2015 Cincinnati Bengals season

2015 Cincinnati Bengals season
Head coach Marvin Lewis
Owner Mike Brown
Home field Paul Brown Stadium
Results
Record 12–4
Division place 1st AFC North
Playoff finish Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 18–16
Pro Bowlers DT Geno Atkins
TE Tyler Eifert
WR A.J. Green
FS Reggie Nelson
OT Andrew Whitworth
DE Carlos Dunlap
CB Adam Jones
RB Cedric Peerman
Uniform

The 2015 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League, the 48th overall and the thirteenth under head coach Marvin Lewis.

The Cincinnati Bengals got off to a franchise best start after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field by a score of 16–10, improving them to 7–0. Their winning streak ended in Week 10 with a loss to the Houston Texans in Cincinnati. Later in the season they clinched a playoff spot for a franchise record fifth straight year. They clinched their second AFC North title in the last three seasons with their Week 15 loss at the Denver Broncos because of the Steelers loss to the Ravens the day before. They lost to the Steelers in the Wild Card 16–18. This marked the 25th consecutive season without a playoff win for the Bengals. They also became the first team in NFL history to lose five consecutive playoff games in the first round.

2015 draft class

Main article: 2015 NFL draft
2015 Cincinnati Bengals Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 21 Cedric Ogbuehi OT Texas A&M
2 53 Jake Fisher OT Oregon
3 85 Tyler Kroft TE Rutgers
99 Paul Dawson LB TCU
4 120 Josh Shaw S USC
135 Marcus Hardison DT Arizona State
5 157 C.J. Uzomah TE Auburn
6 197 Derron Smith S Fresno State
7 238 Mario Alford WR West Virginia
Compensatory selection 3rd round pick awarded for losing Michael Johnson in free agency.

Staff

2015 Cincinnati Bengals staff
Front office
  • President – Mike Brown
  • Senior vice president of player personnel – Pete Brown
  • Executive vice president – Katie Blackburn
  • Vice president of player personnel – Paul Brown
  • Director of player personnel – Duke Tobin

Head coaches

  • Head coach – Marvin Lewis
  • Assistant head coach and offensive line coach – Paul Alexander

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Paul Guenther
  • Defensive line – Jay Hayes
  • Linebackers – Matt Burke
  • Assistant linebackers and quality control – David Lippincott
  • Defensive backs – Vance Joseph
  • Defensive backs – Mark Carrier
  • Defensive assistant and quality control – Marcus Lewis

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Darrin Simmons
  • Special teams assistant and quality control – Brayden Coombs

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Chip Morton
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Jeff Friday

Final roster

2015 Cincinnati Bengals final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 Active, 3 Inactive, 10 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 14 New York Giants W 23–10 1–0 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
2 August 24 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 11–25 1–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap
3 August 29 Chicago Bears W 21–10 2–1 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
4 September 3 at Indianapolis Colts W 9–6 3–1 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap

Regular season

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 13 at Oakland Raiders W 33–13 1–0 O.co Coliseum Recap
2 September 20 San Diego Chargers W 24–19 2–0 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
3 September 27 at Baltimore Ravens W 28–24 3–0 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
4 October 4 Kansas City Chiefs W 36–21 4–0 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
5 October 11 Seattle Seahawks W 27–24 (OT) 5–0 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
6 October 18 at Buffalo Bills W 34–21 6–0 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 November 1 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 16–10 7–0 Heinz Field Recap
9 November 5 Cleveland Browns W 31–10 8–0 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
10 November 16 Houston Texans L 6–10 8–1 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
11 November 22 at Arizona Cardinals L 31–34 8–2 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap
12 November 29 St. Louis Rams W 31–7 9–2 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
13 December 6 at Cleveland Browns W 37–3 10–2 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
14 December 13 Pittsburgh Steelers L 20–33 10–3 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
15 December 20 at San Francisco 49ers W 24–14 11–3 Levi's Stadium Recap
16 December 28 at Denver Broncos L 17–20 (OT) 11–4 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap
17 January 3 Baltimore Ravens W 24–16 12–4 Paul Brown Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Postseason

