Summary
The Bengals went 5-0-1 in preseason and opened the regular season with high hopes of defending their AFC Central Division title. They started off with a 37-14 rout of Philadelphia at home, but they lost the next seven and finished at 4-10. The puzzling outfit stumbled despite out-gaining foes by more than 25 yards per game and posting a plus-16 turnover differential. Six of their losses came by four points or less. QB Sam Wyche, who would become Bengals head coach in 1984, was traded in May to Washington, and Virgil Carter was the starting QB for most of the season. But Carter missed some time with injuries, allowing for the debut of third-round draft pick Ken Anderson, who immediately attracted notice as a prospect of great promise. Anderson could not turn the '71 season around, but it was the start of a 16-year career (longest in Bengals history through 2017) that would end with him holding all the team's major passing records at that time. The first of Anderson's career 197 Bengals TD passes was a five-yarder to WR Eric Crabtree in the fourth quarter of a 20-17 loss on Oct. 3 at Green Bay. On Nov. 28, the Bengals posted the first shutout in franchise history, 31-0 at home over San Diego. Regular-season home attendance was strong in Riverfront Stadium's second year, as the average of 59,266 would not be topped until the 2003 season at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati's Dave Lewis won his second consecutive NFL punting title, averaging 44.8 yards.
League Rankings
| TOTAL | RUSH | PASS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | 6 (304.7) | 6 (153.0) | T-14 (151.7) |
| DEFENSE | 12 (279.0) | 13 (127.0) | 13 (152.0) |
Year Totals
| PLAYS | FIRST DOWNS | NET YDS RUSH | NET YDS PASS | TOTAL NET YDS | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | 867 | 236 | 2142 | 2124 | 4266 | 284 |
| DEFENSE | 811 | 213 | 1778 | 2128 | 3906 | 265 |
Individual Leaders
| PLAYER | CATEGORY |
|---|---|
| Horst Muhlmann | Scoring |
| Virgil Carter | Passing |
| Fred Willis | Rushing |
| Bob Trumpy | Receptions |
| Bob Trumpy | Receiving Yards |
| Dave Lewis | Punting |
| Lemar Parrish | Punt Return |
| Paul Robinson | Kickoff Returns |
| Horst Muhlmann | Field Goals |
| Lemar Parrish | Interceptions |
Coaching Staff
| COACH | POSITION |
|---|---|
| Paul Brown | Head Coach |
| Vince Costello | Linebackers |
| Jack Donaldson | Offensive Backfield |
| Bill Johnson | Offensive Line |
| Chuck Studley | Defensive Line |
| Bill Walsh | Receivers/Quarterbacks |
| Chuck Weber | Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backfield |
1971 NFL DRAFT: JAN 28 - 29
| ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | COLLEGE | SELECTION NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vernon Holland | T | Tennessee State | 15 |
| 2 | Steve Lawson | G | Kansas | 41 |
| 3 | Ken Anderson | QB | Augustana (Ill.) | 67 |
| 4 | Fred Willis | RB | Boston College | 93 |
| 5 | Arthur May (acquired from N.Y. Jets in trade on 10-26-70) | 110 | ||
| 5 | (sent to San Diego in trade on 8-4-70 | 119 | ||
| 6 | (sent to Buffalo in trade on 8-26-70) | 145 | ||
| 7 | Neal Craig | S | Fisk | 171 |
| 8 | Fred Herring | CB | Tennessee State | 197 |
| 9 | Gary Gustafson | LB | Montana State | 223 |
| 10 | Jack Stambaugh | G | Oregon | 249 |
| 11 | Ed Marshall | WR | Cameron | 275 |
| 12 | J. Rod Hayden | DE | Memphis State | 223 |
| 13 | David Knapman | TE | Central Washington | 327 |
| 14 | Irvin Mallory | DB | Virginia Union | 353 |
| 15 | Bob Thomas | RB | Arizona State | 379 |
| 16 | Mark Debevc | LB | Ohio State | 405 |
| 17 | Sam Pearson | CB | Western Kentucky | *432 |
*NOTE: The Bengals had the No. 431 overall choice in Round 17 but passed, allowing Kansas City to move from No. 432 to 431.
Pro Bowl
Player selected for the 1971 NFL Pro Bowl: CB Lemar Parrish