Stat of the Jay: The Bengals' Amazing Record in Home Finales and Their Penchant for Sending Them Home Happy

Jay Morrison | 20 Hours Ago

The (12-4) Cincinnati Bengals open the post season Wild Card game against the (10-7) Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium on January 15, 2023. Hundrreds of screaming fans pose for a photo. / Joe Simon and Becca Richards for the Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals need to win Saturday against the Denver Broncos to keep their postseason hopes alive, and if history is any indication, there is a great chance of that happening.

That’s because it’s the final home game of the season at Paycor Stadium, and the Bengals are maestros when it comes to sending them home happy.

The Bengals are 11-1 in their last home finales, with the lone loss being a 38-3 blowout against the Baltimore Ravens in 2020.

To put that in contrast, here are the home finale records of the four teams with the most total wins from 2012-2023:

• Chiefs 9-3
• Patriots 9-3
• Seahawks 7-5
• Packers 7-5

And the Bengals' success in home finales goes back much farther than 2012.

Since 1990, the team is 27-7 in its final home game of the season.

Even in the 190s when the Bengals struggled to win any time they stepped on the field, even at home, they usually found a way to send ’em home happy.

What’s even more incredible is the run of success in otherwise lost seasons, whether it be the 90s or other seasons when there was more losing than winning.

When entering their home finale with a losing record, as they will do Saturday against the Broncos, the Bengals have won 12 of their last 13 and 17 of 19.

They were 12-0 in those instances dating back to the 1999 before the Baltimore rout in 2020.

And not all of those wins were against other teams with losing records. Many came against teams with winning records and ones that were either already in the playoffs or fighting to clinch a spot.

Here is a look at the last 19 home finales in which Cincinnati entered with a record below .500.

2020: Ravens 38, Bengals 3

The streak-breaker is tied for the fourth worst home loss in franchise history as the 10-5 Ravens clinched a playoff berth in dominating fashion against the 4-10-1 Bengals.

2019: Bengals 33, Browns 23

With just the second win in Zac Taylor’s first year as head coach the Bengals avoided posting the worst record in franchise history and instead settled for tying it with a 2-14 mark. The Browns, who finished 6-10, were 2.5-point favorites.

2018: Bengals 30, Raiders 16

The Bengals were 5-9 and had lost six in a row, but they were three-point favorites against a 3-10 Raiders team that they handled easily.

2017: Bengals 26, Lions 17

The Bengals had dropped three in a row to fall out of playoff contention at 5-9, but the Lions were 8-6 and still in the race. Detroit was a 3.5-point favorite and led with five minutes to go, but the Bengals scored 10 unanswered points over the final 4:42 on a Randy Bullock 51-yard field goal and Giovani Bernard’s 12-yard touchdown run.

2016: Bengals 27, Ravens 10

The Bengals were 5-9-1 and long since eliminated from playoff contention. The Ravens also were eliminated but still came in with a winning record at 8-7 and were 2.5-point favorites. Rex Burkhead scored two touchdowns in his final game with the team and the Bengals cruised to an easy win.

2010: Bengals 34, Chargers 20

The Bengals were 3-11 after losing 10 of 11. The Chargers were 8-6, in thick of the playoff race and 8-point favorites. But Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer threw two of his four touchdown passes in the first 17:06 as the home team raced to a 13-0 lead on the way to eliminating the Chargers.

2008: Bengals 16, Chiefs 6

One of the rare dog vs. dog games, the Bengals were 3-11-1 and the Chiefs were 2-13. Shayne Graham kicked three field goals and Cedric Benson ran for a score.

2007: Bengals 19, Browns 14

At 9-5 and tied with Pittsburgh for first place, Cleveland came in as a 3-point favorite. But the Bengals jumped out to a 19-0 lead on the way to a win that ultimately cost the Browns a playoff berth.

2004: Bengals 23, Giants 22

The Bengals had lost back-to-back games to drop to 6-8 and guarantee a 14th consecutive non-playoff season. They came in 6.5-point favorites against a Giants team that was 5-9 and then got the game-winning touchdown on a pass from Jon Kitna to Chad Johnson with 44 seconds left.

2002: Bengals 20, Saints 13

This is the one that really makes you think they put something extra in the Gatorade buckets for home finales. The Bengals were 1-13 and on their way to the worst season in franchise history. The Saints were 9-5 and 7-point favorites as they fought for a playoff spot. New Orleans led 13-7 at halftime, but the Bengals defense blanked the Saints in the second half and fullback Nick Luchey scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns for the win.

2001: Bengals 26, Steelers 23 OT

Remember when the Bengals actually beat the Steelers from time to time? The Bengals were 4-10 heading into this one as 8-point underdogs against a Steelers team that was 12-2 and fighting for the No. 1 overall seed. Down 23-10 with less than three minutes remaining, the Bengals got two touchdown passes from Kitna over the final 2:36 to tie the game. Neil Rackers missed the game-winning extra point with 37 seconds to go, but he made up for it with a 31-yard field goal in overtime.

2000: Bengals 17, Jaguars 14

The Bengals had lost five of six to fall to 3-11, while the Jaguars (7-7) were still alive for the playoffs and were 10.5-point favorites. But the second-coldest game in Bengals history neutralized the talent disparity, and Rackers hit a 27-yard field goal at the gun.

1999: Bengals 44, Browns 28

This was a weird one because there were still three weeks left in the season, including a bye and two road games. But in the home finale, the 3-10 Bengals steamrolled the 2-11 Browns behind three touchdown runs from Corey Dillon and an 81-yard punt return score by Craig Yeast.

1998: Buccaneers 35, Bengals 0

The outlier. The Bengals had snapped a nine-game losing streak the week before against the Steelers but were still 6.5-point underdogs against a 7-8 Bucs team that still had slim postseason hopes and played like it.

1997: Bengals 16, Ravens 14

The Bengals finished the season with three consecutive home games and won them all to finish 7-9. The faced a 5-9-1 Ravens team in the finale and used a 77-yard touchdown pass from Boomer Esiason to Darnay Scott to build a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead.

1996: Bengals 31, Colts 24

The Colts were 9-6 and favored by 1.5 points as they fought for a playoff spot against the 7-8 Bengals, but the Cincinnati defense intercepted Jim Harbaugh twice and Jeff Blake threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tony McGee for the game-winner with 5:27 to go.

1995: Bengals 27, Vikings 24

It was Christmas Eve and the Vikings were 8-7 and favored by 5 points with a chance to make the playoffs with a win and some outside help. Minnesota led 24-3 at halftime, but Eric Bieniemy ran for a touchdown and Blake threw for a pair of scores to McGee and Pickens to tie the game before Doug Pelfrey hit a 51-yard field goal at the gun for the upset.

1994: Bengals 33, Eagles 30

The Bengals had dropped five in a row to fall to 2-13 heading into a Christmas Eve game against an Eagles team that was 7-8 and still mathematically alive for a playoff berth. Philadelphia led 27-10 in the third quarter and 30-20 with less than four minutes to go, but the Bengals rallied in amazing fashion. Pelfrey hit a 22-yard field goal to tie the game with three seconds to go, then the Eagles muffed the ensuing squib kick, enabling Pelfrey to nail a 54-yarder as time expired.

1993: Bengals 21, Falcons 17

The Falcons were clinging to their playoff lives at 6-8 and were 3.5-point favorites against a Bengals team that was 2-12. But David Klingler threw a pair of touchdown passes to Pickens, including the game-winner with 1:00 remaining, as the Bengals started their improbable steak of home finale success.

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