Playoff round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 9, 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers (6) L 16–18 0–1 Paul Brown Stadium Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: at Oakland Raiders

Week One: Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 17 9033
Raiders 0 0 01313

at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information
First quarter
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill 3 yard run, Mike Nugent 1 point conversion. CIN 7 - OAK 0
  • CIN – Nugent 32 yard Field Goal. CIN 10 - OAK 0
Second quarter
  • CIN – Hill 2 yard run, Nugent 1 point conversion. CIN 17 - OAK 0
  • CIN – Tyler Eifert 13 yard reception from Andy Dalton, Nugent 1 point conversion. CIN 24 - OAK 0
Third quarter
  • CIN – Eifert 8 yard reception from Andy Dalton, Nugent 1 point conversion failed. CIN 30 - OAK 0
  • CIN – Nugent 35 yard Field Goal. CIN 33 - OAK 0
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

The Bengals started their season on the road against the Raiders. They would score first when Jeremy Hill ran for a TD from 3 yards out 7-0 lead in the first quarter for that quarter's only score. They increase their lead in the second quarter when Mike Nugent nailed a 32-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead followed up by Hill running for a 2-yard TD for a 17-0 lead followed up by Andy Dalton finding Tyler Eifert on a 13-yard TD pass for a 24-0 lead at halftime. After the break, the Bengals went back to work as Dalton and Eifert hooked up again this time on an 8-yard TD pass (with a failed PAT) for a 30-0 lead. Nugent put a 35-yard field goal through for a 33-0 lead. In the fourth quarter, it was all Raiders when Backup QB Matt McGloin found Marcel Reese on 2 straight TD passes: from 11 and 9 yards out (with a failed 2-point conversion) for 33-7 and the final score of 33-13.

With the win, the Bengals started their season 1-0. The team would also improve to 1-10 against the Raiders in Oakland.

Week 2: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Two: San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Chargers 3 3 7619
Bengals 7 7 3724

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • SD –
  • CIN –
Top rushers
  • SD –
  • CIN –
Top receivers
  • SD –
  • CIN –
Top tacklers
  • SD –
  • CIN –

The Bengals' home opener was against the Chargers. In the first quarter, Andy Dalton found A.J. Green on a 16-yard pass for a 7-0 lead. The Chargers would later on score when Josh Lambo kicked a 40-yard field goal for a 7-3 game. They drew closer in the second quarter, when Lambo kicked another field goal from 32 yards out for a 7-6 game. The Bengals moved ahead by 8 when Andy Dalton found Marvin Jones on a 45-yard pass for a 14-6 game at halftime. In the third quarter, the Chargers once again came within a point when Philip Rivers found Stevie Johnson on a 10-yard pass for a 14-13 game. The Bengals pulled ahead by 4 when Mike Nugent kicked a 21-yard field goal for a 17-13 game. In the fourth quarter, Dalton found Tyler Eifert on a 9-yard pass for a 24-13 lead. The Chargers would come within 5 as Rivers found Malcolm Floyd on a 40-yard pass for a 24-19 game. After pressuring the Bengals' offense, the Chargers got the ball back. Though one of Rivers's comeback passes was picked off sealing the win for the Bengals.

With the win, the Bengals improved to 2-0.

Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Three: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 7 01428
Ravens 0 0 71724

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information
First quarter
  • CIN: 7:20 – Andy Dalton 7-yard TD rush. 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:25 (CIN 7–0)
Second quarter
  • CIN: 12:18 – Marvin Jones 16-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:19 (CIN 14–0)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • BAL: 13:27 – J. Tucker 21-yard field goal. 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:58 (CIN 14–10)
  • BAL: 6:49 – FUMBLE recovered by C. Mosley, 41-yard TD run. 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:15 (BAL 17–14)
  • CIN: 6:37 – A.J. Green 80-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. 1 play, 80 yards, 0:12 (CIN 21–17)
  • BAL: 3:56 – Steve Smith, Sr. 16-yard pass from Joe Flacco. 9 plays, 79 yards, 2:41 (BAL 24–21)
  • CIN: 2:10 – A.J. Green 7-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:46 (CIN 28–24)
Top passers
  • CIN – Andy Dalton – 20/32, 383 yds., 3 TD, 1 Int.
  • BAL – Joe Flacco – 32/49, 362 yds., 2 TD, 1 Int.
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

