1985

Summary

The 7-9 Bengals scored 441 points in Sam Wyche's second season as head coach, a club record at the time. But their 437 points allowed also was a record to that point. Rookie WR Eddie Brown, who had surprisingly been available with the No. 13 pick in the '85 draft, missed the first 18 days of training camp due to contract talks, but he wound up as Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year after catching 53 passes for 942 yards and eight TDs. Bengals icon Ken Anderson opened the season as the starting QB, but the 15th-year vet was supplanted in Game 3 by second-year pro Boomer Esiason, who went on to pass for 27 TDs and just 12 INTs while posting a 93.2 passer rating. The team rebounded from an 0-3 start to stand 7-7 after a rousing 50-24 win over Dallas, and a playoff berth was clearly within range in an AFC Central Division race in which no team was able to dominate. But in Game 15, the Bengals lost 27-24 at Washington after leading 24-7, and their only hope for the playoffs entering the final weekend was via tiebreaker in a possible three-way deadlock with Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The day before their season finale at New England, they were eliminated — and Cleveland became division champion — when Pittsburgh lost a Saturday game to the N.Y. Giants. Prior to and during the season, the team had a number of high-profile personnel issues. Star WR Cris Collinsworth, who had stunned Cincinnati fans in 1983 by signing a "future contract" with the United States Football League's Tampa Bay Bandits, was to join the Bandits for their 1985 spring season. But after a soap-opera series of "will he go or will he stay?" events, Collinsworth re-signed with Cincinnati on Feb. 27. WR Isaac Curtis, a premier Bengal for 12 years, was released in July and shortly thereafter announced his retirement from pro football. DE Ross Browner went to Houston of the USFL in the spring, but he re-signed with Cincinnati in late August. TE Dan Ross, another ex-Bengal who had gone to the USFL, was re-acquired by Cincinnati in late August but was traded to Seattle in October.

851101-NFL_Bengals_Munoz-AP_736287501991-NFL Photos-NEW

League Rankings

Table inside Article
TOTALRUSHPASS
OFFENSE3 (368.8)12 (136.4)4 (232.3)
DEFENSE22 (353.9)15 (124.9)24 (229.0)

Year Totals

Table inside Article
PLAYSFIRST DOWNSNET YDS RUSHNET YDS PASSTOTAL NET YDSPTS
OFFENSE1062344218337175900441
DEFENSE1019337199936645663437
851111-Bengals_Esiason-AP_8511110283-Jim Callaway-NEW

Individual Leaders

Table inside Article
PLAYERCATEGORY
Jim BreechScoring
Boomer EsiasonPassing
James BrooksRushing
Cris CollinsworthReceptions
Cris CollinsworthReceiving Yards
Pat McInallyPunting
Mike MartinPunt Returns
Mike MartinKickoff Returns
Jim BreechField Goals
James GriffinInterceptions
Ross BrownerSacks
851222-Bengals-AP_8512220255-Mike Kullen-NEW

Coaching Staff

Table inside Article
COACHPOSITION
Sam WycheHead Coach
Jim AndersonRunning Backs
Bruce CosletWide Receivers
Bill JohnsonTight Ends
Dick LeBeauDefensive Coordinator
Jim McNallyOffensive Line
Dick SelcerLinebackers
Bill UrbanikDefensive Line
Kim WoodStrength
851208-Bengals-AP_739420249885-Jim Callaway-NEW

1985 NFL Draft: April 30 - May 1

Table inside Article
ROUNDPLAYERPOSITIONCOLLEGESELECTION NUMBER
1(sent to Atlanta in trade on 4-23-89)27
2aEric Ball (acquired from Atlanta in trade on 4-23-89)RBUCLA35
2bFreddie ChildressGArkansas55
3Erik WilhelmQBOregon State83
4aKerry Owens (acquired from Atlanta in trade on 4-23-89)LBArkansas89
4bRob WoodsTArizona111
5Natu TuatagaloaNTCalifornia138
6Craig TaylorRBWest Virginia166
7Kendal SmithWRUtah State194
8Chris ChenaultLBKentucky222
9Richard StephensTTulsa250
10aCornell Holloway (acquired from Atlanta in trade on 4-23-89)CBPittsburgh256
10bBob JeanQBNew Hampshire278
11Dana WellsNTArizona306
12Scott JonesTWashington334
850930-Bengals-AP_8509300342-Gene J. Puskar-NEW

Pro Bowl

Player selected for the 1984 NFL Pro Bowl: OT Anthony Munoz

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