Bengals All-Time team has plenty of talent but only one Hall of Fame player
Bengals All-Time team has plenty of talent but only one Hall of Fame player
The Cincinnati Bengals have had talented players appear on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as at the skill positions. However, the only player who is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame that spent his entire career with the franchise is left tackle, Anthony Munoz. Here is a look at the All-Time team.
Coach: Marvin Lewis has more than double the wins of the next coach on this list, but his postseason record is a bit spotty. Lewis amassed a 129-122-3 record in 16 seasons, but Cincinnati was winless in seven playoff games with him at the helm. Others of note:
Sam Wyche led the franchise to a 61-66 record in eight seasons. While the Bengals only made the playoffs twice in his tenure, one of those years the team earned a spot in Super Bowl XXIII. Owner and original coach Paul Brown went 55-56-1 in eight years. The team went winless in three playoff appearances before Brown retired in 1975 after 45 years of coaching. Forrest Gregg went 32-25 in four seasons with the Bengals, and in one of the two playoff appearances, he led the team to Super Bowl XVI.
Quarterback: Ken Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler who threw for 32,838 yards and 197 touchdowns over 16 seasons. He was the Most Valuable Player, All-Pro and Offensive Player of the Year in 1981, the same year the Bengals reached their first Super Bowl. Norman “Boomer” Esiason accomplished the same feat seven years later, earning MVP and All-Pro honors while leading the team to Super Bowl XXIII. His totals of 27,149 yards and 187 touchdowns in 10 seasons helped Boomer get to three Pro Bowls. Carson Palmer made two Pro Bowls and threw for more than 4,000 yards twice. He also threw 32 touchdown passes in 2005. Andy Dalton has moved past Esiason in both yards (28,103) and touchdowns (188) while making three Pro Bowls in eight seasons.
Running Back: Corey Dillon had 45 touchdowns and ran for a team-record 8,061 yards in seven seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler ran for more than 1,000 yards six times. From 2003-05, Rudi Johnson ran for more at least 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns each season. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2004. James Brooks’ eight-year tenure included four Pro Bowls and three 1,000-yard seasons. Cedric Benson’s stay in Cincinnati was short, but he ran for 1,251 yards and six touchdowns in just 13 games in 2009.
Fullback: Pete Johnson’s team-record 64 rushing touchdowns included 14 each in 1979 and ’83. He made his lone Pro Bowl in the Super Bowl season of 1981, running for 1,077 yards and 12 scores. Larry Kinnebrew was a great blocker and a red zone rushing threat. His 37 touchdowns in five seasons rank fourth on the team’s all-time list. Elbert Woods was known for his nickname and dance, the “Ickey Shuffle,” but also ran for 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns as a rookie in the 1988 Super Bowl season. Charles “Boobie” Clark ran for 988 yards and eight scores in his 1973 rookie season.
Wide Receiver: No matter if it was Chad Johnson or Ochocinco, the man who wore number 85 in Cincinnati could find a way to the end zone. He holds team records with 66 touchdowns and 10,783 receiving yards, including seven years with 1,000 yards or more. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro led the NFL with 1,369 yards in 2006. A.J. Green has 8,907 yards and 63 touchdowns. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and has made the Pro Bowl seven times. Carl Pickens has 63 touchdowns as well and is a two-time Pro Bowler. He has four 1,000-yard seasons and led the NFL with 17 scores in 1995. Isaac Curtis made the Pro Bowl his first four seasons, and he had 7,101 receiving yards and 53 touchdowns. Before he became a television color analyst with NBC, Cris Collinsworth made the Pro Bowl his first three seasons and had four 1,000-yard seasons. Eddie Brown was the 1985 Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl in 1988 after the team played in Super Bowl XXIII. Darnay Scott made the NFL’s All-Rookie team in 1994 after amassing 99 catches for 1,022 yards. Finally, T.J. Houshmandzadeh made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after hauling in an NFL-leading 112 passes.
Tight End: Bob Trumpy finished his 10-year Bengals career with 4,600 yards and 35 touchdowns. He made four Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 1969. Rodney Holman played 11 seasons in Cincinnati, appearing in three Pro Bowls. Tony McGee made the All-Rookie Team in 1993.