After a tough win at home over the Chargers, the Bengals traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. All of the first half points came for the Bengals only. They would score in the first quarter Andy Dalton ran for a 7-yard TD for a 7-0 lead. Followed up in the second quarter when Dalton found Marvin Jones on a 16-yard TD pass for a 14-0 lead at halftime. The Ravens were able to get on the board in the third quarter when Joe Flacco found Steve Smith Sr. on a 50-yard TD pass for a 14-7 game and the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens took the lead at first coming within 4 when Justin Tucker put a 21-yard field goal through for a 14-10 game and then when C.J. Mosley returned a fumble 41 yards for a TD for a 17-14 lead. The Bengals retook the lead when Dalton found A.J. Green on an 80-yard TD pass for a 21-17 game before the Ravens went back into the lead when Flacco found Smith Sr. again this time on a 16-yard TD pass for a 24-21 game. Dalton and Green hooked up on the last score of the game: A 7-yard TD pass for the final score 28-24.

With their 4th straight win over the Ravens, the Bengals improved to 3-0 for the 2nd straight season, and captured their 4th 3-0 start under Marvin Lewis.

Week 4: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Four: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Chiefs 3 9 3621
Bengals 14 0 15736

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • KC –
  • CIN –
Top rushers
  • KC –
  • CIN –
Top receivers
  • KC –
  • CIN –
Top tacklers
  • KC –
  • CIN –

After a tough win over the Ravens, the Bengals returned home for a game against the Chiefs. They would score first in the first quarter when Jeremy Hill ran for an 8-yard TD for a 7-0 lead. Cairo Santos then put a 22-yard field goal through to give the Chiefs their first score of the game 7-3. The Bengals moved ahead by 11 when Giovani Bernard ran for a 13-yard TD for a 14-3 game. In the second quarter, it was all Chiefs as Santos nailed 3 straight field goals eventually to get within 2 points before halftime: from 40, 51, and 34 yards out for 14-6, 14-9, and the 14-12 score at halftime. The Bengals however got back to work in the third quarter when Andy Dalton found Brandon Tate on a 55-yard TD pass increasing their lead to 21-12. The Chiefs came within 6 as Santos put a 40-yard field goal through for a 21-15 game. The Bengals moved ahead by 14 when Hill ran for a 5-yard TD (with a successful 2-point conversion) for a 29-15 game. In the fourth quarter, the Chiefs moved within 11 as Santos put a 29-yard field goal through for a 29-18 game. The Bengals would pretty much seal the game when Hill ran for a 1-yard TD for a 36-18 game. The Chiefs wrapped up the scoring of the game when Santos kicked yet another 51-yard field goal for the eventual final score of 36-21.

With the win, the Bengals improved to 4-0, their first such start since 2005. The defense also didn't allow a single touchdown (just 7 field goals).

Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Seahawks 7 3 140024
Bengals 7 0 017327

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • SEA –
  • CIN –
Top rushers
  • SEA –
  • CIN –
Top receivers
  • SEA –
  • CIN –
Top tacklers
  • SEA –
  • CIN –

