Cincinnati Bengals: 1988 Super Bowl season
From four wins in 1987 to four losses in 1988, the Cincinnati Bengals had themselves quite the turnaround in just one season. Before winning those 12 games, the Bengals had fallen off quite drastically. They had three losing seasons in a row from 1978 through 1980 and then made the Super Bowl for the first time after the 1981 NFL season.
The Bengals fell short in that one against Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers but still made the postseason after going 7-2 in the strike-shortened 1982 campaign. Then, they started to struggle.
The Bengals hovered around seven wins the next three seasons, but suddenly had a 10-6 campaign in 1986. That felt like the anomaly because they then went 4-11 in another season shortened by a strike in 1987.
1988 was much different, as they went 12-4, which tied them for the best record in the NFL. Part of what helped them turn things around was the fact that quarterback Boomer Esiason and head coach Sam Wyche worked out what was an ugly and public feud that put a black cloud over the prior year.
Esiason was one of six members of the team to make the Pro Bowl and he even won NFL MVP that season. He finished with 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns, but had plenty of help with Ickey Woods gaining 1,966 yards and scoring 15 rushing touchdowns. Cincinnati nearly had a second running back cross the 1,000-yard barrier, as James Brooks was good for 931 yards and eight scores.
Unfortunately for Cincinnati, they again fell short in their quest for a Super Bowl ring — and again it was Montana and the 49ers. A touchdown pass from Montana to John Taylor with 34 seconds left sent them home upset in a 20-16 defeat. Even so, it was a great season and unexpected with how poorly things went the season before.