1968 Cincinnati Bengals season


The 1968 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 1st season overall and their 1st under head coach Paul Brown, who left the Cleveland Browns following the 1962 season with National Football League record of 115–49–6, seven conference titles, and three NFL championships. 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.
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 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.

Offseason

Common draft

Pre-season

WeekDateOpponentResultVenueAttendanceRecord
1August 3, 1968vs. Kansas City Chiefs38–14 LNippert Stadium21,6820–1
2August 10, 1968at Denver Broncos15–13 LDenver University Stadium13,8410–2
3August 17, 1968vs. Buffalo Bills10–6 LNippert Stadium20,1110–3
4August 25, 1968Pittsburgh Steelers19–3 WOld Mountaineer Field11,5001–3
5August 30, 1968New York Jets13–9 WMemphis Memorial Stadium24,3582–3

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultVenueAttendanceRecord
1September 6, 1968at San Diego Chargers29–13 LSan Diego Stadium33,6870–1
2September 15, 1968vs. Denver Broncos24–10 WNippert Stadium25,0491–1
3September 22, 1968vs. Buffalo Bills34–23 WNippert Stadium24,0452–1
4September 29, 1968vs. San Diego Chargers31–10 LNippert Stadium28,6422–2
5October 6, 1968at Denver Broncos10–7 LMile High Stadium41,2572–3
6October 13, 1968at Kansas City Chiefs13–3 LMunicipal Stadium47,0962–4
7October 20, 1968vs. Miami Dolphins24–22 LNippert Stadium25,9422–5
8October 27, 1968at Oakland Raiders31–10 LOakland Coliseum37,0832–6
9November 3, 1968vs. Houston Oilers27–17 LNippert Stadium24,0122–7
10November 10, 1968vs. Kansas City Chiefs16–9 LNippert Stadium25,5372–8
11November 17, 1968at Miami Dolphins38–21 WMiami Orange Bowl31,7473–8
12November 24, 1968vs. Oakland Raiders34–0 LNippert Stadium27,1163–9
13December 1, 1968at Boston Patriots33–14 LFenway Park17,7963–10
14December 8, 1968at New York Jets27–14 LShea Stadium61,1113–11

Standings

Game summaries

Week 1

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
CINSDG
CINPaul Robinson 2-yard rush 70
SDGDennis Partee 42-yard field goal73
SDGDickie Post 48-yard rush 710
CINDale Livingston 22-yard field goal1010
SDGBrad Hubbert 1-yard rush 1017
CINDale Livingston 35-yard field goal1317
SDGWillie Frazier 48-yard pass from John Hadl 1323
SDGWillie Frazier 56-yard pass from John Hadl 1329

CINSDG
First downs1327
Rush-yards-TDs30–122–133–229–2
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT14–26–125–0–120–37–325–2–0
Sacked-yards2–210–0
Net pass yards104325
Total yards226554
Fumbles-lost4–12–2
Turnovers22
Penalties-yards5–5610–100

Week 2

DENCIN
CINDale Livingston 49-yard field goal03
CINBob Trumpy 58-yard pass from John Stofa 010
DENBob Humphreys 33-yard field goal310
DENEric Crabtree 5-yard pass from Jim M. LeClair 1010
CINWarren McVea 54-yard pass from John Stofa 1017
CINEssex Johnson 35-yard rush 1024

Week 3

BUFCIN
First downs179
Rush-yards-TDs24–92–229–149–2
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT15–36–160–0–28–18–68–0–1
Sacked-yards5–372–16
Net pass yards12352
Total yards215201
Fumbles-lost1–02–1
Turnovers22
Penalties-yards5–656–34

Week 4

Sunday September 29
SDGCIN
First downs1814
Rush-yards-TDs37–101–225–66–1
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT11–24–215–2–117–29–153–0–2
Sacked-yards1–143–24
Net pass yards201129
Total yards302195
Fumbles-lost0–00–0
Turnovers12
Penalties-yards6–518–90

Week 5

Sunday October 6
CINDEN
First downs1511
Rush-yards-TDs37–111–123–99–0
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT15–38–139–0–014–34–125–1–0
Sacked-yards1–32–13
Net pass yards136112
Total yards247211
Fumbles-lost3–11–0
Turnovers10
Penalties-yards5–493–28

Week 6

Sunday October 13
CINKAN
First downs715
Rush-yards-TDs28–99–040–136–1
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT7–19–48–0–111–17–152–0–1
Sacked-yards3–313–23
Net pass yards17129
Total yards116265
Fumbles-lost1–02–1
Turnovers12
Penalties-yards3–255–42

Week 7

Sunday October 20
MIACIN
First downs2114
Rush-yards-TDs38–139–030–143–2
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT16–29–186–3–014–21–184–1–1
Sacked-yards4–290–0
Net pass yards157184
Total yards296327
Fumbles-lost1–03–2
Turnovers03
Penalties-yards2–112–10

Week 8

Sunday October 28
CINOAK
First downs826
Rush-yards-TDs28–169–142–265–1
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT11–19–95–0–117–34–205–3–1
Sacked-yards7–364–31
Net pass yards59174
Total yards228439
Fumbles-lost3–12–2
Turnovers23
Penalties-yards6–905–78

Week 9

Sunday November 3
HOUCIN
First downs2121
Rush-yards-TDs37–159–126–179–1
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT14–23–212–2–020–25–228–1–0
Sacked-yards1–105–33
Net pass yards202195
Total yards361374
Fumbles-lost1–01–0
Turnovers00
Penalties-yards3–354–45

Week 10

Sunday November 10
KANCIN
First downs1615
Rush-yards-TDs39–255–130–157–0
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT5–15–62–0–112–21–161–0–2
Sacked-yards1–136–35
Net pass yards49126
Total yards304283
Fumbles-lost0–00–0
Turnovers12
Penalties-yards4–453–44

Week 11

Sunday, November 17
CINMIA
First downs1716
Rush-yards-TDs38–179–323–122–0
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT9–17–243–2–016–31–253–3–1
Sacked-yards0–06–49
Net pass yards243204
Total yards422326
Fumbles-lost2–13–1
Turnovers12
Penalties-yards2–313–22

Week 12

Sunday November 24
OAKCIN
First downs337
Rush-yards-TDs46–208–225–116–0
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT26–34–396–2–07–14–44–0–1
Sacked-yards0–02–12
Net pass yards39632
Total yards604148
Fumbles-lost2–12–2
Turnovers13
Penalties-yards9–925–52

Week 13

Sunday December 1
CINBOS
First downs1420
Rush-yards-TDs30–106–037–129–1
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT18–37–126–2–112–25–142–3–1
Sacked-yards2–200–0
Net pass yards106142
Total yards212271
Fumbles-lost2–01–1
Turnovers12
Penalties-yards3–352–19

Week 14

Sunday December 8
CINNYJ
First downs619
Rush-yards-TDs38–107–129–85–0
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT3–7–58–0–021–39–299–3–1
Sacked-yards1–71–13
Net pass yards51286
Total yards158371
Fumbles-lost3–11–1
Turnovers12
Penalties-yards1–53–29

Final roster

Awards and records

AFL Rookie of the Year

, 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.