The Bengals returned home to take on the Seahawks. They would score first in the first quarter when Andy Dalton found Tyler Eifert on a 14-yard TD pass for a 7-0. The Seahawks scored 24 straight points: later on in the quarter they managed to tie it up when Russel Wilson found Jermaine Kearse on a 30-yard TD pass for a 7-7 game. In the second quarter, the Seahawks took the lead as Steven Hauschka nailed a 24-yard field goal for a 10-7 game at halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks went back to work as Thomas Rawls ran for a 69-yard TD for a 17-7 game followed up by Bobby Wagner returning a fumble 23 yards for a TD for a 24-7 game. In the fourth quarter, the Bengals would start a reign of 20 straight points: First starting out when Dalton and Eifert hooked up again on a 10-yard TD pass for a 24-14 game followed by Dalton running for a 5-yard TD for a 24-21 game. Mike Nugent then kicked a 31-yard field goal through for a tied game at 24-24. In overtime, Nugent would kick the game winning 42-yard field goal for the 27-24 win.

With the win, the Bengals improved to 5-0.

Week 6: at Buffalo Bills

Week Six: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 10 14334
Bills 7 7 0721

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • CIN –
  • BUF –
Top rushers
  • CIN –
  • BUF –
Top receivers
  • CIN –
  • BUF –
Top tacklers
  • CIN –
  • BUF –

With the win, the Bengals improved to 6-0, their first such start since 1988 which would also see them on a 6-game winning streak. This would be their third 6-0 start in franchise history.

Week 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Eight: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 3 3 01016
Steelers 7 0 3010

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 64,750
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
  • PIT - 7:46 - Antonio Brown 1 yd. pass from Ben Roethlisberger (PIT 7–0)
  • CIN - 2:50 - Mike Nugent 44 yd. Field Goal (PIT 7–3)
Second quarter
  • CIN - 14:55 - Mike Nugent 45 yd. Field Goal (PIT 7–6)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • CIN - 2:57 - A. J. Green 9 yd. pass from Andy Dalton (CIN 13–10)
  • CIN - 1:47 - Mike Nugent 44 yd. Field Goal (CIN 16–10)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

Despite the return of Ben Roethlisberger, the Bengals managed to come from behind and win the game 16-10 and achieve a mark of 7-0 for the first time in franchise history.

Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Nine: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Browns 3 7 0010
Bengals 7 7 31431

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
  • CIN – 7:12 – Tyler Eifert 9 yd. pass from Andy Dalton (CIN 7–0). 10 plays, 63 yards in 5:13
  • CLE – 0:10 – Travis Coons 27-yard field goal (CIN 7–3). 14 plays, 71 yards in 7:02
Second quarter
  • CIN – 4:34 – Tyler Eifert 2 yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 14–3). 14 plays, 80 yards in 6:42
  • CLE – 0:19 – Duke Johnson 12 yd. pass from Johnny Manziel. (CIN 14–10). 10 plays, 92 yards in 4:15
Third quarter
  • CIN – 4:05 – Mike Nugent 27-yard field goal. (CIN 17–10). 9 plays, 39 yards in 4:57
Fourth quarter
  • CIN – 13:26 – Mohamed Sanu 25-yard run. (CIN 24–10). 8 plays, 91 yards in 4:31
  • CIN – 7:43 – Tyler Eifert 19 yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 31–10). 8 plays, 58 yards in 3:55
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

The Bengals defeated Johnny Manziel and the Browns and improved to a franchise-best 8–0 on the season. Tight end Tyler Eifert caught three touchdown passes from Andy Dalton in the game, as he tied the club record for TDs in a season by a TE (9).

Week 10: vs. Houston Texans

Week Ten: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 3 0710
Bengals 3 3 006

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • HOU –
  • CIN –
Top rushers
  • HOU –
  • CIN –
Top receivers
  • HOU –
  • CIN –
Top tacklers
  • HOU –
  • CIN –

The Bengals looked to remain undefeated as they hosted J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans. The Texans' starting quarterback, Brian Hoyer, left the game with a concussion, but recently signed backup T.J. Yates threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins. Andy Dalton drove the Bengals into Texans' territory, but A.J. Green fumbled, sealing the Texans' 10-6 victory over the Bengals.

With the loss, the Bengals drop to 8-1, and were no longer undefeated, leaving the New England Patriots as the only unbeaten team in the AFC at that point.

