Record 3–11 Playoff finish did not qualify | Division place 5th AFL West | |
AFL All-Stars 3C Bob JohnsonTE Bob TrumpyRB Paul Robinson | ||
The 1968 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's first year in professional football. Paul Brown, who left the Cleveland Browns following the 1962 season with National Football League (NFL) record of 115–49–6, seven conference titles, and three NFL championships, had the urge to get back into football. His son Mike Brown did a study on pro football expansion and recommended Cincinnati as a potential site. In 1965, Brown met with Ohio Governor James Rhodes and the two agreed the state could accommodate a second pro football team.
Contents
- Standings
- Week 1
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Week 5
- Week 6
- Week 7
- Week 8
- Week 9
- Week 10
- Week 11
- Week 12
- Week 13
- Week 14
- AFL Rookie of the Year
- AFL Pro Bowl Selections
- Highlights
- References
1966 – Fearful the Cincinnati Reds baseball team would leave town and feeling pressure from local businessmen pushing for a pro football franchise, Cincinnati's city council approved the construction of Riverfront Stadium.
1967 – Brown's group was awarded an American Football League (AFL) expansion franchise. Brown named the team the Bengals, the name of Cincinnati's pro teams in the old AFL of the late 1930s. The Bengals acquired their first player late in the year when they traded two draft picks to Miami for quarterback John Stofa.
1968 – The Bengals were awarded 40 veteran players in the allocation draft. In the college draft, they selected University of Tennessee center Bob Johnson as their first pick. The Bengals lost their first preseason game 38–14 to the Kansas City Chiefs before 21,682 fans at the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium. The Bengals upset the Denver Broncos 24–10 and the Buffalo Bills 34–23 in their first two regular-season home games. Halfback Paul Robinson led the AFL in rushing with 1,023 yards and was named Rookie of the Year.
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Week 1
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Sunday September 29
Week 5
Sunday October 6
Week 6
Sunday October 13
Week 7
Sunday October 20
Week 8
Sunday October 28
Week 9
Sunday November 3
Week 10
Sunday November 10
Week 11
Sunday, November 17
Week 12
Sunday November 24
Week 13
Sunday December 1
Week 14
Sunday December 8
AFL Rookie of the Year
AFL Pro Bowl Selections
Highlights
Paul Brown, founder of the Cincinnati Bengals, was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Paul Robinson led the AFL in rushing with 1023 yards and was named Rookie of the Year.