Top Ten plays in Cincinnati Bengals' history
The 2020 NFL regular season is slated to kickoff in roughly ten weeks. We're all hoping that they stay on schedule and start on time.
In honor of football [hopefully] returning in the near future, here are the top ten plays in Bengals' history.
10. Anthony Muñoz scores first Touchdown
The greatest player in team history and arguably the greatest left tackle to ever play the game, Anthony Muñoz has an endless highlight reel of pancake blocks, but his first-ever touchdown is 10th on the list.
Late in the 1984 season, the Bengals battled the Browns. Muñoz broke the 10-10 tie with his first career touchdown reception. Cincinnati won the game 20-17 in overtime.
9. Ken Riley game-winning Interception
A solid candidate for any Bengals Mt. Rushmore, Ken Riley was the definition of a ballhawk for 15 years. He accumulated 65 interceptions over his career, which is fifth in NFL history.
Few were more important than this one in 1983 against the Browns. Tied 21-21 late in the fourth quarter, Riley intercepted Brian Sipe and took it to the house in a 28-21 Bengals victory.
8. The 'Freezer Bowl'
Just the fact they even took the field makes this whole game one of the Bengals greatest "plays" ever. The 1981 AFC Championship game between the Bengals and the Chargers was played on the banks of the Ohio River. It was minus-59 degrees with the windchill.
That didn't matter to Ken Anderson and the Bengals, who weathered the elements en route to a 27-7 victory and the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
7. A.J. Green Hail Mary against the Browns
This play is a big reason why Adriel Jeremiah Green will go down as one of the greatest receivers in Bengals' history.
Green shows off his elite ball skills and body control to pull in the prayer from Andy Dalton late in the second quarter. He had eight receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals compiled 559 total yards, which was their most since 1990.
6. Chad Johnson Camera Celebration
"Ochocinco"
Bengals fans get flooded with memories when they hear that phrase and few plays were as memorable as Chad Johnson's touchdown celebration against the Tennessee Titans in 2007. Ochocinco put one of the television cameras on his family after one of his three touchdowns.
He finished with 12 receptions for 103 yards and three scores. He also passed Carl Pickens to become Cincinnati's all-time leader in receptions in the Bengals' win over the Titans.
5. Giovani Bernard Touchdown run against Miami
This play was so wild not even a gif can contain it.
Giovani Bernard is one of the more elusive running backs in team history and he showed it on this 35-yard TD run against Miami in 2013. The play was like an entire drive packed into 20 seconds. He forced two missed tackles by Dolphins Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes. Bernard covered almost 140 total yards on the windy path to pay dirt.
4. A.J. Green go-ahead Touchdown against the Steelers
This is arguably the best moment for Bengals fans over the past twenty years. The 2015 season had the makings of something special until Andy Dalton went down with a broken thumb against the Steelers in December.
A.J. McCarron took the reigns of the offense for the final month of the season and helped guide the Bengals from a 15-0 fourth quarter deficit in a Wild Card matchup against Pittsburgh.
He captained the ship for the Bengals final playoff appearance of the decade. McCarron found Green wide open for a touchdown in what ended up being the biggest throw of his career. The score gave the Bengals a 17-15 lead late in the fourth quarter. Let's pretend the game ended after that moment.
3. Jerome Simpson front flip Touchdown
Simpson spent his first four NFL seasons with the Bengals and while he won't go down as a great player, he did have one of the best plays in franchise history.
"The Flip" gave Cincinnati a 23-0 lead over Arizona in Week 16 of the 2011 season. Not many people can do a standing front flip, even fewer can send one over Daryl Washington for a touchdown.
2. Corey Dillon Makes History
Corey Dillon was one of the more polarizing players in Bengals' history, but he galvanized the whole fanbase on Oct. 22, 2000. Cincinnati got off to an 0-6 start. They were winless in their brand new stadium.
Dillon exploded for an NFL single-game rushing record of 278 yards. His 41-yard run down the sideline clinched the game and the record for arguably the greatest running back in team history. Dillon eclipsed the previous record of 275 yards held by Walter Payton which had stood since 1977. Baltimore's Jamal Lewis would eventually break it with his own 295-yard day in 2003, but Dillon and the Bengals shocked the football world with their performance against the Broncos.
1. Stanford Jennings' Kickoff Return
Stanford Jennings might not be a household name for younger fans, but he takes the top spot on our list.
Jennings' 93-yard touchdown return in Super Bowl XXIII gave the Bengals a 13-6 lead late in the third quarter.
Cincinnati couldn't keep Joe Montana from finding the end zone twice in the fourth quarter. The Bengals haven't gotten close to another Super Bowl since 1988. Jennings' score is arguably the biggest play in team history.