Week 11: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Eleven: Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 7 01731
Cardinals 0 7 21634

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • ARI – 7:39 – Darren Fells 18-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (Tie 7–7). 10 plays, 80 yards in 5:38
  • CIN – 1:07 – Jeremy Hill 3-yd. run. (CIN 14–7). 14 plays, 80 yards in 8:37
Third quarter
  • ARI – 11:21 – J.J. Nelson 64-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (Tie 14–14). 4 plays, 80 yards in 1:41
  • ARI – 5:32 – John Brown 18-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (ARI 21–14). 8 plays, 66 yards in 4:45
  • ARI – 1:26 – David Johnson 16-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (ARI 28–14). 5 plays, 49 yards in 2:43
Fourth quarter
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill 1-yd. run. (ARI 28–21). 11 plays, 80 yards in 5:00
  • ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 24-yd. Field Goal. (ARI 31–21). 4 plays, 4 yards in 2:14
  • CIN – Tyler Eifert 10-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (ARI 31–28). 8 plays, 50 yards in 2:43
  • CIN - Mike Nugent 43-yd. Field Goal. (Tie 31–31). 8 plays, 59 yards in 1:42
  • ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 32-yd. Field Goal. (ARI 34–31). 6 plays, 70 yards in 1:02
Top passers
  • CIN –
  • ARI –
Top rushers
  • CIN –
  • ARI –
Top receivers
  • CIN –
  • ARI –
Top tacklers
  • CIN –
  • ARI –

The 8-1 Bengals traveled to Arizona to face the 7-2 Cardinals and former Bengals #1 overall draft pick Carson Palmer.

With the loss, the Bengals fell to 8-2.

Week 12: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Twelve: St. Louis Rams at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Rams 0 7 007
Bengals 7 10 14031

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • CIN – 10:14 – Mike Nugent 23-yd. Field Goal. (CIN 10–0). 14 plays, 85 yards in 6:49.
  • STL – 8:34 – Tavon Austin 5-yd. Rush. (CIN 10–7). 4 plays, 80 yards in 1:41.
  • CIN – 3:27 – Tyler Eifert 22-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 17–7). 10 plays, 80 yards in 5:02.
Third quarter
  • CIN – 7:01 – A.J. Green 18-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 24–7). 3 plays, 72 yards in 1:31.
  • CIN – 5:20 – Leon Hall 19-yd. Interception return. (CIN 31–7).
Fourth quarter

No Scoring
Top passers
  • STL – Nick Foles – 30/46, 228 yds., 0 TD, 3 Int.
  • CIN – Andy Dalton – 20/27, 233 yds., 3 TDs, 0 Int.
Top rushers
  • STL – Tavon Austin – 4 car., 63 yds., 1 TD
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill – 16 car., 86 yds.
Top receivers
  • STL – Kenny Britt – 6 rec., 63 yds.
  • CIN – A.J. Green – 6 rec., 61 yds., 2 TDs
Top tacklers

In Week 12, the Bengals looked to bounce back from two straight losses after starting 8–0. Rams Quarterback Nick Foles threw 3 Interceptions and the Bengals routed the Rams in Cincinnati, 31–7, to move to 9–2. With a Pittsburgh to loss to Seattle later that evening, the Bengals re-gained a 3-game lead in the AFC North Division.

Week 13: at Cleveland Browns

Week Thirteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 13 14337
Browns 0 3 003

