Cincinnati Bengals History | 2014 - Bengals.com

Summary

Head coach Marvin Lewis led the Bengals to a 10-5-1 record and a Wild Card playoff berth, and to new heights in terms of consistent success for the franchise. Lewis had the team in postseason for the fourth straight year, extending the club-record of three set in 2013 — and the team established a new club mark with a third straight season of double-digit wins. The season ended when an injury-depleted team lost 26-10 at Indianapolis in a Wild Card playoff game, but the Bengals stood as one of only four NFL teams to have made the playoffs four straight years. Lewis' club record for head coaching victories was extended to 100 in the season's final win, a Monday night playoff clincher in Week 16 vs. Denver. The Bengals tied a franchise record with four regular-season games in prime time on national TV. WR A.J. Green was voted to a fourth straight Pro Bowl, joining WR Isaac Curtis as the only Bengals selected in each of their first four seasons, and CB Adam Jones became the first Bengal to win an NFL kickoff return title, averaging a franchise-record 31.3 yards. In the year's biggest off-field story, DT Devon Still touched hearts across the nation with his openness regarding his daughter Leah being diagnosed with cancer. The Bengals worked to have sales of Still's No. 75 jersey benefit pediatric cancer research, and nearly 15,000 jerseys were sold to buyers near and far. At the Nov. 6 home game vs. Cleveland, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center was presented with a check for $1.3 million. During training camp, the team signed QB Andy Dalton to a six-year contract extension, running through 2020. On April 17, the club continued its leading role in development of the Cincinnati downtown riverfront, announcing an agreement with Hamilton County that helped pave the way for General Electric to bring a major office facility to the emerging Banks neighborhood between Paul Brown Stadium and the Reds' Great American Ball Park. Fans at home games in 2014 enjoyed the benefits of the first state-of-the-art WiFi system throughout PBS.

AFC Wild Card Playoff

Significantly depleted in their receiving corps, the Bengals were no match for the AFC South champion Colts. Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck passed for 376 yards, re-setting a Bengals opponent playoff record previously held by QB Joe Montana from Super Bowl XXIII (357). The Colts totaled 482 yards to Cincinnati's 254. The Bengals moved the ball well on their first two possessions and were tied 7-7 late in the first quarter, after a 74-yard TD drive. At halftime, Cincinnati trailed by only 13-10, thanks to a 57-yard Mike Nugent FG near the end of the second quarter. The 57-yarder was a Bengals postseason record by 10 yards and topped by two yards the team regular-season record of 55 that Nugent shared with K Chris Bahr. But the Bengals managed only 98 net yards and no points in the second half, while the Colts struck for a Luck 36-yard TD pass and two FGs by K Adam Vinatieri. The Bengals played without their top two leaders in receptions — WR A.J. Green (concussion) and TE Jermaine Gresham (back strain).

League Rankings

Year Totals

Individual Leaders

Coaching Staff

2014 NFL Draft: May 8 - 10

*NOTE: The Bengals received two compensatory picks (Nos. 212 and 252).

Pro Bowl

Players selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl: DT Geno Atkins, QB Andy Dalton, WR A.J. Green, P Kevin Huber