Cincinnati Bengals from 1991-2002 (AKA, the 90s Bengals, or the Lost Decade)

Akili Smith was selected by the Bengals with the 3rd pick in 1999. The Saints offered 7 draft picks to get this guy. Needless to say, the Saints were very lucky the Bengals declined.

"I'm gonna go for it on 4th down.... we're 2 and 7 what the fuck difference does it make?" - Dave Shula

Every team has a bad stretch of bad seasons. Some longer than others. The Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, and to a lesser extent, the San Francisco 49ers, put up some really bad stretches in the recent decade. But no team in the NFL has probably ever suffered as long as the Cincinnati Bengals had to from 1991 until 2002. 

The death of long time Bengals owner Paul Brown left the franchise in the hands of Mike Brown. In 1991, the Bengals put up a miserable record of 3-13, despite a lot of talent left from playoff teams of times past. Coach Sam Wyche was fired, and the keys were given to Dave Shula, hired over Bill Cowher. Many in Cincinnati thought the losing would only be temporary. If only they had known.

The 1992 season would start nicely for the Bengals at 2-0, only to lose 6 in a row, and only to win 5 games that season. Boomer Esaison was traded and the team opted to start David Klingler. Klingler would only be there until 1995, though to be fair, the blame can't go fully on him. He had to play with a team that was terrible all around.

By 1994, the David Klingler era was over, and the team decided to go with Jeff Blake, who would be the starter until 1999. The Bengals improved to 7-9 in 1995. It seemed that perhaps, horrible football would be over. That same season, the Bengals first round pick, Ki-Jana Carter, suffered an injury in training camp. He would never fully recover, and would play a miserable career in Cincinnati. By 1996, the Bengals came crashing down, a 1-6 start saw Dave Shula fired. Bruce Coslet, a former Bengal tight end, would be hired, and would actually go 7-2, and the Bengals finished 8-8 that season. A bright spot in the heaping pound of terrible was wide receiver Carl Pickens.

By the late 90s, the Bengals were entrenched as laughing stocks of the NFL. The 1997 season was somewhat notable though. Corey Dillon was drafted as the 43rd pick in the 1997 draft. He would rush for 1,129 yards, including a game in which he rushed for 246 yards vs the Tennessee Oilers. Jeff Blake struggled again, and Boomer Esaison would come back to Cincinnati. Despite a 1-7 start to the season, the Bengals would win all but 2 games under Esaison. 

Esaison retired, and the Bengals brought in Neil O'Donnell. O'Donnell had lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl in 1995, but hadn't been great since then, including being part of the infamous 1996 New York Jets team which finished 1-15. Unsurprisingly, the Bengals finished 3-13 in 1998, though Corey Dillon was once again the shining spot in an otherwise abysmal team. He would finish 1998 with 1,120 yards.

In 1999, the Bengals were in desperate need of a savior. They drafted Akili Smith in the draft. The New Orleans saints offered 7 draft picks in order to get Akili Smith. Needless to say, the Saints are probably glad they didn't draft what might arguably be the biggest NFL bust of all time. Smith was infamous for his poor work effort and his refusal to play. Jeff Blake would once again start games for the Bengals. They finished 4-12, with Corey Dillon putting up another good season.

In 2000, the Bengals struggled yet again. Akili Smith struggled being in the NFL. Despite Corey Dillon rushing for over 1,435 yards (including a game with 278 yards in one game), they finished 4-12. At this point, the fans had enough. Various websites (including the infamous MikeBrownSucks.com) had been set up to protest the team's continuous poor play. 

In 2001, it seemed as if the tide was beginning to turn. In fact, the 2001 draft would be a strong one. Justin Smith, Chad Johnson (Ochocinco), and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were all drafted in this season, all these players would be important to Cincinnati in later years. John Kitna was brought over from Seattle and named starter. In 2001, the Bengals had a respectable 4-3 start. It looked like everything was changing under new head coach Dick LeBeau. However, the Bengals would lose all but 2 games the rest of that season (the last 2 being victories). Even though Corey Dillon put up another solid season, and in fact the defense was strong this particular year, the Bengals struggled in crucial situations.

In 2002, the height of the futility appeared. The Bengals finished 2-14, the team completely collapsed. A never ending QB controversy of John Kitna versus Akili Smith seemingly never ended. Akili wasn't panning out. Absolute pandemonium in Cincinnati yet again. At this point, LeBeau was fired, and Marvin Lewis was brought in. 

In 2003, the Bengals drafted Carson Palmer, and released Akili Smith. The team decided to start John Kitna. Despite a poor 1-4 start to the season, it would be different in Cincy. Kitna showed strong poise and the Bengals at one point were 8-6, and looked like they would clinch their first winning season since 1990 and first trip to the playoffs since. However, the team could not get over the hump, losing to the Rams and Browns. Kitna nonetheless won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2003.
By 2004, Corey Dillon had a quarrel with the Bengals ownership, and had requested to be traded to the New England Patriots, where he would later win a Super Bowl ring. Despite Dillon leaving, Palmer started, and the Bengals repeated their 8-8 record. Rudi Johnson, the running back taking Dillon's place, rushed for 1,454 yards. It seemed the tides were turning.

In 2005, finally, the futility, the pain, the curse, all of it, ended. The Bengals, for the first time since 1990, had a winning season and made the playoffs. Carson Palmer had a solid year, throwing for 3,836 yards. Chad Johnson went to the Pro Bowl with 1,432 receiving yards. The Bengals finally made the playoffs, but early in the game Palmer suffered an ACL tear. Kitna would take over, and the Bengals lead 17-14 by half time, but would lose 31-17.

Despite the winning season, the Bengals could not repeat it and would only get another winning season and playoff appearance in 2009, where they would sweep the division. In 2010, the Bengals finished 4-12. At that point, Marvin Lewis was on the hot seat, but he (alongside with the rest of the team) would back rookie Andy Dalton in 2011, where they finished 9-7 and made the playoffs.

In 2012, the Bengals had finally made the playoffs consecutively for the first time since 1981-82. The Bengals finished 10-6, losing in a defensive struggle vs the Texans.

It seems as if a new dawn has arrived over Cincinnati. The teams solid wide receiving core which includes A.J. Green, and a strong TE core with Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham, and also a strong defense which includes Geno Atkins, it seems that the team has too much talent not to have success. However, the lost decade, in which players such as David Klingler, Akili Smith, and Ki-Jana Carter all failed with the Bengals, will never be forgotten in Cincinnati.