Most disappointing Cincinnati Bengals seasons since 2000
When September rolls around, NFL fans are champing at the bit for the season to start. They've already gotten a taste from the preseason, read up on their team's draft picks, and made predictions about how the season should go with their team's roster. Adrenaline is high during Week 1 and often doesn't wear off until Week 18. A tough loss could end in tears, for both the team and its fans.
It's hard for people who aren't fanatics to wrap their heads around how a sport could evoke so much emotion, but there's a psychological explanation for fandom.
For many, a team association ties into self-esteem and identity. It has been proved that people receive a self-esteem boost from associating with successful individuals or groups, which is why fans are more likely to wear team gear the day after a win than the day after a loss, and die-hards speak about team successes in first person and failures in third person. Shared fandom also provides a sense of connection, whether it be with friends who follow the same team or via strangers bonding at a game, and all humans have a need for connectedness.
A Super Bowl win, the pinnacle of the sport, can bring a city together and give fans a personal sense of pride and satisfaction. Conversely, when a team has a particularly disappointing season or loses in the playoffs, it can feel like a gut punch.
compiled a list featuring the most disappointing Cincinnati Bengals seasons since 2000 using data from . Each season was selected based on the number of wins by which the team underperformed its preseason over/under for that season. Ties were broken via the lowest preseason over/under.
#5. Cincinnati Bengals 2016
- Preseason over/under: 9.5 wins
- Season record: 6-9-1 (3.5 games under)
#4. Cincinnati Bengals 2025
- Preseason over/under: 9.5 wins
- Season record: 6-1 (3.5 games under)
#3. Cincinnati Bengals 2010
- Preseason over/under: 8 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (4 games under)
#2. Cincinnati Bengals 2019
- Preseason over/under: 6 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (4 games under)
#1. Cincinnati Bengals 2002
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (5 games under)
