1990 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1990 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 23rd year in professional football and its 21st with the National Football League. The Bengals won the AFC Central division for the second time in three seasons.
The Bengals would finish the season 9–7 and make the playoffs. In the postseason, Cincinnati won over the Houston Oilers in the wild-card round 41–14, but lost to the Los Angeles Raiders 20–10 in the divisional round. The Bengals would not make the playoffs again until the 2005 season and would not win a playoff game again until their Super Bowl-appearing 2021 season beginning what eventually became an 8-game playoff losing streak, tied with the Detroit Lions for longest in NFL history.
Regular season
Best performances
- James Brooks, December 23, 1990, 201 rushing yards vs. Houston Oilers
Playoffs
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Venue |
| Wildcard | January 6, 1991 | Houston Oilers | W 41–14 | 1–0 | Riverfront Stadium | 60,012 |
| Divisional | January 13, 1991 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 10–20 | 1–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 92,045 |
Team leaders
Kicking and punting
| Player | Punts | Yards | Long | Blkd | Avg. |
| Lee Johnson | 64 | 2705 | 70 | 0 | 42.3 |
Awards and records
All-Pros
All-Rookies
Records
- Boomer Esiason, franchise record, most passing yards in one game, 490 yards
Milestones
- James Brooks, 1st 200 yard rushing game, December 23, 1990, 201 rushing yards vs. Houston Oilers
- James Brooks, 3rd 1000 yard rushing season