The 1986 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 17th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 19th overall, and their third under head coach Sam Wyche. The Bengals were one of two teams with ten wins[1] that failed to make the AFC playoffs in 1986.
| 1986 Cincinnati Bengals season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head coach | Sam Wyche |
| Home field | Riverfront Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| |
Third-year quarterback Boomer Esiason, who had the best season of his career, passed for a team-record 3,959 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions with a completion percentage of 58.2 and a passer rating of 87.7, while halfback James Brooks rushed for 1,087 yards as the Bengals went 10-6, narrowly missing a playoff berth. Linebacker Reggie Williams was selected NFL Man of the Year for his efforts to charity and the community. The Bengals amassed a club-record 621 yards net offense in a 52–21 victory over the New York Jets on December 21. No NFL team has since matched that total in a regulation-time game since.
| 1986 Cincinnati Bengals draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Joe Kelly | Linebacker | Washington | |
| 1 | 21 | Tim McGee | Wide receiver | Tennessee | |
| 2 | 38 | Lewis Billups | Defensive back | North Alabama | |
| 3 | 58 | Jim Skow | Defensive end | Nebraska | |
| 3 | 65 | Mike Hammerstein | Defensive tackle | Michigan | |
| 3 | 78 | David Fulcher * | Defensive back | Arizona State | |
| 4 | 91 | Eric Kattus | Tight end | Michigan | |
| 4 | 99 | Doug Gaynor | Quarterback | Long Beach State | |
| 5 | 123 | Leon White | Linebacker | BYU | |
| 6 | 152 | Gary Hunt | Defensive back | Memphis | |
| 7 | 177 | Pat Franklin | Running back | Texas State | |
| 8 | 204 | David Douglas | Guard | Tennessee | |
| 9 | 230 | Cary Whittingham | Linebacker | BYU | |
| 10 | 262 | Jeff Shaw | Defensive tackle | Salem (WV) | |
| 11 | 289 | Tim Stone | Offensive tackle | Kansas State | |
| 11 | 294 | Tom Flaherty | Linebacker | Northwestern | |
| 12 | 316 | Steve Bradley | Quarterback | Indiana | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7, 1986 | atKansas City Chiefs | L 24–14 | 0–1 |
43,430
|
| 2 | September 14, 1986 | Buffalo Bills | W 36–33 | 1–1 |
52,714
|
| 3 | September 18, 1986 | atCleveland Browns | W 30–13 | 2–1 |
78,779
|
| 4 | September 28, 1986 | Chicago Bears | L 44–7 | 2–2 |
55,146
|
| 5 | October 5, 1986 | atGreen Bay Packers | W 34–28 | 3–2 |
51,230
|
| 6 | October 13, 1986 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 24–22 | 4–2 |
54,283
|
| 7 | October 19, 1986 | Houston Oilers | W 31–28 | 5–2 |
53,844
|
| 8 | October 26, 1986 | atPittsburgh Steelers | L 30–9 | 5–3 |
50,815
|
| 9 | November 2, 1986 | atDetroit Lions | W 24–17 | 6–3 |
52,423
|
| 10 | November 9, 1986 | atHouston Oilers | L 32–28 | 6–4 |
32,130
|
| 11 | November 16, 1986 | Seattle Seahawks | W 34–7 | 7–4 |
54,410
|
| 12 | November 23, 1986 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–20 | 8–4 |
53,003
|
| 13 | November 30, 1986 | atDenver Broncos | L 34–28 | 8–5 |
58,705
|
| 14 | December 7, 1986 | atNew England Patriots | W 31–7 | 9–5 |
60,633
|
| 15 | December 14, 1986 | Cleveland Browns | L 34–3 | 9–6 |
58,062
|
| 16 | December 21, 1986 | New York Jets | W 52–21 | 10–6 |
51,619
|
| AFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Cleveland Browns(1) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 391 | 310 | W5 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 409 | 394 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 307 | 336 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 274 | 329 | W2 |
| Player | Att | Comp | Yds | TD | INT | Rating |
| Boomer Esiason | 469 | 273 | 3959 | 24 | 17 | 87.7 |
| Player | Att | Yds | YPC | Long | TD |
| James Brooks | 205 | 1087 | 5.3 | 56 | 5 |
| Larry Kinnebrew | 131 | 519 | 4.0 | 39 | 8 |
| Stanley Wilson | 68 | 379 | 5.6 | 58 | 8 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | TD |
| Cris Collinsworth | 62 | 1024 | 16.5 | 46 | 10 |
| Player | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FF | FR |
| Tim Krumrie | 113 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Louis Breeden | 56 | 0.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Emmanual King | 70 | 9.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Player | FGA | FGM | FG% | XPA | XPM | XP% | Points |
| Jim Breech | 32 | 17 | 53.1% | 51 | 50 | 98.0 | 101 |
| Player | Punts | Yards | Long | Blkd | Avg. |
| Jeff Hayes | 56 | 1965 | 52 | 2 | 35.1 |
| Player | KR | KRYards | KRAvg | KRLong | KRTD | PR | PRYards | PRAvg | PRLong | PRTD |
| Tim McGee | 43 | 1007 | 23.4 | 94 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 9 | 0 |
| Mike Martin | 4 | 83 | 20.8 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 96 | 7.4 | 14 | 0 |
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