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2021 Season Summary | Cincinnati Bengals - bengals.com

Summary

Bengals make run to Super Bowl LVI: On the strength of one of the NFL's most talented young rosters, the Bengals cruised to a 10-7 record, AFC North title, AFC Conference championship and berth in Super Bowl LVI. Cincinnati's tight-knit locker room and charismatic young stars captured the affection of the fan base, as the team embarked on one of the most exciting and successful runs in Bengals history. Second-year QB Joe Burrow posted team records for passing yardage (4611), passing TDs (34) and passer rating (108.3) en route to being named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. His primary target was rookie WR Ja'Marr Chase, the No. 5 overall pick in the draft who brought familiarity with Burrow after teaming with him in college at LSU, where they won a national championship in 2019. Chase, who won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (AP), put together one of the top rookie seasons ever by a WR (see "The rundown on Chase" on page 9), and teamed with second-year WR Tee Higgins and sixth-year slot WR Tyler Boyd to form one of the NFL's most productive WR trios. Fifth-year HB Joe Mixon proved to be one of the NFL's top RBs, and posted career-highs in rushing yardage (1205) and total TDs (16), while seventh year TE C.J. Uzomah, the longest-tenured Bengal on offense, put together a career year of his own — 49 catches, 493 yards and five TDs.

Cincinnati's defense showed well in 2020, thanks to a bevy of new faces and young players stepping into major roles. DE Trey Hendrickson, an unrestricted free agent signee in March, recorded the second-most sacks (14) in team history (see "Trey's 14 sacks second-most by a Bengal" on page 11), while bookend DE Sam Hubbard, a Cincinnati native, posted 7.5 while proving to be one of the top DEs in the NFL against the run (see "Hubbard a Day 2 draft steal" on page 12). At NT, 347-pound D.J. Reader returned after his first Bengals season was cut short by injury, and he helped Cincinnati's 2021 run defense improve 24 spots over the '20 squad (see "Healthy Reader leads stout D-line" on page 12). DTs Larry Ogunjobi and B.J. Hill — both playing their first Bengals seasons — rotated next to Reader and combined for 12.5 sacks. At LB, second-year pro Logan Wilson made the leap from 2020 rotational player to '21 starter, green-dot communicator and one of the NFL's top young LBs. Wilson's four INTs, led the team, tied for the NFL lead among LBs, and counted as the most by a Bengals LB in 16 years (see "Logan's four INTs tied for LB lead" on page 12). The secondary was led by a pair of team captains at S in Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, who combined for three key INTs and a sack during the Bengals' playoff run (see "Mr. Reliable wears No. 30" on page 13, and "Bell rings of reliability" on page 13). All three of Cincinnati's starting CBs were new to the team in 2021 — Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton — and each had a pair of INTs.

Along with Chase, Cincinnati's other star rookie was K Evan McPherson, a 22-year-old fifth-round pick out of the University of Florida whose leg strength (see "McPherson from deep" on page 14) and reliability under pressure (see "'Shooter McPherson' perfect in playoffs" on page 14) turned him into an immediate fan favorite. McPherson said before the season that he had never even been in position to make a game-winning kick, then he proceeded to hit five "walk-off" FGs as a rookie — in his first NFL game (Sept. 12 vs. Minnesota), his first primetime game (Thursday Night Football on Sept. 30 vs. Jacksonville), one to clinch the AFC North title (Jan. 2 vs. Kansas City), a 52-yarder in below freezing temperatures to send Cincinnati to the AFC Championship (Divisional Playoff at Tennessee), and another to send Cincinnati to Super Bowl LVI (AFC Championship at Kansas City). The Bengals found themselves very much in the playoff picture at their Week 10 bye and surged in the second half of the year against a difficult schedule. Cincinnati notched four lopsided wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore to eventually finish 4-2 in the division and secure an AFC North title. The last of those was a record-setting 41-21 performance on Dec. 26 against Baltimore, which put the Bengals in the driver's seat in the AFC North. Burrow and the Bengals left little doubt about their prospects against the Ravens, as the second year QB passed for a Bengals-record 525 yards, the fourth-highest single-game total in NFL history (see "Burrow's big days vs. Ravens" on page 8). The next week, Cincinnati came out victorious in a win-and-in matchup at Paul Brown Stadium against perennial-power Kansas City and QB Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs held three different 14-point leads, however the Bengals allowed just three second-half points while Chase posted a Bengals-record and NFL-rookie-record 266 receiving yards and three TDs

View the best game action photos as the Bengals faced the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.

Coaching Staff

Table inside Article
COACH POSITION
Zac Taylor Head Coach
Lou Anarumo Defensive Coordinator
Colt Anderson Assistant Special Teams
James Bettcher Linebackers
Joey Boese Strength and Conditioning
Charles Burks Secondary/Cornerbacks
Brian Callahan Offensive Coordinator
James Casey Tight Ends
Mark Duffner Senior Defensive Assistant
Derek Frazier Assistant Offensive Live
Justin Hill Running Backs
Marion Hobby Defensive Line
Todd Hunt Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Jordan Kovacs Assistant Linebackers
Brad Kragthorpe Assistant Wide Recievers
Robert Livingston Secondary/Safeties
Ben Martin Assistant Offensive Line
Dan Pitcher Quarterbacks
Frank Pollack Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
Darrin Simmons Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
Garrett Swanson Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Troy Walters Wide Receivers
2021 TEN_Z Taylor_Locker Room-lowres

2021 NFL Draft: April 29-May 1

Table inside Article
ROUND PLAYER POSITION COLLEGE SELECTION
1 Ja'Marr Chase WR LSU 5
2 Jackson Carman T Clemson 46
3 Joesph Ossai LB Texas 69
4 Cameron Sample DE Tulane 111
4 Tyler Shelvin DT LSU 122
4 D'Ante Smith T East Carolina 139
5 Evan McPherson K Florida 149
6 Trey Hill OL Georgia 190
6 Chris Evans RB Michigan 202
7 Wyatt Hubert DE Kansas St. 235
LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, right, holds a team jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Cincinnati Bengals selected Chase with the fourth pick in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 29, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

2021 Game Programs

Gameday Program - Home Game 1 vs. Miami Dolphins

Gameday Program - Home Game 1 vs. Miami Dolphins

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 1 vs. Minnesota Vikings

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 1 vs. Minnesota Vikings

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 2 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 2 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 3 vs. Green Bay Packers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 3 vs. Green Bay Packers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 4 vs. Cleveland Browns

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 4 vs. Cleveland Browns

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 5 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 5 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 7 vs. San Francisco 49ers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 7 vs. San Francisco 49ers

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 8 vs. Baltimore Ravens

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 8 vs. Baltimore Ravens

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 8 Vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Gameday Program - Regular Season Home Game 8 Vs. Kansas City Chiefs

2021 Cincinnati Bengals Yearbook

2021 Cincinnati Bengals Yearbook

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