Summary
The Bengals extended their franchise record for consecutive playoff seasons to five and stood as one of only four NFL teams to qualify those five consecutive years. But it was one of the more bittersweet seasons in club history. The team got off to an 8-0 start, setting a franchise record for most consecutive wins within a season and tying the mark for most wins regardless of seasons. The 12-4 finish tied Cincinnati records for most wins in a season and best winning percentage in a 16-game season. QB Andy Dalton was a huge key to it all, winning the AFC passing title with a Bengals-record 106.3 rating. But Dalton suffered a thumb injury in Game 13 vs. Pittsburgh and missed the remainder of the campaign, including a dramatic 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs. Backup QB AJ McCarron, who went 2-1 as a starter in the last three regular season games, rallied the Bengals in the playoff game from a 15-0 deficit after three quarters to a 16-15 lead with 1:50 to play. But the Steelers came back for a winning FG after recovering a fumble by Bengals HB Jeremy Hill deep in Pittsburgh territory. The Bengals' 2015 accomplishments also included a No. 2 NFL finish in scoring defense (17.4), the highest in club history. The club's most singular game accomplishment came Oct. 11 vs. Seattle, when the Bengals overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit (24-7) to win 27-24 in overtime. The last time any NFL team had won a regular season or postseason game after trailing by 17 in the fourth quarter had been Week 15 of 2010, and Cincinnati's win ended a streak of 427 consecutive games in which teams trailing by 17-plus in the fourth quarter had lost. By the end of the postseason, the game stood as the only win for such a trailing team in the previous 536 instances.
AFC Wild Card Playoff
The Bengals rallied from a 15-0 deficit to take a 16-15 lead with 1:50 to play, and Cincinnati had a first down at the Steelers' 26-yard line with 1:36 left. But Pittsburgh recovered a fumble by HB Jeremy Hill on the next Bengals play, and the Steelers drove for a game-winning 37-yard FG at the 0:14 mark, aided by two personal foul penalties against Cincinnati. The Bengals had rallied to take the lead with three fourth-quarter scores — a one-yard TD run by Hill, a 36-yard Mike Nugent FG and a 25-yard TD pass from QB AJ McCarron to WR A.J. Green. McCarron, as he had in the last three regular-season games, was subbing for injured No. 1 QB Andy Dalton. The Bengals had the home field after winning the AFC North Division with a 12-4 record, but the 10-6 Steelers earned a Wild Card berth and advanced to the Divisional playoff round with the win.
League Rankings
| TOTAL | RUSH | PASS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | 15 (358.0) | 13 (112.8) | 15 (245.2) |
| DEFENSE | 11 (340.8) | 7 (92.3) | 20 (248.5) |
Year Totals
| PLAYS | FIRST DOWNS | NET YDS RUSH | NET YDS PASS | TOTAL NET YDS | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | 1004 | 324 | 1805 | 3923 | 5728 | 419 |
| DEFENSE | 1032 | 307 | 1477 | 3976 | 5453 | 279 |
Individual Leaders
| PLAYER | CATEGORY |
|---|---|
| Mike Nugent | Scoring |
| Andy Dalton | Passing |
| Jeremy Hill | Rushing |
| A.J. Green | Receptions |
| A.J. Green | Receiving Yards |
| Kevin Huber | Punting |
| Brandon Tate | Punt Returns |
| Brandon Tate | Kickoff Returns |
| Mike Nugent | Field Goals |
| Reggie Nelson | Interceptions |
| Carlos Dunlap | Sacks |
Coaching Staff
| COACH | POSITION |
|---|---|
| Marvin Lewis | Head Coach |
| Paul Alexander | Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line |
| Brian Braswell | Offensive Quality Control / Assistant Offensive Line |
| Matt Burke | Linebackers |
| Mark Carrier | Defensive Backs |
| Kyle Caskey | Running Backs |
| Brayden Coombs | Offensive Quality Control / Special Teams Assistant |
| Jeff Friday | Assistant Strength and Conditioning |
| Paul Guenther | Defensive Coordinator |
| Jay Hayes | Defensive Line |
| Jonathan Hayes | Tight Ends |
| Hue Jackson | Offensive Coordinator |
| Vance Joseph | Defensive Backs |
| Marcus Lewis | Defensive Assistant / Quality Control |
| David Lippincott | Assistant Linebackers / Quality Control |
| Robert Livingston | Defensive Quality Control / Special Teams Assistant |
| Chip Morton | Strength and Conditioning |
| Darrin Simmons | Special Teams Coordinator |
| James Urban | Wide Receivers |
| Ken Zampese | Quarterbacks |
2015 NFL Draft: April 30 - May 2
| ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | COLLEGE | SELECTION NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedric Ogbuehi | OT | Texas A&M | 21 |
| 2 | Jake Fisher | OT | Oregon | 53 |
| 3a | Tyler Kroft | TE | Rutgers | 85 |
| 3b | P.J. Dawson | LB | Texas Christian | *99 |
| 4b | Marcus Hardison | DT | Arizona State | *135 |
| 5 | C.J. Uzomah | TE | Auburn | 157 |
| 6 | Derron Smith | S | Fresno State | 197 |
| 7 | Mario Alford | WR | West Virginia | 238 |
*NOTE: The Bengals received two compensatory picks (Nos. 99 and 135).
Pro Bowl
Players selected for the 2015 NFL Pro Bowl: DT Geno Atkins, DE Carlos Dunlap, TE Tyler Eifert, WR A.J. Green, CB Adam Jones, S Reggie Nelson, RB Cedric Peerman, OT Andrew Whitworth
