Schedule Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in
bold text
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri The Bengals opened the regular season on the road against the
Kansas City Chiefs on September 10. The Chiefs scored first with a 29-yard field goal by kicker
Lawrence Tynes. In the second quarter, the Bengals scored 17 straight points. Bengal kicker
Shayne Graham tied the game up with a 37-yard field goal,
Rudi Johnson ran 22 yards for a touchdown, and
Kenny Watson ran 8 yards for another touchdown, making the score 17–3 at halftime. After both sides failed to score in the third quarter, which was marked by Chief quarterback
Trent Green being injured and leaving the game, Graham made the score 20–3 with a 42-yard field goal. A Chiefs' comeback fell short, as they could only score on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Chief back-up quarterback
Damon Huard to tight end
Tony Gonzalez. A 36-yard field goal by Graham would be the final score of the game, leaving the Bengals 1–0.
Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio The Bengals began Round 1 of 2006's
Battle of Ohio in the Week 2 home-opener against the
Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati scored first on a 22-yard TD pass to wide receiver
Kelley Washington from
Carson Palmer. The Browns responded with a 30-yard FG by kicker
Phil Dawson. The Bengals extended their lead with an 8-yard TD pass to wide receiver
Chad Johnson. In the second quarter, kicker
Shayne Graham made a 37-yard field goal as time ran out to give Cincinnati a 17–3 halftime lead. In the fourth quarter, Graham would give the Bengals a 37-yard field goal, and the Browns responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back
Reuben Droughns. Two touchdown runs by Bengal running back
Rudi Johnson put the game out of reach. The Browns scored one more touchdown with quarterback
Charlie Frye's 2-yard run, but it was not enough as the Bengals improved to 2–0. Several Bengals were injured during this game.
David Pollack, a 2nd year linebacker, suffered a non-paralyzing broken neck (fracturing his C6 vertebra), and would miss the rest of the season. Safety
Dexter Jackson suffered a severe ankle sprain. Center
Rich Braham also suffered a leg injury, and was expected to be out for some weeks. Wide receiver,
Chad Johnson appeared dinged up too. On his 8-yard touchdown reception, he appeared to have an injured shoulder (made noticeable by his unenthusiastic post-score celebratory dance). Even though he continued to play, he appeared to be in pain. Later in the game, during a Browns interception, he was blocked by a Brown's safety, which gave him a concussion. Special team starter,
Tab Perry, injured his hip, and missed a number of games.
Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Bengals maintained a shared lead in the AFC North (3–0, 2–0) by defeating the
Pittsburgh Steelers 28–20 at
Heinz Field in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The game was marred by sloppy play by both teams, but Cincinnati benefitted greatly by creating 5 Steeler turnovers and blocking a
Jeff Reed field goal attempt. Running back
Willie Parker scored for Pittsburgh, with a touchdown on their first drive of the game. Following a
Deshea Townsend interception of
Carson Palmer, the Steelers drove into the redzone, but a
Ben Roethlisberger pass was intercepted by safety
Madieu Williams in the end zone, and returned to the three-yard line. A 97-yard Bengal drive was capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to
Chris Henry. Following a blocked field goal by
John Thornton, Palmer and Henry would connect for another touchdown late in the second quarter, which gave Cincinnati a 14–7 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Pittsburgh built momentum, scoring a field goal on their first drive. An
Ike Taylor interception of Palmer, set up the Steelers on the Bengals' 7-yard line.