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 64,775
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Matt Millen and Peter Schrager
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
  • CIN – 3:45 – Andy Dalton 3-yd. rush. (CIN 7–0). 10 plays, 84 yards in 4:40.
Second quarter
  • CIN – 13:40 – A.J. Green 23-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 14–0). 3 plays, 54 yards in 1:15.
  • CIN – 6:28 – Mike Nugent 44-yd. Field Goal. (CIN 17–0). 6 plays, 34 yards in 3:43.
  • CIN – 3:24 – Mike Nugent 40-yd. Field Goal. (CIN 20–0). 4 plays, 5 yards in 1:22.
  • CLE – 0:03 – Travis Coons 47-yd. Field Goal. (CIN 20–3). 10 plays, 50 yards in 3:20.
Third quarter
  • CIN – 7:55 – Jeremy Hill 1-yd. rush. (CIN 27–3). 7 plays, 62 yds. in 3:30.
  • CIN – 0:42 – Marvin Jones 21-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 34–3). 7 plays, 62 yds. in 3:53.
Fourth quarter
  • CIN – 5:47 – Mike Nugent 20-yd. Field Goal. (CIN 37–3). 9 plays, 31 yds. in 5:44.
Top passers
  • CIN – Andy Dalton – 14/19, 220 yds., 2 TD
  • CLE – Austin Davis – 25/38, 230 yds. , 0 TD, 1 INT.
Top rushers
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill – 22 car., 98 yds., 1 TD
  • CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 11 car., 62 yds.
Top receivers
  • CIN – A.J. Green – 5 rec., 128 yds., 1 TD
  • CLE – Brian Hartline – 8 rec., 83 yds.
Top tacklers

With the convincing road win, the Bengals improved to 10–2 on the season, sweeping the Browns for the first time since 2011.

Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Fourteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Steelers 7 9 71033
Bengals 0 7 31020

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • PIT –
  • CIN –
Top rushers
  • PIT –
  • CIN –
Top receivers
  • PIT –
  • CIN –
Top tacklers
  • PIT –
  • CIN –

Not only did the Bengals lose 33-20 and drop to 10-3, but lost quarterback Andy Dalton to a broken thumb in the first quarter. He missed the rest of the season and his loss shattered the Bengals' Super Bowl hopes. Second year quarterback A.J. McCarron took over for the game's remainder. Along with Dalton, Tyler Eifert, who returned from a stinger, left the game with a concussion.

Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Fifteen: Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bengals 0 21 3024
49ers 0 0 7714

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

  • Date: December 20
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 70,799
  • Referee: Ron Torbert
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information
First quarter

No Scoring

Second quarter
  • CIN – 5:16 – Jeremy Hill 1-yd. rush. (CIN 7–0). 5 plays, 11 yards in 5:45.
  • CIN – 1:17 – Jeremy Hill 1-yd. rush. (CIN 14–0). 5 plays, 36 yards in 2:05.
  • CIN – 0:53 – Tyler Kroft 20-yd. pass from A.J. McCarron. (CIN 21–0). 1 play, 20 yards in 0:05.
Third quarter
  • CIN – 8:40 – Mike Nugent 22-yd. Field Goal. (CIN 24–0). 13 plays, 70 yards in 6:20.
  • SF – 3:14 – Bruce Miller 1-yd. rush. (CIN 24–7). 5 plays, 46 yards in 1:36.
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • CIN – A.J. McCarron – 15/21, 192 yds., 1 TD
  • SF – Blaine Gabbert – 30/50, 295 yds., 1 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • CIN – Marvin Jones – 4 rec., 89 yds.
  • SF – Anquan Boldin – 8 rec., 74 yds., 1 TD
Top tacklers

This was A.J. McCarron's first game as starting quarterback, and the Bengals' first win at San Francisco since 1974.

Week 16: at Denver Broncos

Week Sixteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Bengals 7 7 03017
Broncos 0 3 77320

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

  • Date: December 28
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 16 °F (−9 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 76,868
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • CIN – 10:51 – Mohamed Sanu 6-yd. rush. (CIN 14–0). 13 plays, 90 yds. in 7:50.
  • DEN – 0:18 – Brandon McManus 23-yd. field goal. (CIN 14–3). 7 plays, 60 yds. in 2:12.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • DEN – 11:17 – C.J. Anderson 39-yd. rush. (DEN 17–14). 2 plays, 52 yds. in 0:34.
  • CIN – 6:46 – Mike Nugent 52-yd. field goal. (Tie 17–17). 11 plays, 46 yds. in 4:31.
Overtime
  • DEN – Brandon McManus 37-yd. field goal. (DEN 20–17). 14 plays, 61 yds. in 5:00.
Top passers
  • CIN – A.J. McCarron – 22/35, 200 yds., 1 TD
  • DEN – Brock Osweiler – 27/39, 299 yds., 1 TD
Top rushers
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill - 19 car., 63 yds.
  • DEN – C.J. Anderson – 9 car., 73 yds., 1 TD
Top receivers
  • CIN – A.J. Green – 5 rec., 57 yds., 1 TD
  • DEN – Owen Daniels – 5 rec., 70 yds.
Top tacklers

