Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Thanks for the info folks on the "Isaac Curtis" rule.

I think if there was ever a HOVG team, it would be those 1970-1976 Bengals teams. I don't think Isaac Curtis is a HOFer, but he was really good and spectacular to watch at times. His catch-and-run against the Oilers in the Astrodome in 1973 was one of the best plays I've ever seen. So many other interesting Bengal players who aren't up to HOF level...Mike Reid, Parrish, Riley, Bergey, Bob Johnson, Trumpy, Ken Anderson, Curtis, Essex Johnson/Boobie Clark backfield, Tommy Casanova.

Bryan wrote:I think if there was ever a HOVG team, it would be those 1970-1976 Bengals teams. I don't think Isaac Curtis is a HOFer, but he was really good and spectacular to watch at times. His catch-and-run against the Oilers in the Astrodome in 1973 was one of the best plays I've ever seen. So many other interesting Bengal players who aren't up to HOF level...Mike Reid, Parrish, Riley, Bergey, Bob Johnson, Trumpy, Ken Anderson, Curtis, Essex Johnson/Boobie Clark backfield, Tommy Casanova.

Between 1970-77, the Bengals should have made the playoffs in all but one year, 1971:

1970, '73 and '75: Made it.

1972: Lost at home to the 2-7 Colts and by three to the Browns, throwing an interception at the goal line in the closing seconds.

1974: Lost in the final eight seconds at Oakland after failing to kill the clock after getting the ball back with three minutes left. Lost at home to the 1-5 Oilers. Lost in the final minute at home to the Lions.

1976: Lose by a point to the Colts, with Baltimore winning TD set up after backup John Reaves' pass is tipped and picked off by Fred Cook. In Week 12, the Bengals lost 7-3 to the Steelers in a snowstorm.

1977: After beating the Steelers in Week 13 in brutal cold, the Bengals lose the regular season finale at Houston.

The 1971 Bengals may have been the best 4-10 team ever, out scoring their opponents 284-265 and finishing 9th in total defence and 11th in total offence. It was just one of those quirky years that happens from time to time.

JohnH19 wrote:The 1971 Bengals may have been the best 4-10 team ever, out scoring their opponents 284-265 and finishing 9th in total defence and 11th in total offence. It was just one of those quirky years that happens from time to time.

Statistically they were a better team than the division champs, Cleveland Browns. Browns only outscored their opponents 285-273. Also -347 in yardage and -5 in turnover differential. Whereas the Bengals were +350 and +16. Bengals were statistically the best team in their division yet finished last at 4-10.

BD Sullivan wrote:

Bryan wrote:I think if there was ever a HOVG team, it would be those 1970-1976 Bengals teams. I don't think Isaac Curtis is a HOFer, but he was really good and spectacular to watch at times. His catch-and-run against the Oilers in the Astrodome in 1973 was one of the best plays I've ever seen. So many other interesting Bengal players who aren't up to HOF level...Mike Reid, Parrish, Riley, Bergey, Bob Johnson, Trumpy, Ken Anderson, Curtis, Essex Johnson/Boobie Clark backfield, Tommy Casanova.

Between 1970-77, the Bengals should have made the playoffs in all but one year, 1971:

1970, '73 and '75: Made it.

1972: Lost at home to the 2-7 Colts and by three to the Browns, throwing an interception at the goal line in the closing seconds.

1974: Lost in the final eight seconds at Oakland after failing to kill the clock after getting the ball back with three minutes left. Lost at home to the 1-5 Oilers. Lost in the final minute at home to the Lions.

1976: Lose by a point to the Colts, with Baltimore winning TD set up after backup John Reaves' pass is tipped and picked off by Fred Cook. In Week 12, the Bengals lost 7-3 to the Steelers in a snowstorm.

1977: After beating the Steelers in Week 13 in brutal cold, the Bengals lose the regular season finale at Houston.

I wonder how far Greg Cook would have taken those teams. Anderson was a good QB, but Cook should have been one of the best ever (according to Bill Walsh). Bob Trumpy thinks that his hands would have been filled with SB rings if Cook was the QB.

But it wasn't Anderson who led the 1971 Bengals, it was Virgil Carter.
Anderson was 0-4 in his 4 contests. It was Carter who got the Bengals their 4 wins.
Carter also led the league in completion percentage (with Bill Walsh as his QB coach) and had the longest completion in the NFL that season.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... n/1971.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... rtVi00.htm

I used to like Virgil Carter. He struck me as one of those limited skill set QBs who just knew how to play the game. The Bears should have held on to him rather than Concannon and Douglass.

JohnH19 wrote:The 1971 Bengals may have been the best 4-10 team ever, out scoring their opponents 284-265 and finishing 9th in total defence and 11th in total offence. It was just one of those quirky years that happens from time to time.

In both of their losses to the Browns, they lost the game in the final minutes. In Cincy, the Browns trailed the entire game before winning 27-24 with 39 seconds left. In Cleveland, the Browns won 31-27, scoring the winning touchdown with 1:48 left.

Bengals also lost four other games by four points or less.

My take on Cook is that it was just far too early to have a definitive take on how how his career would've gone. So many QB's looked like a million bucks a few starts in...or a year in, and just hit the wall and never progress...or regress after adjustments are made to them. Cook had such a short time frame when he was truly healthy in the league.