Notable BENGALS/RAMS games

[74_75_78_79_]

So it's the BENGALS versus the RAMS for all-the-marbles on 2/13! Not quite a twosome with a history. Almost like the Eagles/Chiefs. Both these franchises were 'hailed' the two worst of the '90s. Other than the Paul Brown and Chuck Knox eras in the '70s, how often were both franchises competitors at the same time?

Without digging into such a possible affair, or two, from that early/mid-'70s period, I thought I start off with a result just a few years later (1978) that has always perplexed me...a still great (despite no more Knox) 11-3 Rams team bowing at home, on MNF, to the 2-12 Bengals now led by Homer Rice, 20-19! And this is a Rams team who would end up posting a superior 7-1 mark vs teams that would end up with a winning record - Steelers and Dallas being two of them!! Yes, their division was already wrapped up, just over 47K in attendance at the Coliseum, but still. They were still competing with rallying Dallas for home-field (not that it made a difference, end-of-day).

[racepug]

None come to mind for me. Why would they? The two teams have never met in the post-season and after a few years even the best regular season games fade in the memory. Interestingly, in my current Greatest Players of All Time League season I have: CIN, CLE, DAL, SFO, and the Rams all in the same division which I call the "Rivalry Division." Which I think is a pretty good name for the division, except that for CIN - DAL and CIN - Rams no real rivalry exists (as far as I know).

[Jay Z]

They played 14 times. In NONE of these matchups would both teams go on to be in the playoffs that year.

1976 the Bengals were 10-4 and the Rams made the playoffs. That's probably the best. There was an Esiason/Everett shootout in 1990, 34-31 in OT. Esiason had nearly 500 passing yards; five receivers in all had 100 yard days.

[SixtiesFan]

Re the Bengals 1978 20-19 win, the 1978 Rams lacked punch at RB. Their leading rusher had 658 yards in a 16 game season. Wendell Tyler was out with a knee injury. Lawrence McCutcheon had slowed down and was oft-injured. They couldn't get the ball over the goal line in close and kicked 4 field goals. The Bengals had two TDs and two field goals.

In the 1978 NFC Championship game against Dallas (and with home field advantage) the first half was scoreless with the Rams unable to finish a couple of drives. In the second half, the Cowboys scored three TDs and Thomas Henderson ran back an interception for a 28-0 score.

The Rams won three games in 1978 (Falcons, Oilers, Steelers) despite scoring only 10 points. They had a great defense which wasn't enough to reach the Super Bowl.

[RRMarshall]

1976 the Bengals were 10-4 and the Rams made the playoffs.

The Bengals finished 10-4 and lost the tie-breaker for the division title to the Steelers (who defeated them twice) so they were a decent team.
Here are some highlights of that 1976 game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA0K_up ... RetroMaven

[Jay Z]

1976 the Bengals were 10-4 and the Rams made the playoffs.

The Bengals finished 10-4 and lost the tie-breaker for the division title to the Steelers (who defeated them twice) so they were a decent team.
Here are some highlights of that 1976 game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA0K_up ... RetroMaven

The Bengals' 4 losses all came against playoff teams, with the Colts and the Raiders being the other two. Colts (on the road) and 2nd Steelers game were close, others were not. Win over the Rams was the only one against a playoff team. Bengals also beat the 9-5 Broncos and the 9-5 Browns twice. So 8 games against teams 9-5 or better, for a 4-4 record.

The Rams tied their only game against a playoff team, the Vikings. They lost to the Bengals and Cardinals, neither of whom made the playoffs. They split with the 8-6 49ers. So 1-3-1 against teams 8-6 or better. Seems like the Rams had the easier time of it there.

[74_75_78_79_]

Just FOUR times!! That's it, just four. Those years being '73...'75...'88...and...2021!

In the 54 seasons that both teams simultaneously existed, that's how many times both the Bengals and Rams made the playoffs the same season.

Regular-season-wise, '75 would be the best collective effort between both as Cincy would finish 11-3 with LA doing one better at 12-2. It would have been nice to see them square off that year. That also goes for '73! In Knox's first year with them, the Rams also went 12-2 as Cincy was slightly lesser at 10-4 instead; but ending things at 6-0! Paul Brown and Chuck Knox never did go head-to-head.

With exception to the '88 season, both teams basically did a dance with each other the rest of the way which would involve only one team at a time making the playoffs (if either of the two would make it, that is). From '76-thru-'80, the Rams stretched their playoff streak as Cincy faltered. They didn’t return to post-season-play in those five seasons after Brown's departure from the HC spot.

But then in '81, of course, the Bengals make the playoffs, and Super Bowl, as Rams suddenly go bad. Another playoff year for Cincy in abbreviated '82 while Rams suffer yet another losing - and no playoff - campaign. Next year John Robinson arrives and from '83-thru-'86 leads Rams to playoffs while Cincy does not make it in either of those years (though they did post a 10-6 winner in '86).

Bengals continue their all-'90s-long slumber into the early '00s during 'The Greatest Show' Era. But in 2005, the year after Martz's last playoff appearance in St. Louis, the Bengals finally make it again. The Rams would post an even worse era than the '90s by not ever making the playoffs ever again until McVay's first year in 2017, the Rams second year back in LA and two years after Marvin Lewis's last playoff berth in Cincy.

Yes, just four out of fifty four seasons of both making the playoffs; and just seven total of both at least having a winning season! 1970, '76 (as Jay Z mentioned), and '86 (mentioned this post) being the three others. As for '70, Cincy rallies in a soft division to a paltry 8-6. Meanwhile the Rams, despite a stronger 9-4-1 mark, came up just short from qualifying in the far-tougher-that-year NFC.

[Brian wolf]

A tough, sad loss for the Bengals, who won the turnover battle and had more rushing yards but couldnt block Donald on their final two plays ... Great season though

[Jay Z]

A tough, sad loss for the Bengals, who won the turnover battle and had more rushing yards but couldnt block Donald on their final two plays ... Great season though

That throw away second down really proved costly, Burrow actually had good protection and the play was just botched for whatever reason.