Cincinnati Bengals · Franchise era 4 of 6
Palmer and Ochocinco revive the stadium: the Cincinnati Bengals story
Franchise era
2003—2010
Palmer and Ochocinco revive the stadium
Cincinnati Bengals
The story in one sentence
Marvin Lewis brought credibility and Palmer's vertical offense won the 2005 division before injuries and inconsistency shortened the window.
The passing game restores belief
Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for five straight playoff trips.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2003
What came before
Cincinnati went fourteen seasons without a winning record even as Dillon and a handful of draft successes supplied isolated excellence.
2006-01-08
Wild Card: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals
2010-01-09
Wild Card: New York Jets vs Cincinnati Bengals
After 2010
What came next
A young core reached the postseason in each of its first five seasons together, though it could not secure the franchise's first playoff win in decades.
The core