Summary
The Bengals and the NFL played the first year with a 16-game schedule, and it was a long 16 for Cincinnati. QB Ken Anderson missed the first four games with a broken bone in his right hand, and Bill Johnson resigned as head coach following an 0-5 start. Among the first four games, Cincinnati's losing margins included one point (vs. Kansas City), three points (in overtime at Cleveland) and two points (vs. New Orleans). Johnson was replaced as head coach by Homer Rice, who had joined the staff for '78 as quarterbacks coach. The team dropped to a 1-12 mark before rallying to win the last three games. The Bengals closed the year with a 48-16 rout of Cleveland, a 32-point winning margin that stood until 2015 as Cincinnati's largest in the Battle of Ohio series. Prior to the season, CB Lemar Parrish and DE Coy Bacon were traded to Washington for the Redskins' first-round draft pick in 1979 (used to select RB Charles Alexander). Two Pro Bowlers, TE Bob Trumpy and S Tommy Casanova, retired prior to the season. On July 26, Paul Brown's eldest son, Robin, died of cancer at age 46, and Paul Brown had to cancel plans to be the presenter for Weeb Ewbank at Ewbank's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. The Ben-Gals cheerleaders were in the news in '78. They attracted considerable new attention, going away from their "malt shop" look to a more revealing uniform, described at the time as "chic, smart and sexy, but not vulgar."
League Rankings
| TOTAL | RUSH | PASS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | 11 (304.5) | 18 (133.2) | 10 (171.3) |
| DEFENSE | 10 (289.5) | T-19 (149.8) | 3 (139.8) |
Year Totals
| PLAYS | FIRST DOWNS | NET YDS RUSH | NET YDS PASS | TOTAL NET YDS | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | 1034 | 271 | 2131 | 2741 | 4872 | 252 |
| DEFENSE | 1036 | 269 | 2396 | 2236 | 4632 | 284 |
Individual Leaders
| PLAYERS | CATEGORY |
|---|---|
| Chris Bahr | Scoring |
| Ken Anderson | Passing |
| Pete Johnson | Rushing |
| Isaac Curtis | Receptions |
| Isaac Curtis | Receiving Yards |
| Pat McInally | Punting |
| Tony Davis | Punt Return |
| Ray Griffin | Kickoff Returns |
| Chris Bahr | Field Goals |
| Dick Jauron | Interceptions |
| Ross Browner | Sacks |
Coaching Staff
| COACH | POSITION |
|---|---|
| Homer Rice | Head Coach |
| Howard Brinker | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers |
| Boyd Dowler | Receivers |
| Frank Gansz | Special Teams |
| Mike McCormack | Offensive Line |
| Dick Modzelewski | Defensive Line |
| George Sefcik | Offensive Backfield |
| Charley Winner | Defensive Backfield |
| Kim Wood | Strength |
1978 NFL Draft: May 2-3
| ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | COLLEGE | SELECTION NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | Ross Browner (acquired from Philadelphia in trade on 7-10-74) | DL | Notre Dame | 8 |
| 1b | Blair Bush | C | Washington | 16 |
| 2a | Ray Griffin (acquired from Philadelphia in trade on 7-10-74) | CB | Ohio State | 35 |
| 2b | Deacon Turner | RB | San Diego State | 45 |
| 3a | Ted Vincent | DT | Wichita State | 72 |
| 3b | Don Bass (acquired from Denver in trade on 3-16-77) | WR | Houston | 83 |
| 4 | Dennis Law | WR | East Tennessee State | 99 |
| 5a | Tom Dinkel | LB | Kansas | 126 |
| 5b | Rob Hertel (acquired from Chicago in trade on 5-11-76) | QB | Southern California | 131 |
| 6 | Steve Geise | RB | Penn State | 155 |
| 7a | Joe Branson | S | Livingstone (N.C.) | 182 |
| 7b | Danny Bass (acquired from Denver in trade on 3-16-77) | T | Elon (N.C.) | 193 |
| 8 | Bill Miller | T | Western Illinois | 211 |
| 9 | Ron Shumon | LB | Wichita State | 238 |
| 10 | Tom DePaso | LB | Penn State | 267 |
| 11a | Calvin Prince (acquired from St. Louis in trade on 8-30-77) | RB | Louisville | 293 |
| 11b | Mark Donahue | G | Michigan | 294 |
| 12 | Kim Featsent | WR | Kent State | 323 |
