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Stat of the Jay: When Was the Last Time the Bengals Held Teams to 14 Points or Less in Consecutive Games?

Jay Morrison

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates an interception as Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) walks off the field during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates an interception as Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) walks off the field during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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CINCINNATI – With the Cincinnati Bengals holding a 21-6 lead with less than 4 minutes remaining Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, I started to wonder about the last time they held an opponent to seven points or fewer in back-to-back games.

There’s a reason you wait to look up those sorts of things.

The Browns listed backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson with a finger injury, enabling them to insert their emergency third-string option, Jameis Winston.

And Winston led Cleveland on a 12-play, 60-yard touchdown drive and capped it with a two-point conversion pass to cut the deficit to 21-14, which is how the game ended.

But out of curiosity, I looked it up anyhow.

Had the Browns not scored that final touchdown, the Bengals would have tied their franchise record for consecutive games allowing seven or fewer points after beating the New York Giants 17-7 the previous week.

There are eight previous instances were the team did it in back-to-back games, with the most recent coming in 2015 when the Bengals beat the Rams 31-7 and the Browns 37-3 in Weeks 12-13.

But what about 14 or fewer in back-to-back weeks? How common is that?

This is just the second time in the Zac Taylor/Lou Anarumo era the Bengals have done it. The other came in 2021 when the Bengals beat Raiders 32-13 and the Steelers 41-10 in Weeks 11-12.

The franchise record for consecutive games allowing 14 or fewer points is five, set first in 1970 and duplicated in 1971.

The last time the Bengals did it three games in a row was 2015 with a 16-10 win against the Steelers, 31-10 victory against the Browns and a 10-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the J.J. Watt “Red Ryder B.B. Gun” game.

But holding the Eagles to 14 points or fewer would be a feat in and of itself regardless of the historical significance of making it three games in a row.

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.