Due to the Steelers' loss to the Ravens the previous day, the Bengals entered the game as the AFC North champions. The Bengals rushed out to a 14–0 lead in the first half on a McCarron touchdown pass and a Mohamed Sanu rush, but Denver cut the deficit to 11 points as Brandon McManus nailed a short 23-yard field goal with just 18 seconds remaining before halftime. In the second half, momentum shifted mightily after a missed field goal by Mike Nugent in the third. Emmanuel Sanders hauled in an 8-yard pass from Brock Osweiler to cut the deficit to 14–10, and Denver claimed the lead for the first time in the game on a 39-yard touchdown run by C.J. Anderson with 11:17 remaining in the 4th Quarter. The Bengals marched down the field to tie the game on Mike Nugent's season-long 52-yard field goal, making the score 17–17 at the end of regulation. The tired Bengals failed to put any points on the board in the extra period, allowing a 37-yard McManus field goal to make the score 20–17 Denver. A botched snap on the ensuing Bengals drive was recovered by the Broncos, ending the game and Cincinnati's hopes for a first-round bye in the playoffs. With the loss, the Bengals fell to 11–4 on the season.

Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week Seventeen: Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Ravens 0 9 0716
Bengals 0 7 14324

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: January 3, 2016
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 57,254
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information
First quarter

No Scoring

Second quarter
  • BAL – 12:56 – Justin Tucker 28-yd. field goal. (BAL 3–0). 7 plays, 38 yards in 2:14.
  • BAL – 5:00 – Justin Tucker 50-yd. field goal. (BAL 6–0). 10 plays, 33 yards in 4:24.
  • CIN – 1:56 – Tyler Eifert 22-yd. pass from A.J. McCarron. (CIN 7–6). 8 plays, 81 yards in 3:06.
  • BAL – 0:03 – Justin Tucker 49-yd. field goal. (BAL 9–7). 10 plays, 55 yds. in 1:49.
Third quarter
  • CIN – 11:22 – A.J. Green 5-yd. pass from A.J. McCarron. (CIN 14–9). 5 plays, 33 yards in 2:34.
  • CIN – 7:05 – Jeremy Hill 38-yd. run. (CIN 21–9). 6 plays, 62 yards in 2:12.
Fourth quarter
  • CIN – 4:11 – Mike Nugent 52-yd. field goal. (CIN 24–9). 8 plays, 21 yards in 4:27.
  • BAL – 1:47 – Kyle Juszczyk 2-yd. pass from Ryan Mallett. (CIN 24–16). 8 plays, 75 yards in 2:19.
Top passers
  • BAL – Ryan Mallett – 30/56, 292 yds., 1 TD
  • CIN – A.J. McCarron – 17/27, 160 yds., 2 TD
Top rushers
  • BAL – Javorius Allen – 15 car., 38 yds.
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill – 16 car., 96 yds., 1 TD
Top receivers
  • BAL – Kamar Aiken – 5 rec., 76 yds.
  • CIN – Tyler Eifert – 4 rec., 51 yds., 1 TD
Top tacklers

Cincinnati returned home to Paul Brown Stadium to face the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens in the final game of the NFL regular season. After offensive struggles by both teams during the opening quarter, the Ravens got on the board with a 28-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. Later on in the quarter, Tucker would add three more with another field goal, this time from 50 yards out. With 1:56 remaining in the first half, Tyler Eifert, back after missing two games due to injury, caught a 22-yard pass from McCarron as the Bengals took the lead, 7–6. Baltimore would later re-take the lead, 9–7, as time expired in the half with a third Tucker field goal from 49 yards. Cincinnati came out strong in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points en route to the 24–16 victory. 57,254 were in attendance, the smallest crowd at Paul Brown Stadium of the season.