Willie Parker scored 4 plays later, giving the Steelers a 17–14 lead. After the touchdown, both offenses stalled. The next seven drives ended in either punts or turnovers. With 8 minutes left in the game, the Bengals were forced to punt. A muffed return by
Ricardo Colclough, and recovery by
Tony Stewart, gave the Bengals the ball on the Steelers' 9-yard line. Palmer threw a touchdown to
T. J. Houshmandzadeh on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Bengals a 21–17 lead. The Bengal defense forced a fumble on the next Steeler drive, giving the Bengals the ball on the Steeler 30-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Palmer again connected with Houshmandzadeh for a touchdown, extending the Bengal lead to 28–17. On the next possession, the Steeler offense drove to the Bengals' 18 and added another Jeff Reed field goal. After forcing a Bengal punt, the Steelers took possession on their own 11-yard line, with 2:42 left in the game. Roethlisberger drove the Steelers down to the Bengals' 16-yard line, but his pass intended for
Nate Washington in the end zone, was intercepted by
Kevin Kaesviharn. The Bengal win improved their record to 3–0. However, the Bengals allowed 6 sacks, gave up 3 turnovers and were unable to involve either of the "Johnsons" as a significant part of their offense. The Bengals looked to improve in week 4 at home against the Patriots. File:Bengals vs Steelers 2006 - Bengals stop Steelers.jpg|Pittsburgh on offense against the Bengals File:Willie Parker and Deltha O'Neal.jpg|
Willie Parker and
Deltha O'Neal File:Hines Ward and Tory James.jpg|
Hines Ward and
Tory James File:Jeff Reed.jpg|Kicker
Jeff Reed warms up against Cincinnati File:Ben Roethlisberger - snap.jpg|Cincinnati prepares to face a
Ben Roethlisberger snap File:Bengals at Steelers MRR 0215.jpg|Pittsburgh with possession against Cincinnati File:Brian St. Pierre, Ben Roethlisberger, and Trai Essex.jpg|
Ben Roethlisberger,
Brian St. Pierre, and
Trai Essex After The Game Odell Thurman was arrested for a DUI with teammates
Chris Henry and
Reggie McNeal in the vehicle. Odell had just entered the 3rd game of a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy, and the NFL suspended him for the remainder of the season.
Week 4: vs. New England Patriots at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio The Bengals quarterback protection was an issue, as
Carson Palmer was sacked four times during this game. Last year, Palmer was better protected, having been sacked 21 times for the entire year. Entering this game, he has been sacked 16 times. For the offense and defense the running game proved problematic.
Rudi Johnson failed to gain 50 yards on the ground while the Patriots' running backs, former Bengal
Corey Dillon and rookie RB
Laurence Maroney, combined for 192 rushing yards.
Caleb Miller started in the right linebacker position and led the Bengals in tackles during the game. The passing offense for the Bengals was largely unsuccessful. Although wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh gained 95 yards, his starting counterpart,
Chad Johnson, could not gain more than 65. Wideout
Chris Henry was deactivated for the game for what was believed to be a disciplinary measure by Head Coach
Marvin Lewis for his involvement in
Odell Thurman's DUI incident. This was the first game that
Corey Dillon played at
Paul Brown Stadium as a non-Bengal, during a regular season game. His controversial behavior in his latter years with the Bengals made him a target for many fans' anger. According to post-game reports, Dillon waved running back
Maroney off the field when the Patriots were close to scoring a touchdown, so Dillon could run it in himself. Afterward, he threw the football into the stands and his celebration drew a flag for a personal foul from the referees. The Bengals fell to second place in the
AFC North (3–1) after the disappointing loss to the
Patriots. Going into a bye-week, the extra time off gives injured Bengals time to recuperate.
Week 5: Bye The NFL determined Chris Henry would be suspended for the next 2 NFL games due to his involvement with the DUI incident involving Odell Thurman.
Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida Coming off their bye-week, the Bengals traveled to
Raymond James Stadium for a Week 6 fight with the
Buccaneers. After a scoreless first quarter, Cincinnati took an early lead, as quarterback
Carson Palmer threw a 33-yard TD pass to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh for the only score of the half. In the third quarter, the Bucs would tie the game, as quarterback
Bruce Gradkowski completed a 2-yard TD pass to tight end
Alex Smith. The Bengals would regain the lead when kicker
Shayne Graham kicked a 37-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Graham would help Cincinnati increase their lead with a 47-yard field goal. During the Buccaneers' final drive, on 1st down, after entering the red zone, defensive end
Justin Smith apparently made the first sack of Gradkowski for the game, during a solo tackle. However, the officiating crew felt Smith drove Gradkowski's head into the ground, and penalized the Bengals for roughing the passer. During the play, Smith caused a fumble which was recovered by the Bengals. When the recovery was overturned due to the controversial call, Tampa Bay kept possession of the ball. On fourth down, the Bucs scored an 8-yard TD pass from Gradkowski to wide receiver
Michael Clayton. Originally, the catch was ruled incomplete, but replays proved that Clayton managed to break the plane of the goal line before losing the ball. With less than :30 left in the game, the Bengals drove from their 30-yard line to Buccaneer territory. With :06 left, they attempted a 62-yard field goal against the wind, but missed. With the loss, Cincinnati fell to 3–2.
