2002 Cincinnati Bengals
The 2002 Cincinnati Bengals went 2–14, finishing 4th in the AFC North, and missed the playoffs. They scored 279 points and allowed 456.
- Record
- 2–14
- Home
- 1–7
- Road & neutral
- 1–7
- Points
- 279–456
- AFC North
- Place 4 of 4
- Postseason
- Did not qualify
Where the season ranked
They scored 279 points, the fifth-fewest among the 32 teams, and allowed 456, the most. Their point differential was -177, the worst in the league.
Their 2–14 record was the worst in the NFL.
How the season unfolded
The Bengals opened with four straight losses and were 1–7 after eight games. They went 1–3 over the final four weeks to finish 2–14.
Their longest losing streak was seven games, from Week 1 to Week 8.
Best and worst games
Their biggest win was 38–3 over the Houston Texans in Week 9 (November 3, 2002).
Their heaviest loss was 34–6 to the San Diego Chargers in Week 1 (September 8, 2002).
In games decided by eight points or fewer, they went 1–5.
Division and playoff opponents
They went 0–6 against the AFC North, getting swept by the Browns, the Steelers, and the Ravens.
Against teams that reached the playoffs, they went 0–8 in the regular season.
Postseason
They missed the playoffs. The lowest record among AFC playoff teams was 9–7, seven games better than their record.
Before and after
That was four wins fewer than in 2001, when they went 6–10.
Their two wins are tied for the franchise’s fewest in any season since 1999.
In 2003, they went 8–8.
2002 schedule and results
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sep 8, 2002 | vs San Diego Chargers | L 6–34 |
| Week 2 | Sep 15, 2002 | at Cleveland Browns | L 7–20 |
| Week 3 | Sep 22, 2002 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 3–30 |
| Week 4 | Sep 29, 2002 | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 7–35 |
| Week 5 | Oct 6, 2002 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 21–28 |
| Week 6 | Oct 13, 2002 | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–34 |
| Week 8 | Oct 27, 2002 | vs Tennessee Titans | L 24–30 |
| Week 9 | Nov 3, 2002 | at Houston Texans | W 38–3 |
| Week 10 | Nov 10, 2002 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 27–38 |
| Week 11 | Nov 17, 2002 | vs Cleveland Browns | L 20–27 |
| Week 12 | Nov 24, 2002 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 21–29 |
| Week 13 | Dec 1, 2002 | vs Baltimore Ravens | L 23–27 |
| Week 14 | Dec 8, 2002 | at Carolina Panthers | L 31–52 |
| Week 15 | Dec 15, 2002 | vs Jacksonville Jaguars | L 15–29 |
| Week 16 | Dec 22, 2002 | vs New Orleans Saints | W 20–13 |
| Week 17 | Dec 29, 2002 | at Buffalo Bills | L 9–27 |
Counted by WHYNFL from the final score of every 2002 game. Division place uses win percentage, then point differential; the NFL's full tiebreaker procedure is not applied.