Are the Bengals bad or just unlucky?

[GMDino]

The Bengals are founded in 1968 and have the NFL/AFL rookie of the year in 68 and 69.

In 1969, one year after their founding, their first great QB sets all kind of rookie records....then has to retire due to injury.

Quote:In 1969, the Bengals released John Stofa, the Bengals' starting signal caller for much of the team's inaugural season, and named Cook as the starting quarterback. His season started spectacularly, as he led the Bengals to a 3–0 record. However, in game three versus Kansas City, Cook felt a pop in his right (throwing) shoulder after being tackled by linebacker Jim Lynch and missed the next three games. Possibly due to the limited medical technology at the time, his torn rotator cuff went undiagnosed.


Despite this, Cook went on to pass for 1,854 yards and led the Bengals to wins over the Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders, two of the three best teams in the AFL. His 9.411 yards per pass attempt and 17.5 yard per completion are rookie records that still stand. Cook was UPI's choice for AFL Rookie of the year.

Cook recalled, "I took cortisone shots and played in pain, but the shoulder hadn't started to deteriorate yet, so I could still function. I still had the strength. I felt obligated to finish the season. I'd gotten off to a good start. I didn't want to relinquish that."[2]

The rotator cuff began deteriorating after the season; during surgery, it was revealed that Cook also had a partially detached biceps muscle. After three operations proved futile, he retired. A 1973 comeback attempt failed and Cook retired permanently. The NFL Network NFL Top Ten series named Cook the #1 One Shot Wonder in NFL history.[3]

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With the legendary Paul Brown has their head coach from 1968-1975 they STILL have a losing record overall...and go 0-3 in the playoffs.

Quote:Head coaches[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cincinnati_Bengals&action=edit§ion=14]edit]
Main article: List of Cincinnati Bengals head coaches
Name
Tenure
Regular Season Record
Post Season Record
                   W  L   T   Playoffs: W L

Paul Brown 55 59 1                  0  3
1968–1975

In fact only three of the men to be head coach of the Bengals has a winning record.  One is Marvin Lewis who remains without a win in the post-season.

They reach the Super Bowl twice under an innovative coach who had a pro bowl QB...and had the misfortune of meeting a better coach with a better pro bowl QB both times.

That's not mentioning Tim Krumie's broken leg and Stanley Wilson.

In the 20 years since their last Super Bowl apperance they have had only eight above 500 seasons.

And they have reached the playoffs eight times...winning one game in 1990.  

In the midst of that we cannot forget that in '05, the Steelers take out Palmer on the opening play of the playoff game and then everyone knows what happened at halftime and everything just fell apart.


Or the year the Bengals tanked their last game so they could play the Jets could get into the playoffs and travel to Cincinnati for the game.  Only to lose at home to the Jets.


And then the year that Dalton broke his thumb after throwing an INT and trying to make a tackle the Steelers beat the Bengals in the playoffs due to lack of discipline on the Bengals players.


Oh, and all the missed field goals!  And draft picks that didn't pan out!


So, are the Bengals bad...or just unlucky?