Cincinnati Bengals History | 2001 - Bengals.com

2001

Summary

The Bengals got off to a 4-3 start in Dick LeBeau's first full season as head coach, but they did not win again until the final two games, finishing 6-10. The defense finished No. 9 in the NFL, but the offense ranked 23rd. The early season was played amidst the tragedy of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. All of the NFL's Week 2 games, scheduled for Sept. 16-17, were postponed until the first weekend in January, the weekend after the regular season had been scheduled to end. The Bengals resumed play on Sept. 23, moving to 2-0 with a win over Baltimore at Paul Brown Stadium, and by that time stadium security procedures had been strengthened, including a ban on "coolers, backpacks and oversize purses." Also, the Federal Aviation Administration moved to ban aircraft from operating within three miles of outdoor venues with events in progress. Free agent signee Jon Kitna took over as the starting QB, winning a training camp battle with Scott Mitchell and Akili Smith. The '01 season featured the Bengals' first visit to Pittsburgh's new Heinz Field, on Oct. 7. On Oct. 28 at Detroit, a 31-27 Bengals win featured a 96-yard TD run by HB Corey Dillon, which stands through 2017 as the longest scrimmage play in Bengals history. The '01 season was the first for flamboyant WR Chad Johnson, who through 2017 is Cincinnati's all-time leader in receptions (751) and receiving yards (10,783). Johnson, a second-round draft pick from Oregon State, put up only modest rookie numbers, missing four games with a collarbone fracture, but he publicly pleaded with coaches and medical staff to let him come back sooner from the injury, and he promised, "I'm going to make a lot of noise here early." On Oct. 14, the Bengals re-set their own record for the largest crowd ever at a Cincinnati sports event, as 64,217 fans watched a 24-14 win over Cleveland.

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League Rankings

Table inside Article
TOTALRUSHPASS
OFFENSE23 (300.0)18 (Tied) (107.0)23 (193.0)
DEFENSE9 (302.0)11 (104.7)12 (197.3)
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Year Totals

Table inside Article
PLAYSFIRST DOWNSNET YDS RUSHNET YDS PASSTOTAL NET YDSPTS
OFFENSE1071294171230884800226
DEFENSE1013281167531574832309
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Individual Leaders

Table inside Article
PLAYERCATEGORY
Corey DillonScoring
Jon KitnaPassing
Corey DillonRushing
Peter WarrickReceptions
Darnay ScottReceiving Yards
Nick HarrisPunting
T.J. HoushmandzadehPunt Returns
Curtis KeatonKickoff Returns
Neil RackersField Goals
Kevin Kaesviharn, Artrell HawkinsInterceptions
Reinard WilsonSacks
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Coaching Staff

Table inside Article
COACHPOSITION
Dick LebeauHead Coach
Paul AlexanderOffensive Line
Jim AndersonRunning Backs
Ken AndersonQuarterbacks
Bob BratkowskiOffensive Coordinator
Louie CioffiDefensive Assistant
Kevin CoyleCornerbacks
Mark DuffnerDefensive Coordinator / Linebackers
John GarrettOffensive Assistant
Rodney HolmanStrength and Conditioning Assistant
Ray HortonSafeties
Tim KrumrieDefensive Line
Steve MooshagianWide Receivers
Al RobertsSpecial Teams
Frank VerducciTight Ends
Kim WoodStrength and Conditioning
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2001 NFL Draft: April 21 - 22

Table inside Article
ROUNDPLAYERPOSITIONCOLLEGESELECTION NUMBER
1Levi JonesOTArizona State10
2Lamont ThompsonFSWashington State41
3Matt Schobel (acquired from Carolina in trade on 4-20-02)TETexas Christian67
3(sent to Carolina in trade on 4-20-02)73
4Travis DorschK/PPurdue109
5(sent to Carolina in trade on 4-20-02)145
6Marquand ManuelFSFlorida181
7Joey EvansDENorth Carolina219
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Pro Bowl

Players selected for the 2001 Pro Bowl: RB Corey Dillon

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