What looked improbable at the start of the season is gaining momentum by the week. The Cincinnati Bengals allegedly were in the midst of a rebuilding period after the promising Carson Palmer-Chad Ochocinco era came crashing to an end. Instead, under the guidance of longtime coach Marvin Lewis and with a rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton, they are poised to make a playoff push after a 23-20 win over Cleveland last week.

“This is a remarkable story. I really thought this team had a shot at the first overall pick in the draft,” NBC football analyst Cris Collinsworth said. “They had a new offensive coordinator. They had a rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton. They had a rookie wide receiver in A.J. Green. It is all falling together in a remarkable way. It now looks like we may well see three teams out of the AFC North going into the playoffs.”

Cincinnati can make an emphatic statement with a game at Pittsburgh this weekend. If that doesn’t work, the Bengals also face Houston and Baltimore at home. All three of those teams should qualify for the postseason. But they still might need to take at least one of those difficult games. Cincinnati sits at No. 6 in the AFC — the final playoff spot — with a 7-4 record. Denver, Tennessee and the New York Jets are all one game back at 6-5. Better than the alternative, of course, which is what everyone expected for 2011. It also helps that games against St. Louis and Arizona remain on the schedule.

“These guys aren’t only going to be fun to watch; they’re going to be dangerous,” NBC analyst Tony Dungy said.

- Brian McNally

bmcnally@washingtonexaminer.com

What are some of the worst moments in Cincinnati Bengals history? The Bengals haven’t necessarily had a multitude of record-breaking seasons or Super Bowl appearances, but even at that there are a few things that certainly qualify as the worst moments in Bengals history.

Stanley Wilson’s(notes) Super Bowl Eve Cocaine Relapse. On the eve of Super Bowl XXIII, running back Stanley Wilson, Sr., who had battled substance abuse, league suspensions and legal problems, opted for cocaine over the evening team meeting. Since Wilson was out of “strikes”, he was unable to play the biggest game of the year and many Bengal fans wonder how an eligible Wilson would have changed the outcome.

Tim Krumrie’s Broken Leg. As if the loss of Wilson before Super Bowl XXIII was not enough, during the early moments of the game, Tim Krumrie suffered what many have called one of the worst injuries in Super Bowl history. Krumrie, a Cincinnati Bengal star elected to the Pro Bowl in both 1987 and 1988, broke both of his lower left leg bones during a tackle attempt when his cleat snagged the turf. The loss of Krumrie was certainly felt during that Super Bowl loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

Carson Palmer’s(notes) Knee Injury. The first round of the AFC playoffs on January 8, 2006, pitted the Cincinnati Bengals against division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The joy felt on the Bengals’ first pass, which turned out to be the longest completion in Bengal playoff history, was short lived. Carson Palmer was down on the field after a tackle by former Bengal Kimo von Oelhoffen(notes). Palmer’s game ending knee injury was feared to be career ending as well.

Joe Montana’s Super Bowl XXIII Winning Pass. With a little over three minutes left in Super Bowl XXIII, it seemed that the Bengals would pull out a win in spite of the obstacles. Even as the game clock wound down to the final minute, there was hope for a Bengal win. Then Montana connected with John Taylor for a 10 yard touchdown to win the game.

The 2-14 Season. 2002 was a tough season for the Cincinnati Bengals. They posted the worst season record in franchise history, winning only one game at home against New Orleans and one on the road in Houston. Plagued by injuries, Cincinnati was outscored 119-23 during the first four games of the 2002 season-and allowed the second most points in team history.

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October 2, 2011: Kicker Mike Nugent(notes) hit the game winner as time expired in a 23-20 Bengals victory against the undefeated Buffalo Bills. Cincinnati overcame a 14-point second half deficit, including scoring 10 points in the final 4:19 for the victory.

October 10, 2009: Kicker Shayne Graham(notes) kicks a 31-yard field goal in overtime to propel the Bengals over in-state rival Cleveland 23-20. Replays showed that the field goal may have not been good.

December 5, 2004: Carson Palmer(notes) and the Bengals overcome a 26-3 fourth quarter deficit and beat Baltimore 27-26. Shayne Graham hit the game winning field goal as time expired for the victory.

December 17, 1988: Washington Redskin kicker Chip Lohmiller missed a 29-yard field goal off the upright, his first miss of the season as time expires to send the game into overtime. Bengals kicker Jim Breech wins it in overtime 20-17.

December 24, 1994: Bengals kicker Doug Pelfrey made two field goals in the final three seconds. The first a 33-yarder. After on onside kick recovery, Pelfrey and the Bengals ran on the field for a 54-yarder that sent the fans home happy on Christmas Eve.

Sources:

http://www.bengals.com/team/40-memorable-moments-21-30.html

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/10/bengals_kicker_shayne_grahams.html

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The Cincinnati Bengals’ turnaround is too fresh — six games into 2011 — to be labeled anything more than an incomplete success. But the Indianapolis Colts would be wise to take notes after seeing it up close.

The Bengals are 4-2 after their 27-17 win over the still-winless Colts on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Cincy’s start is both surprising and instructive in a loose way to the 0-6 Colts.

Here’s a team in Cincinnati that lost its starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, not to injury but to indignation. Palmer was fed up with what he considered the Bengals’ years of mismanagement. He demanded to be traded or he’d retire. His feelings, after taking a beating so long, were understandable.

The Bengals decided — since fate was forced upon them — to let him “retire” and rebuild with youth (Palmer was traded to the Raiders on Tuesday). This followed a decision to discard troubled souls that kept them in the headlines with police case file numbers instead of fantasy football numbers.

The worst organization in sports —- The Cincinnati Bengals —- with one of the worst owners in sports —- Mike Brown — is now getting love from the flock in Cincinnati.

Those same fans that slammed Brown for being cheap, allowing first-round picks to miss most of camp in contract disputes, are now giving praise for trading Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders.

This is the same Brown who said he would hold his ground and not trade Palmer, despite his demands.

One of the best columnist in the country, Paul Daugherty of Cincinnati.com, writes how this is the finest hour in Brown’s history.

Click here for the applause.

Let me repeat that, given that charity toward the Bengals president hasn’t exactly been a hallmark of my 23 seasons here: It was his finest hour.

In return for a 31-year-old QB with an injury history – a QB who was in the team’s tail lights, regardless – the Bengals got the Raiders first-round pick in 2012 and potentially their first-rounder in 2013. 
Brown could have held fast, refused to deal Palmer even as his stand hurt his team. Instead, he put personal feelings aside for the betterment of his club. It was his finest hour. 

Finest hour? Maybe. But it’s the rest of the time Bungals Bengals fans need to worry about.