
  • CIN – James Brooks 3-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 9:46. Jets 20–17.
  • CIN – Safety, David Fulcher tackled Ken O'Brien in end zone, 8:59. Jets 20–19.
  • CIN – Jim Breech 44-yard field goal, 4:46. Bengals 22–20.
  • CIN – Jim Breech 37-yard field goal, 2:12. Bengals 25–20.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • NYJ – Al Toon – 8 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD
  • CIN – Tim McGee – 6 receptions, 84 yards

Week 2

1 234Total
• Bengals 0 1407 21
Chargers 13 300 16
  • Date: September 16
  • Location: Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21.1 °C), wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
Scoring summary
1SDRonnie Harmon 36 yard pass from Billy Joe Tolliver (Fuad Reveiz kick)SD 7–0
1SDJoe Caravello 17 yard pass from Billy Joe Tolliver (kick failed)SD 13–0
2CINJames Brooks 10 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick)SD 13–7
2SDFuad Reveiz 19 yard field goalSD 16–7
2CINEddie Brown 30 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick)SD 16–14
4CINEddie Brown 23 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick)CIN 21–16

[3]

Week 13

1 234Total
• Bengals 7 900 16
Steelers 6 033 12
Scoring summary
Q1PITGary Anderson 32 yard field goalPIT 3–0
Q1CINEddie Brown 50 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick)CIN 7–3
Q1PITGary Anderson 36 yard field goalCIN 7–6
Q2CINBubby Brister tackled by James Francis in end zoneCIN 9–6
Q2CINJames Brooks 7 yard run (Jim Breech kick)CIN 16–6
Q3PITGary Anderson 29 yard field goalCIN 16–9
Q4PITGary Anderson 48 yard field goalCIN 16–12

[4]

Week 17 vs Browns

Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns (3–12) at Cincinnati Bengals (8–7)
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 0 14014
Bengals 0 14 0721

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,041
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database
Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter

  • CIN – James Francis 17-yard interception return (Jim Breech kick), 7:10. Bengals 7–0.
  • CIN – Rodney Holman 22-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 2:14. Bengals 14–0. Drive:

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • CIN – Eric Ball 48-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 8:40. Bengals 21–14. Drive:
Top passers
Top rushers
  • CLE – Kevin Mack – 16 rushes, 85 yards, TD
  • CIN – James Brooks – 17 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
  • CLE – Webster Slaughter – 6 receptions, 115 yards
  • CIN – Eric Ball – 1 reception, 48 yards, TD

Standings

AFC Central
  • view
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 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Cincinnati Bengals 9 7 0 .563 5–1 8–4 360 352 W2
(6) Houston Oilers 9 7 0 .563 4–2 8–4 405 307 W1
Pittsburgh Steelers 9 7 0 .563 2–4 6–6 292 240 L1
Cleveland Browns 3 13 0 .188 1–5 2–10 228 462 L2

[5]

Best performances

  • James Brooks, December 23, 1990, 201 rushing yards vs. Houston Oilers [6]

Playoffs

Schedule

Week Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Venue
Wildcard January 6, 1991 Houston Oilers (6) W 41–14 1–0 Riverfront Stadium 60,012
Divisional January 13, 1991 at Los Angeles Raiders (2) L 10–20 1–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 92,045

Team leaders

Passing

Player Att Comp Yds TD INT Rating
Boomer Esiason 402 224 3031 24 22 77.0

Rushing

Player Att Yds YPC Long TD
James Brooks 195 1004 5.1 56 5
Ickey Woods 64 268 4.2 32 6

Receiving

Player Rec Yds Avg Long TD
Eddie Brown 44 706 16.0 50 9

Defensive

Player Tackles Sacks INTs FF FR
James Francis 76 8.0 1 2 0
Barney Bussey 57 2.0 4 0 1

Kicking and punting

Player FGA FGM FG% XPA XPM XP% Points
Jim Breech 21 17 81.0% 44 41 93.2% 92
Player Punts Yards Long Blkd Avg.
Lee Johnson 64 2705 70 0 42.3

Special teams

Player KR KRYards KRAvg KRLong KRTD PR PRYards PRAvg PRLong PRTD
Stanford Jennings 29 584 20.1 33 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Mitchell Price 10 191 19.1 33 0 29 251 8.7 66 1

Awards and records

All-Pros

All-Rookies

  • James Francis OLB, PFWA All-Rookie Team

Records

  • Boomer Esiason, franchise record, most passing yards in one game, 490 yards (achieved on October 7, 1990) [7]

Milestones

  • James Brooks, 1st 200 yard rushing game, December 23, 1990, 201 rushing yards vs. Houston Oilers [6]
  • James Brooks, 3rd 1000 yard rushing season (1,004 yards) [8]

References

  1. ^ "1990 Cincinnati Bengals draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  2. ^ "1990 Cincinnati Bengals starters, roster, and players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
  4. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Mar-30.
  5. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 292
  6. ^ a b NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 438
  7. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 37
  8. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 436

External links

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