NFL team season
The Bengals hosting the Cowboys in December 1985.The 1985 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 16th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 18th overall, and their second under head coach Sam Wyche. Wide receiver Isaac Curtis, a premier Bengal for 12 years, retired shortly before training camp opened. Second-year quarterback Boomer Esiason replaced Ken Anderson. The Bengals set a club scoring record with 441 points.
Regular season
Schedule
| Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
Venue
|
Attendance
|
| 1
|
September 8
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
L 24–28
|
0–1
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
51,625
|
| 2
|
September 15
|
at St. Louis Cardinals
|
L 27–41
|
0–2
|
Busch Memorial Stadium
|
46,321
|
| 3
|
September 22
|
San Diego Chargers
|
L 41–44
|
0–3
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
52,270
|
| 4
|
|
at Pittsburgh Steelers
|
W 37–24
|
1–3
|
Three Rivers Stadium
|
59,541
|
| 5
|
October 6
|
New York Jets
|
L 20–29
|
1–4
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
51,785
|
| 6
|
October 13
|
New York Giants
|
W 35–30
|
2–4
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
53,112
|
| 7
|
October 20
|
at Houston Oilers
|
L 27–44
|
2–5
|
Houston Astrodome
|
35,590
|
| 8
|
October 27
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
W 26–21
|
3–5
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
55,421
|
| 9
|
November 3
|
at Buffalo Bills
|
W 23–17
|
4–5
|
Rich Stadium
|
25,640
|
| 10
|
November 10
|
Cleveland Browns
|
W 27–10
|
5–5
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
57,293
|
| 11
|
November 17
|
at Los Angeles Raiders
|
L 6–13
|
5–6
|
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
|
52,501
|
| 12
|
November 24
|
at Cleveland Browns
|
L 6–24
|
5–7
|
Cleveland Municipal Stadium
|
74,439
|
| 13
|
December 1
|
Houston Oilers
|
W 45–27
|
6–7
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
46,140
|
| 14
|
December 8
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
W 50–24
|
7–7
|
Riverfront Stadium
|
56,936
|
| 15
|
December 15
|
at Washington Redskins
|
L 24–27
|
7–8
|
RFK Stadium
|
50,544
|
| 16
|
December 22
|
at New England Patriots
|
L 23–34
|
7–9
|
Sullivan Stadium
|
57,953
|
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1
Week 1: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
| Period |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks |
7 |
14 |
0 | 7 | 28 |
| Bengals |
0 |
10 |
14 | 0 | 24 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
- Date: September 8, 1985
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
- Game attendance: 51,625
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
- [2]
Week 2
Week 2: Cincinnati Bengals at St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary
| Period |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals |
7 |
7 |
3 | 10 | 27 |
| Cardinals |
7 |
10 |
10 | 14 | 41 |
at Busch Stadium, St. Louis
- Date: September 15, 1985
- Game time: 1:00pm CST
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
- Game attendance: 46,321
- [3]
Week 3
Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
| Period |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers |
3 |
17 |
14 | 10 | 44 |
| Bengals |
7 |
6 |
21 | 7 | 41 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
- Date: September 22, 1985
- Game time: 1:00pm EST
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Game attendance: 52,270
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Bob Stone and Bob Kuechenberg
- [4]
| Scoring summary
|
| Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
| Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
Chargers
|
Bengals
|
| 1
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
20-yard field goal by Bob Thomas
|
3
|
0
|
| 1
|
|
|
|
|
Bengals
|
Cris Collinsworth 18-yard touchdown reception from Boomer Esiason, Jim Breech kick good
|
3
|
7
|
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
Eric Sievers 4-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Bob Thomas kick good
