2004 Cincinnati Bengals
The 2004 Cincinnati Bengals went 8–8, finishing 3rd in the AFC North, and missed the playoffs. They scored 374 points and allowed 372.
- Record
- 8–8
- Home
- 5–3
- Road & neutral
- 3–5
- Points
- 374–372
- AFC North
- Place 3 of 4
- Postseason
- Did not qualify
Where the season ranked
They scored 374 points, the tenth-most among the 32 teams, and allowed 372, the 12th-most. Their point differential was +2.
How the season unfolded
The Bengals started 1–3 and were 3–5 after eight games. They went 2–2 over the final four weeks to finish 8–8.
Their longest losing streak was three games, from Week 3 to Week 6.
Best and worst games
Their biggest win was 38–10 over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 (January 2, 2005).
Their heaviest loss was 34–17 to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 (October 17, 2004).
They scored a season-high 58 points against the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 (November 28, 2004), winning 58–48.
In games decided by eight points or fewer, they went 4–4.
Division and playoff opponents
They went 2–4 against the AFC North, splitting with the Ravens and the Browns and getting swept by the Steelers.
Against teams that reached the playoffs, they went 2–4 in the regular season.
Postseason
They missed the playoffs. The lowest record among AFC playoff teams was 10–6, two games better than their record.
Before and after
That matched the win total of 2003, when they went 8–8.
In 2005, they went 11–5 and returned to the playoffs.
2004 schedule and results
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sep 12, 2004 | at New York Jets | L 24–31 |
| Week 2 | Sep 19, 2004 | vs Miami Dolphins | W 16–13 |
| Week 3 | Sep 26, 2004 | vs Baltimore Ravens | L 9–23 |
| Week 4 | Oct 3, 2004 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 17–28 |
| Week 6 | Oct 17, 2004 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–34 |
| Week 7 | Oct 25, 2004 | vs Denver Broncos | W 23–10 |
| Week 8 | Oct 31, 2004 | at Tennessee Titans | L 20–27 |
| Week 9 | Nov 7, 2004 | vs Dallas Cowboys | W 26–3 |
| Week 10 | Nov 14, 2004 | at Washington | W 17–10 |
| Week 11 | Nov 21, 2004 | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–19 |
| Week 12 | Nov 28, 2004 | vs Cleveland Browns | W 58–48 |
| Week 13 | Dec 5, 2004 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 27–26 |
| Week 14 | Dec 12, 2004 | at New England Patriots | L 28–35 |
| Week 15 | Dec 19, 2004 | vs Buffalo Bills | L 17–33 |
| Week 16 | Dec 26, 2004 | vs New York Giants | W 23–22 |
| Week 17 | Jan 2, 2005 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 38–10 |
Counted by WHYNFL from the final score of every 2004 game. Division place uses win percentage, then point differential; the NFL's full tiebreaker procedure is not applied.