1975 Cincinnati Bengals season
| 1975 Cincinnati Bengals season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Paul Brown |
| Home stadium | Riverfront Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–3 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC Central |
| Playoffs | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 28–31 |
The 1975 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 6th season in the National Football League, and the 8th overall.
The final season for Paul Brown as head coach, Cincinnati opened the season with six straight wins and went on to post an 11–3 record, their best regular-season mark. The Bengals qualified as the AFC wild card team for the playoffs, but lost to the Oakland, 31–28, in the divisional round of the playoffs. Ken Anderson won his second NFL passing championship. A serious blow was the loss of defensive tackle Mike Reid, who, only 27, retired in the off-season to pursue a career in music.
The team qualified for the postseason for the third time in just eight years of existence, but 1975 would be the last time that the Bengals would do so until 1981. The Bengals ended the season at 11-3, with all of their losses coming in division play, losing twice to the eventual champion Steelers, and a road loss to Cleveland. They finished 8–0 against teams outside of the AFC Central.
This was Bill Walsh's final season as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati. He departed after the season to join the San Diego Chargers with the same role, and then went on to become head coach at Stanford University, and then the San Francisco 49ers, where he later won 3 Super Bowls with them, which included 2 against the Bengals.