|
10
|
7
|
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
Eric Sievers 5-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Bob Thomas kick good
|
17
|
7
|
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
Bengals
|
James Brooks 1-yard touchdown run, Jim Breech kick missed
|
17
|
13
|
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
28-yard field goal by Bob Thomas
|
20
|
13
|
| 3
|
|
|
|
|
Bengals
|
Cris Collinsworth 16-yard touchdown reception from Boomer Esiason, Jim Breech kick good
|
20
|
20
|
| 3
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
Pete Holohan 3-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Bob Thomas kick good
|
27
|
20
|
| 3
|
|
|
|
|
Bengals
|
Larry Kinnebrew 4-yard touchdown run, Jim Breech kick good
|
27
|
27
|
| 3
|
|
|
|
|
Bengals
|
Stanford Jennings 11-yard touchdown reception from Boomer Esiason, Jim Breech kick good
|
27
|
34
|
| 3
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
Lionel James 56-yard touchdown run, Bob Thomas kick good
|
34
|
34
|
| 4
|
|
|
|
|
Bengals
|
Larry Kinnebrew 8-yard touchdown run, Jim Breech kick good
|
34
|
41
|
| 4
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
Lionel James 60-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Bob Thomas kick good
|
41
|
41
|
| 4
|
|
|
|
|
Chargers
|
34-yard field goal by Bob Thomas
|
44
|
41
|
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
|
44
|
41
|
|
Week 4
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bengals |
0 |
14 | 7 | 16 |
37 |
| Steelers |
0 |
10 | 14 | 0 |
24 |
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
| | Q2 | | PIT | Lipps 15 yard pass from Malone (Anderson kick) | PIT 7–0 |
| | Q2 | | CIN | Brooks 14 yard run (Breech kick) | Tie 7–7 |
| | Q2 | | CIN | Holman 26 yard pass from Esiason (Breech kick) | CIN 14–7 |
| | Q2 | | PIT | Anderson 29 yard field goal | CIN 14–10 |
| | Q3 | | CIN | Brown 8 yard pass from Esiason (Breech kick) | CIN 21–10 |
| | Q3 | | PIT | Stallworth 17 yard pass from Malone (Anderson kick) | CIN 21–17 |
| | Q3 | | PIT | Erenberg 4 yard pass from Malone (Anderson kick) | PIT 24–21 |
| | Q4 | | CIN | Holman 4 yard pass from Esiason (Breech kick) | CIN 28–24 |
| | Q4 | | CIN | Breech 32 yard field goal | CIN 31–24 |
| | Q4 | | CIN | Brooks 32 yard run (pass failed) | CIN 37–24 |
|
Week 6
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants |
0 |
3 | 17 | 10 |
30 |
| • Bengals |
14 |
7 | 7 | 7 |
35 |
- Date: October 13
- Location: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
| | 1 | | CIN | Cris Collinsworth 16 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick) | Bengals 7–0 |
| | 1 | | CIN | James Brooks 27 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick) | Bengals 14–0 |
| | 2 | | CIN | James Brooks 5 yard run (Jim Breech kick) | Bengals 21–0 |
| | 2 | | NYG | Jess Atkinson 33 yard field goal | Bengals 21–3 |
| | 3 | | NYG | Joe Morris 1 yard run (Jess Atkinson kick) | Bengals 21–10 |
| | 3 | | NYG | Jess Atkinson 14 yard run (Jess Atkinson kick) | Bengals 21–17 |
| | 3 | | NYG | Jess Atkinson 37 yard field goal | Bengals 21–20 |
| | 3 | | CIN | James Griffin 24 yard interception return (Jim Breech kick) | Bengals 28–20 |
| | 4 | | CIN | Rodney Holman 5 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick) | Bengals 35–20 |
| | 4 | | NYG | Jess Atkinson 46 yard field goal | Bengals 35–23 |
| | 4 | | NYG | George Adams 24 yard pass from Phil Simms (Jess Atkinson kick) | Bengals 35–30 |
|
[5]
Week 8
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
| Period |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers |
0 |
7 |
0 | 14 | 21 |
| Bengals |
3 |
14 |
9 | 0 | 26 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
- Date: October 27, 1985
- Game time: 4:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), wind 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h; 3.5 kn)
- Game attendance: 55,241
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
- [6]
Standings
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