Cincinnati Bengals 1981 Record:  12 wins and 4 losses

The Bengals unveiled their new uniforms with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants to start the season. In the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Kenny Anderson was intercepted three times in the first half.  Things did not look good for the Bengals.  Forest Greg benched Anderson.  Turk Schonert the third string Quarterback led the team back and won the game 27-21.  With Their new uniforms, the Bengals got off to a good start winning 3 of their first 4 games in great fashion. After splitting the next 4 games the Bengals embarked on a 5 game winning streak capturing the AFC Central title. The Bengals would go on to finish with the best record in the AFC at 12-4.  Despite being benched in the first game of the year, Quarterback Ken Anderson went on to have the best season of his career.  He won the NFL MVP, and offensive Player of the year by passing for 3,754 yards and 29 TD passes. Ken Anderson's had a new target Rookie WR Chris Collinsworth who caught 8 TD passes, while gaining 1,009 receiving yards in an impressive first season. Collinsworth became a fan sensation over night.  In the first ever playoff game at Riverfront Stadium the Bengals and Buffalo Bills battled back and forth, with neither team having much trouble moving the ball. With the game tied at 21 late in the 4th Quarter Ken Anderson hit Chris Collinsworth with 16-yard Game winning TD Pass as the Bengals advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

It had been bitterly cold in Cincinnati all week and the weather forecast for the Bengals' first-ever title game appearance was ominous.  The Bengals hosted the San Diego Chargers in freezing temperatures where the win chill at game time was 59 degrees below 0.  Now known as the “Freezer Bowl”, the game was the second coldest game in NFL history. The Bengals' offensive linemen were on the field with their standard sleeveless jerseys in an effort to intimidate a Charger team more accustomed to the warmer California weather.   "It was so cold," Mike Brown said, "that you were hot. Maybe because you had so many clothes on, but it was odd. The one thing I remember is that every time Fouts tried to throw a long pass, it would just die. Like it would hit a glass partition."  In fact, Chargers owner Gene Klein tried to get the Bengals not to play the game. He met with Bengals Assistant General Manager Mike Brown Sunday morning and urged him that they call Rozelle together and ask him to postpone the game. Brown, now the Bengals president, could see the Bengals had the Chargers' stat-popping passing game led by quarterback Dan Fouts right where they wanted it and told Klein no.  The Bengals would freeze the Chargers 27-7 to advance to their first ever Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XVI: The Bengals faced the San Francisco 49ers in the Detroit Silverdome.  It was the first Super Bowl north of the Mason Dixon line.  It was also the first Super Bowl to feature two teams that had never appeared in one before.  In a Super Bowl featuring 2 teams that finished in last place the previous season. The Bengals hurt them selves early and often.  They had no problem driving the ball down the field, but 3 turnovers in the red zone, had them trailing all game. After recovering a fumble from the 49ers on the opening kickoff, the Bengals gave the ball right back to San Francisco by throwing an interception which lead to a 49ers touchdown on their next possession.  The Bengals blew another opportunity as the 49ers prevented them from scoring on 1st Goal from the 1-yard line. By halftime the 49ers had a 20-0 lead.  The largest halftime margin in Super Bowl history up to that point in time.  The Bengals made a valiant comeback attempt in the second half, and managed to outscore San Francisco by 15 points, but committed even more costly turnovers; another interception and a turnover on downs when the 49ers stuffed an attempted fourth down conversion attempt on the San Francisco one-yard line. Cincinnati ended up losing the game 26-21 despite out gaining the 49ers in total yards 356 to 274 and setting 3 Super Bowl records: most receptions by one player (11 by Dan Ross), most completions (25 by Ken Anderson), and highest completion percentage (73.5).   The Bengals sent Ken Anderson, Cris Collinsworth, Pete Johnson, Pat Mclnally, and Anthony Munoz to the Pro Bowl.

Scored 421 points (26.3/g), 3rd of 28 in the NFL.
Allowed 304 points (19.0/g), 12th.
Differential of 117 points (7.3/g), 2nd. 

(Quarterback Ken Anderson is awarded Offensive Player of the Year)
(Quarterback Ken Anderson is awarded the NFL MVP)