Tackle: Hall of Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz started his career on the All-Rookie Team and made 11 Pro Bowls and nine All-Pro teams in 13 seasons. Willie Anderson will start on the right side. The 1996 All-Rookie Team member also was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. Andrew Whitworth made three Pro Bowls and was a 2015 All-Pro, but he had his biggest success playing in Super Bowl LIII with the Rams. Vern Holland and Joe Walter were each starting right tackles for eight seasons.
Guard: Dave Lapham was an eight-year starter on the left side, and right guard Max Montoya was a three-time Pro Bowler who also played in both Super Bowls. Current starter Clint Boling joins Pat Matson and Bobbie Williams as reserves.
Center: Bob Johnson played in Cincinnati for 12 seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 1968. Rich Braham (146 games) and Bruce Kozerski (172) were solid starters.
Defensive End: Current starter Carlos Dunlap has 72½ sacks, the most in franchise history. The five-time Pro Bowler has five seasons with eight or more sacks. The other starter on this team is 2001 All-Rookie Team member Justin Smith, who is fourth on the team’s all-time list with 43½ sacks. Eddie Edwards is third with 47½ sacks, including 13 in 1983. Robert Geathers had 34 sacks in nine seasons, including 10½ in 2008. Dunlap’s teammate, Michael Johnson has 40½ sacks, including 11½ in 2012. Ross Browner made the All-Rookie Team in 1978 and posted his career-high with nine sacks in 1985.
Nose Tackle: Geno Atkins, another current Bengal, ranks just behind Dunlap with 71 sacks, including five seasons with nine or more. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. Tim Krumrie was two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro after making 152 tackles in 1988. Unfortunately, that season did not end well, as he suffered a gruesome broken leg in Super Bowl XXIII. The modern Bengals use a 4-3 front, and for a long time, the fourth man in the tandem with Dunlap, Johnson, and Atkins was Domata Peko, who started all 16 games in nine of his 10 seasons.
Outside Linebacker: James Francis, a 1990 All-Rookie Team member who had 33 sacks in nine seasons, starts on the left side. Opposite Francis is Reggie Williams, who had 41 sacks and 16 interceptions in 14 years in Cincinnati. Al Beauchamp was an original Bengal who had 15 interceptions in eight years as a starter. Brian Simmons had 23 sacks and made 100 or more tackles three times.
Inside Linebacker: Jim LeClair played for 12 seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 1976 and Bill Bergey was a star in the early days of the franchise. He made the AFL All-Pro team in 1969 and had nine interceptions. Behind them are longtime starters Glenn Cameron, Carl Zander, and Rey Maualuga, who had 122 tackles in 2012.
Cornerback: Ken Riley was an All-Pro in 1983 and had 65 interceptions, tied for fifth-most in NFL History. He ran back five for touchdowns. Louis Breeden, a 1982 All-Pro, is a distant second on the team list with 33 picks. Lemar Parrish went to six Pro Bowls and had seven of his 25 interceptions in 1971. Tori James had 21 interceptions, including eight in his 2004 Pro Bowl season. Leon Hall had 26 picks with the Bengals, running three back for scores.
Safety: David Fulcher is a three-time Pro Bowler on the strong side. His 31 interceptions include eight in his 1989 All-Pro season. Reggie Nelson had eight picks and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. Tommy Casanova went to three Pro Bowls. He was an All-Pro in 1976 after two interception returns for touchdowns. Bobby Kemp played in Super Bowl XVI and had four interceptions in 1984.
Kicker: Jim Breech was the kicker both times the Bengals played in the Super Bowl. His 1,151 career points include four seasons with 100 or more.
Punter: Kevin Huber has averaged 45.1 yards a punt in his 10 seasons with the team so far, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2014. Lee Johnson punted in Super Bowl XXIII and has a 43.2-yard average over 11 seasons.
Returners: Tremain Mack’s team-record 3,583 kickoff return yards includes 1,382 in his 1999 Pro Bowl season. Brandon Tate is just behind Mack with 3,517 kickoff return yards and he leads the team with 1,411 punt return yards. Parrish ran four punts back for scores. Stanford Jennings may have had the most important kickoff return in team history, a 93-yard score that gave the Bengals a second-half lead in Super Bowl XXIII. Mike Martin had 1,104 kickoff return yards in 1985. Adam “Pacman” Jones was an All-Pro in 2014 and a Pro Bowler the following year.
Special Teams: Cedric Peerman made the Pro Bowl in 2015, and Clark Harris was a Pro Bowler after last season.
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-By: Kevin Rakas