Post Game Penalty Controversy In a post-game interview when
Marvin Lewis was asked how
Justin Smith might have avoided drawing the controversial roughing the passer penalty during the attempted sack, he responded "I don't know. I guess you have to cuddle him to the ground." Justin Smith said "I've never seen anything like that in my six years in the NFL." The official who made the call "must have season tickets down here." He further explained "The dude (QB) ducked", suggesting it wasn't the force of Smith tackling but the QB's effort to double-over and protect the ball that made it appear he was being forced into the ground head first. Houshmandzadeh said "You might as well put a red jersey on (Gradkowski) and play two-hand touch."
Week 7: vs. Carolina Panthers at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Hoping to rebound from last week's loss to the
Buccaneers, the Bengals prepared for a showdown with the
Panthers. This game saw the return of 3rd down running back
Chris Perry and safety
Dexter Jackson. In the first quarter, Bengal defense allowed a 7-yard TD pass from quarterback
Jake Delhomme to tight end
Kris Mangum for the quarter's only score. In the second quarter, the Bengals when quarterback
Carson Palmer completed a 16-yard TD pass to tight end
Reggie Kelly. Delhomme countered with a 20-yard TD pass to running back
Nick Goings. After halftime, Cincinnati's offense found its stride. Kicker
Shayne Graham nailed a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Carson Palmer completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh. The drive was kept alive by a 4th and 1
play action pass, where Palmer tossed a high arcing pass down the sideline to a sprinting
Chad Johnson, who caught it for a 32-yard gain. The Panthers' last scoring opportunity ended when Delhomme threw his first career interception to
Kevin Kaesviharn. The Bengals improved to 4–2, and tied the Ravens for the lead in the AFC North.
Post Game After being relatively silent for most of the season, Chad Johnson spoke out boastfully before the Atlanta game predicting he would score multiple touchdowns and jeopardize the job security of rival defensive back,
DeAngelo Hall, who entered the game with four interceptions. Chad stated he was using this opportunity for the offense to regain some of its confidence and swagger.
Week 8 vs. Atlanta Falcons at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Following their victory against the
Panthers, the Bengals played another home game, this week, against the visiting
Falcons. In the first quarter, the Falcons drew first blood, as kicker
Morten Andersen nailed a 42-yard field goal. The Bengals responded with a 1-yard TD run by running back
Rudi Johnson. Atlanta cut the lead to one point, when Andersen kicked a 40-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Cincinnati added to their lead with quarterback
Carson Palmer's 12-yard TD pass to wide receiver
Chad Johnson. The Falcons responded with quarterback
Michael Vick's 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Alge Crumpler. Bengal kicker
Shayne Graham converted a 51-yard field goal with :20 left before halftime. In the third quarter, Vick completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Michael Jenkins. Graham would kick a 26-yard field goal for Cincinnati's only score of the quarter. Vick scored another touchdown, on an 8-yard pass to fullback
Justin Griffith. The extra point ended with a bobbled snap, and a failed two-point conversion. In the fourth quarter, Andersen converted a 39-yard field goal. Palmer responded with a 55-yard touchdown to WR
Chris Henry. Cincinnati's comeback hopes ended with :13 left, when Carson Palmer was sacked, and fumbled, which was recovered by Atlanta. The Bengals record fell to 4–3.
