1974

Summary

A break-even (7-7) season for Cincinnati included the individual highlight of QB Ken Anderson winning the first of his four NFL passing titles. He posted a league-best 95.7 rating, with 213 completions in 328 attempts (64.9 percent) for 2667 yards, with 18 TDs and 10 INTs. In a Nov. 10 win vs. Pittsburgh, Anderson set a Bengals record (still standing through 2017) for completion percentage, ringing up a 90.9 by connecting on 20-of-22. Through 2017, that's third-best in NFL history (minimum 20 attempts). CB Lemar Parrish led the NFL in punt returns, with an 18.8-yard average that remains through '17 as the franchise record. The Bengals were 7-4 through 11 games, but were still a game and a half behind first-place Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati lost its last three contests. The Bengals swept the "Battle of Ohio" series vs. Cleveland for the first time, winning 33-7 at home in the season opener and 34-24 at Cleveland in Game 5. The campaign was preceded by a tumultuous offseason. Labor unrest roiled the league scene well into the preseason. The NFL Players Association called a strike, but not all players were on board, and most teams welcomed willing veterans into training camps. The Bengals were at the top in terms of veterans reporting to camp. Early preseason games were played with large numbers of rookies and other new personnel, however, and the Bengals offered fans refunds to those games. Most fans kept their tickets. The strike effort dwindled as preseason neared its end, and the regular season opened normally. Prior to preseason, the Bengals were in the thick of an NFL battle against player raids by the new World Football League, as they disputed the WFL Philadelphia franchise's signing of star LB Bill Bergey to a contract to begin in 1976, even though Bergey still was obligated to the Bengals through 1975. The Bengals lost that battle in court, but the decision wound up being moot. Bergey's offers from the unstable new league eventually fell through, and on July 10 of '74, Cincinnati traded Bergey to Philadelphia's NFL team, the Eagles, for first-round draft choices in 1976 and '77, plus a second-rounder in '77.

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League Rankings

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TOTALRUSHPASS
OFFENSE4 (320.6)12 (141.3)4 (179.4)
DEFENSE11 (281.6)22 (153.7)4 (127.9)

Year Totals

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PLAYSFIRST DOWNSNET YDS RUSHNET YDS PASSTOTAL NET YDSPTS
OFFENSE835260197825114489283
DEFENSE892256215217903942259

Individual Leaders

Table inside Article
PLAYERCATEGORY
Horst MuhlmannScoring
Ken AndersonPassing
Charlie DavisRushing
Chip MyersReceptions
Isaac CurtisReceiving Yards
Dave GreenPunting
Lemar ParrishPunt Return
Bernard JacksonKickoff Returns
Horst MuhlmannField Goals
Ken RileyInterceptions

Coaching Staff

Table inside Article
COACHPOSITION
Paul BrownHead Coach
Howard BrinkerLinebackers
Jack DonaldsonOffensive Backfield
Bill JohnsonOffensive Line
Chuck StudleyDefensive Line
Bill WalshReceivers/Quarterbacks
Chuck WeberDefensive Coordinator/Defensive Backfield

1974 NFL Draft: JAN 29 - 30

Table inside Article
ROUNDPLAYERPOSITIONCOLLEGESELECTION NUMBER
1Bill KollarDTMontana State23
2Charlie DavisRBColorado48
3aDave Lapham (acquired from New Orleans in trade on 9-7-73)TSyracuse61
3bEvan JolitzLBCincinnati73
4aMike Boryla (acquired from New England in trade on 8-22-73)QBStanford87
4bDaryl WhiteGNebraska98
4cRichard Williams (acquired from Minnesota in trade on 8-10-73)WRAbilene Christian103
5aHaskel Stanback (acquired from New Orleans in trade on 9-7-73)RBTennessee114
5bRichard BishopDTLouisville127
6aRobin SinclairDBWashington State152
6bWilliam Bryant (acquired from New Orleans in trade on 4-10-73)DBGrambling153
7Ken SawyerDBSyracuse177
8John McDanielWRLincoln202
9Ed JohnsonDESouthern Methodist231
10Chuck HerdWRPenn State256
11Ed KezirianTUCLA281
12Rudy McClinonDBXavier (Ohio)306
13Ted JornovLBIowa State335
14Mike PhillipsDECornell360
15Isaac JacksonRBKansas State385
16Daryl BishopDBKentucky410
17Jim SmithRBNorth Carolina Central439

*NOTE: The Bengals selected QB Clint Longley Jr. in the first round of the 1974 NFL Supplemental Draft. Longley was later traded to Dallas on 7-3-74.

Pro Bowl

Players selected for the 1974 NFL Pro Bowl: S Tommy Casanova, WR Isaac Curtis, CB Lemar Parrish

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