1969 Cincinnati Bengals season
Encyclopedia
The 1969
Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 2nd year in professional football.
Paul Brown drafted quarterback Greg Cook of the Univ. of Cincinnati in the first round.
The same draft also produced linebacker Bill Bergey.
The Bengals jumped out to a 3–0 record, but finished 4–9–1 in their final season at Nippert Stadium
, before moving to their brand new facility the following season
.
The Nov. 9, 1969 Bengals vs. Oilers game at the Astrodome in Houston is unique in club history. It's the only game nobody won. Cincinnati played its only regular-season tie that afternoon, catching the Oilers at 31–31 on K Horst Muhlmann's 18-yard field goal with 0:22 left in the fourth quarter. Regular-season overtime was not in the rule book at that time.
The oldest season record in Bengals history, and the only one still standing from the Nippert Stadium years, is QB Greg Cook's average of 9.41 yards gained per passing attempt in 1969. The only other average of more than nine yards was 9.21 by QB Boomer Esiason
in 1988.
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 2nd year in professional football.
Paul Brown drafted quarterback Greg Cook of the Univ. of Cincinnati in the first round.
The same draft also produced linebacker Bill Bergey.
The Bengals jumped out to a 3–0 record, but finished 4–9–1 in their final season at Nippert Stadium
Nippert Stadium
Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the...
, before moving to their brand new facility the following season
1970 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1970 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 3rd year in professional football and its 1st with the National Football League.The NFL-AFL merger took place before the season, and the Bengals made their first NFL campaign a memorable one...
.
The Nov. 9, 1969 Bengals vs. Oilers game at the Astrodome in Houston is unique in club history. It's the only game nobody won. Cincinnati played its only regular-season tie that afternoon, catching the Oilers at 31–31 on K Horst Muhlmann's 18-yard field goal with 0:22 left in the fourth quarter. Regular-season overtime was not in the rule book at that time.
The oldest season record in Bengals history, and the only one still standing from the Nippert Stadium years, is QB Greg Cook's average of 9.41 yards gained per passing attempt in 1969. The only other average of more than nine yards was 9.21 by QB Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
in 1988.
NFL Draft
| 1969 Cincinnati Bengals Draft | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Pick # | Overall | Name | Position | College |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Greg Cook Greg Cook Gregory Lynn Cook , is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback.-Early career:... |
Quarterback | Cincinnati University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio.... |
| 2 | 5 | 31 | Bill Bergey Bill Bergey William Earl Bergey is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played collegiately for Arkansas State University and for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles.... |
Linebacker | Arkansas State Arkansas State University Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA... |
| 3 | 5 | 57 | Louis "Speedy" Thomas Speedy Thomas Louis "Speedy" Timothy Thomas III was a professional American football wide receiver in the American Football League and the National Football League. He played for the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL's Bengals and New Orleans Saints .-References:... |
Wide Receiver | Utah |
| 4 | 5 | 83 | Clem Turner | Running Back | Cincinnati |
| 5 | 5 | 109 | Guy Dennis Guy Dennis Guy Durell Dennis, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League for seven seasons in the 1960s and 1970s... |
Guard | Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
| 6 | 5 | 135 | Ken Riley Ken Riley Kenneth Jerome Riley is a former professional American Football defensive back who played his entire career for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the American Football League in 1969 and in the NFL from 1970 through 1983... |
Defensive Back | Florida A&M |
| 7 | 5 | 161 | Royce Berry Royce Berry Royce Berry was a defensive end in the American Football League and National Football League. He played from 1969 to 1976 in the American Football League and then the National Football League.... |
Defensive End | Houston |
| 8 | 5 | 187 | Tim Buhanan | Linebacker | Hawaii University of Hawaii The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment... |
| 9 | 5 | 213 | Mike Stripling | Running Back | Tulsa University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by... |
| 10 | 5 | 239 | Steve Howell | Tight End | Ohio State Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... |
| 11 | 5 | 265 | Mark Stewart | Defensive Back | Georgia University of Georgia The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... |
| 12 | 5 | 291 | Lonnie Paige | Defensive Tackle | North Carolina College North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels.... |
| 13 | 5 | 316 | Chuck Benson | Wide Receiver | Southern Illinois Southern Illinois University Carbondale Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system... |
| 14 | 5 | 343 | Mike Wilson Michael DeForest Wilson Michael DeForest Wilson was an American football player who played tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1975. He later played with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League from 1979–1980, where he was an All-Star and won the CFL's Most Outstanding... |
Offensive Tackle | Dayton University of Dayton The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio... |
| 15 | 5 | 369 | Bill Shoemaker | Kicker | Stanford Stanford University The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... |
| 16 | 5 | 395 | Bill Schmidt | Linebacker | Missouri University of Missouri The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses... |
| 17 | 5 | 421 | Terry Story | Offensive Tackle | Georgia Tech Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... |
Season standings
| Qualified for playoffs |
| Western Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
12 | 1 | 1 | .923 | 377 | 242 |
| Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 359 | 177 |
| San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 288 | 276 |
| Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 297 | 344 |
| Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 280 | 367 |
Season schedule
| 1969 Cincinnati Bengals schedule | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Stadium |
| September 14 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 27–21 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| September 21 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 34–20 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| September 28 | Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
W 24–19 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| October 4 | at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 14–21 | |
San Diego Stadium |
| October 12 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 7–21 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| October 19 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–30 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| October 26 | at Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
L 22–42 | |
Municipal Stadium Municipal Stadium (Kansas City) Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954 and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during the same period... |
| November 2 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 31–17 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| November 9 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
T 31–31 | |
Astrodome Reliant Astrodome Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex... |
| November 16 | Boston Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 14–25 | |
Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... |
| November 23 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 7–40 | |
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008... |
| November 30 | at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 13–16 | |
War Memorial Stadium War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo) War Memorial Stadium is the name of a stadium that formerly stood in Buffalo, New York. The stadium was on a rectangular block near the downtown area. Its main entrance was at Jefferson Avenue to the east and Best Street to the south... |
| December 7 | at Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–37 | |
Oakland Coliseum |
| December 14 | at Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 16–27 | |
Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the... |
Team Stats
| 1969 Cincinnati Bengals Team Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| TEAM STATS | Bengals | Opponents |
| TOTAL FIRST DOWNS | 172 | 278 |
| Rushing | 66 | 135 |
| Passing | 95 | 130 |
| Penalty | 11 | 13 |
| TOTAL NET YARDS | 3868 | 5337 |
| Avg Per Game | 276.3 | 381.2 |
| Total Plays | 728 | 935 |
| Avg. Per Play | 5.3 | 5.7 |
| NET YARDS RUSHING | 1523 | 2651 |
| Avg. Per Game | 167.5 | 189.4 |
| Total Rushes | 363 | 523 |
| NET YARDS PASSING | 2345 | 2686 |
| Avg. Per Game | 167.5 | 191.9 |
| Sacked Yards Lost | 57–375 | 16–180 |
| Gross Yards | 2720 | 2866 |
| Att. Completions | 308–163 | 396–205 |
| Completion Pct. | 52.9 | 51.8 |
| Intercepted | 15 | 21 |
| PUNTS-AVERAGE | 85–38.8 | 55–41.4 |
| PENALTIES-YARDS | 50–556 | 72–824 |
| FUMBLES-BALL LOST | 30–25 | 19–16 |
| TOUCHDOWNS | 33 | 42 |
| Rushing | 10 | 13 |
| Passing | 22 | 24 |
| Returns | 1 | 5 |
| Score by Periods | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 48 | 92 | 72 | 68 | 280 |
| Opponents | 78 | 130 | 68 | 91 | 367 |
Team leaders
- Passing: Greg CookGreg CookGregory Lynn Cook , is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback.-Early career:...
(197 Att, 106 Comp, 1854 Yds, 53.8 Pct, 15 TD, 11 Int, 88.3 Rating) - Rushing: Jess PhillipsJess PhillipsJess Phillips is an American former professional football player who played running back for ten seasons in American Pro Football. He began his pro career with the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, and also played for the NFL Bengals, Saints, Raiders, and Patriots.-See...
(118 Att, 578 Yds, 4.9 Avg, 83 Long, 3 TD) - Receiving: Eric CrabtreeEric CrabtreeEric Leslie Crabtree is a former American football wide receiver in the American Football League and the National Football League. He played seven seasons for the Denver Broncos , the Cincinnati Bengals , and the New England Patriots .- See also :*Other American Football League players...
(40 Rec, 855 Yds, 21.4 Avg, 73 Long, 7 TD) - Scoring: Horst MuhlmannHorst MuhlmannHorst Herbert Erich Muhlmann was a former professional American football player. He was a placekicker in the American Football League and the National Football League for nine seasons...
, 80 points (16 FG; 32 PAT)
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Ken Avery Kenneth William Avery is a former college and professional American football player. He played college football at University of Southern Mississippi, where he was a linebacker... Bill Peterson William E. "Bill" Peterson was an American football coach. His career included head coaching stops at Florida State, Rice University and with the Houston Oilers. Considered one of the unique characters in college sports, Peterson is credited with bringing the pro passing game to college football... Ed Harmon Edward Charles Harmon is a former American football linebacker for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals in the 1969 AFL Season.-Early years:... Al Beauchamp Alfred Beauchamp is a former American football linebacker. he played college football at Southern University, and played professionally in the American Football League in 1968 and 1969 for the Cincinnati Bengals, and for the National Football League's Bengals from 1970 through 1975 and the... Bill Bergey William Earl Bergey is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played collegiately for Arkansas State University and for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles.... Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Postseason
| Playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | W-L | Score | ATT. | Stadium |
AFL Pro Bowl Selections
- RB Paul RobinsonPaul Robinson (American football player)Paul Harvey Robinson is a former professional American football running back for two seasons in the American Football League and five seasons in the National Football League. Paul Robinson played only one year at the University of Arizona, but in his first year as a professional, he gained 1,023...
- TE Bob TrumpyBob TrumpyBob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...