Post Game It was this week that the former "Chad Johnson" revealed his name change to "Chad Ocho Cinco" on his warmups, which was rumored to lead to his being fined $5,000.
Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland The Bengals flew to Baltimore to
M&T Bank Stadium for an
AFC North fight with the
Ravens. The Bengals trailed for the entire game. Running back
Jamal Lewis scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. Baltimore's second score came when quarterback
Carson Palmer was intercepted by Raven cornerback
Samari Rolle at midfield. Rolle would lateral to free safety
Ed Reed, who completed the return for a touchdown. In the second quarter, kicker
Matt Stover converted a 43-yard field goal for the Ravens. The Bengals would finally score with 1:12 left in the half, with a 26-yard touchdown from Palmer to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh. In the third quarter, Stover kicked 25-yard and 36-yard field goals, while Cincinnati kicker
Shayne Graham converted a 51-yard field goal attempt. In the fourth quarter, the Bengals' running back
Rudi Johnson scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. Stover added another field goal, from 35 yards. Graham added a 31-yard field goal, but the Ravens emerged as the victor, and the Bengals' record fell to 4–4. File:BJ Sams.jpg|The Bengals on defense against Baltimore File:Jeremi Johnson and Ray Lewis.jpg|
Jeremi Johnson runs the ball,
Ray Lewis misses tackling him File:Johnathan Joseph and Todd Heap.jpg|
Johnathan Joseph and
Todd Heap File:Reggie Kelly diving reception.jpg|Diving catch by
Reggie Kelly File:Domata Peko tackles Musa Smith.jpg|
Domata Peko tackles
Musa Smith File:Chris Henry (2310846707).jpg|Baltimore makes an interception against
Chris Henry (wide receiver) Week 10 vs. San Diego Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio The Bengals were home for their Week 10 match-up with the
San Diego Chargers. The Bengals struck first, with fullback
Jeremi Johnson's 3-yard TD run. Running back
Rudi Johnson scored next on 7-yard TD run. Quarterback
Carson Palmer completed a 51-yard pass to wide receiver
Chad Johnson for the third touchdown of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Chargers managed to get on the board with running back
LaDainian Tomlinson's 9-yard touchdown run. Cincinnati responded with 7-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver
Chris Henry. In the third quarter, Tomlinson scored again on a 4-yard touchdown run, and quarterback
Philip Rivers threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to
Charger wide receiver
Malcom Floyd. The Bengals responded with kicker
Shayne Graham's 21-yard field goal. The Chargers struck again on Rivers's 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Brandon Manumaleuna. Bengals countered with Palmer throwing a 73-yard touchdown to Chad Johnson. In the fourth quarter, San Diego took the lead, when Tomlinson scored on 2-yard and 9-yard touchdown runs. Graham kicked another field goal for the Bengals, from 44 yards out, but the Chargers held the lead, and Rivers tossed a final 5-yard touchdown pass to Manumaleuna. The Bengals' record fell to 4–5 with the loss.
Week 11 at New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Hoping to keep slim playoff hopes alive, the Bengals traveled to the
Louisiana Superdome for a Week 11 fight with the
Saints. In the first quarter, the Bengals drew first blood as quarterback
Carson Palmer completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Chad Johnson. The Saints would reply when quarterback
Drew Brees completed a 72-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver
Joe Horn. Midway through the second quarter, Cincinnati took the lead, when kicker
Shayne Graham booted a 21-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, New Orleans still trailed by three points. In the fourth quarter, Saints kicker
John Carney tied the game with a 24-yard field goal. The Bengals offense awoke, and Palmer and Johnson connected with each other two times on 60-yard and 4-yard touchdown passes. The Bengal defense scored too, when rookie defensive back
Ethan Kilmer returned a Brees interception 52 yards for a touchdown. The Saints offense could only manage one more score, when Brees completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Terrance Copper. The Bengal defense then blocked the extra point attempt. Even though the Bengals were out-gained 595 yards to 385 yards, the Bengals snapped their three-game skid, and their record improved to 5–5.