With the win, the Bengals finished the season tying their franchise-best record in a 16-game season at 12-4. However, the Broncos' win over the Chargers later on in the day gave the Bengals the #3 seed in the postseason.

Postseason

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. #6 Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: #6 Pittsburgh Steelers at #3 Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 6 9318
Bengals 0 0 01616

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information
1st quarter
  • None
2nd quarter
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 39-yard field goal, 2:32 Steelers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:30.
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 30-yard field goal, 0:37 Steelers 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 1:16.
3rd quarter
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 34-yard field goal, 10:09 Steelers 9–0. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:04.
  • PIT – Martavis Bryant 10-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (conversion no good), 5:02 Steelers 15–0. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:29.
4th quarter
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 13:57 Steelers 15–7 Drive: 3 plays, 46 yards, 0:50.
  • CIN – Mike Nugent 36-yard field goal, 5:12 Steelers 15–10 Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 5:59.
  • CIN – A. J. Green 25-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (conversion no good), 1:50 Bengals 16–15 Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 1:38.
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 35-yard field goal, 0:14 Steelers 18–16 Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 1:09.
Leading passers
Leading rushers
Leading receivers

The Steelers put up a 15-0 lead before the Bengals scored 16 unanswered in the fourth quarter to lead it 16-15. The Steelers drove down the field down the field and retook the lead when Chris Boswell made it 18-16. AJ McCarron tried to go for a miracle with 0:06 left in the game but it fell incomplete leading to the Bengals being one and done for a 5th year in a row and dropping their overall record to 12-5.

The Bengals are the first team to go to the playoffs for 5 straight years and be one and done.

The team also dropped to 0-2 against the Steelers in the postseason and 0-7 with Marvin in the postseason.

Standings

Division

AFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Cincinnati Bengals 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 419 279 W1
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 423 319 W1
Baltimore Ravens 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 328 401 L1
Cleveland Browns 3 13 0 .188 1–5 2–10 278 432 L3

Conference

# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division Leaders
1[lower-alpha 1] Denver Broncos West 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 .500 .479 W2
2[lower-alpha 1] New England Patriots East 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .473 .448 L2
3[lower-alpha 1] Cincinnati Bengals North 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 .477 .406 W1
4 Houston Texans South 9 7 0 .563 5–1 7–5 .496 .410 W3
Wild Cards
5 Kansas City Chiefs West 11 5 0 .688 5–1 10–2 .496 .432 W10
6[lower-alpha 2] Pittsburgh Steelers North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .504 .463 W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7[lower-alpha 2] New York Jets East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .441 .388 L1
8[lower-alpha 3] Buffalo Bills East 8 8 0 .500 4–2 7–5 .508 .438 W2
9[lower-alpha 3] Indianapolis Colts South 8 8 0 .500 4–2 6–6 .500 .406 W2
10 Oakland Raiders West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 7–5 .512 .366 L1
11 Miami Dolphins East 6 10 0 .375 1–5 4–8 .469 .469 W2
12[lower-alpha 3] Jacksonville Jaguars South 5 11 0 .313 2–4 5–7 .473 .375 L3
13[lower-alpha 3] Baltimore Ravens North 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 .508 .425 L1
14 San Diego Chargers West 4 12 0 .250 0–6 3–9 .527 .328 L2
15[lower-alpha 3] Cleveland Browns North 3 13 0 .188 1–5 2–10 .531 .271 L3
16[lower-alpha 3] Tennessee Titans South 3 13 0 .188 1–5 1–11 .492 .375 L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4]
  1. 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3.
  2. 1 2 Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The tiebreaker was based on head-to-head victory.
  4. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

References

    External links

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.