Week 12: at Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio Coming off a road win over the Saints, the Bengals flew to
Cleveland Browns Stadium for Round 2 of the
Battle of Ohio against the
Browns. From beginning to end, Cincinnati dominated the game. In the first quarter, running back
Rudi Johnson scored on a 1-yard touchdown run for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, quarterback
Carson Palmer completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Chris Henry, and kicker
Shayne Graham completed a 24-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Palmer threw a 6-yard strike to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh, but Browns defensive end,
Simon Fraser, blocked the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Palmer and Henry would score again on a 10-yard touchdown pass. With their second consecutive sweep of Cleveland, the Bengal record improved to 6–5.
Week 13: vs. Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Coming off of their shutout of the Browns in Cleveland, the Bengals returned home for a Thursday night fight in an
AFC North rematch against the
Ravens. After a scoreless first quarter, kicker
Shayne Graham scored on 23- and 27-yard field goals, which gave the Bengals the lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Bengals added onto their lead when quarterback
Carson Palmer completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh on a flea flicker. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens attempted a late comeback. Quarterback
Steve McNair completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Derrick Mason, but the Bengals squashed Baltimore's comeback, by recovering the Ravens' onside kick. With the win, the Bengals improved to 7–5.
Post Game Chris Perry suffered a season-ending injury during this game.
Deltha O'Neal became the 8th Bengal since the 2005 – 2006 season to be arrested. He was charged with drunk driving. O'Neal was listed as "inactive" for the upcoming Raiders game.
Week 14: vs. Oakland Raiders at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio The Bengals week 14 game saw the 2–10 Raiders visiting
Paul Brown Stadium.
Chris Henry put the Bengals on the board first, on an 8-yard pass from
Carson Palmer. Later in the first quarter,
Rudi Johnson scored on a 9-yard run. In the second quarter,
Sebastian Janikowski converted a 33-yard field goal attempt. The Bengals struck two more times in the third quarter on 6-yard Rudi Johnson run, and a 20-yard strike from Palmer to Houshmandzadeh. The lone Raider touchdown was scored on an
Aaron Brooks-to-
Ronald Curry 6-yard pass in the fourth quarter. The Bengal defensive kept the Raiders offense from threatening much of the game, allowing only 45 yards rushing. Even though quarterback
Carson Palmer threw 3 interceptions (two to
Nnamdi Asomugha and one to
Fabian Washington), and running back
Rudi Johnson turned the ball over in the second quarter, the 4 turnovers given to the Raiders were not enough opportunities for the Oakland offense to create points. Bengal mistakes were systemic, as even kicker
Shayne Graham missed an extra point, bouncing the ball off the left upright in the third quarter. Cincinnati was not forced to punt once during this game. For the first time in Bengals' history, four players were over 100 yards in offensive production (
Palmer,
Houshmandzadeh,
Chad Johnson and
Rudi Johnson). The fourth straight win improved the Bengals' record to 8–5, and put them into wild card contention.
Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts at the RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana The Bengals flew to the
RCA Dome for a Monday Night game with the
Indianapolis Colts. In the first quarter, things started slowly, with Colts kicker
Adam Vinatieri kicking a 30-yard field goal, which Bengal kicker
Shayne Graham countered with a 27-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Indianapolis took the lead when quarterback
Peyton Manning threw a 4-yard touchdown to wide receiver
Marvin Harrison. Running back
Rudi Johnson answered with a 12-yard touchdown run. Manning and Harrison scored again with a 3-yard TD pass. In the third quarter, Graham kicked a 30-yard field goal. The four-point Colt lead would be as close as Cincinnati could pull, as Manning completed two more touchdowns: a 1-yard pass to Harrison, and an 18-yard pass to wide receiver
Reggie Wayne. In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati's only score was a Graham 28-yard field goal. The Colts' Vinatieri added a final score, a 44-yard field goal, to hand the Colts an 18-point victory. The loss dropped the Bengals' record to 8–6, and delivered their division rival, the
Baltimore Ravens, the
AFC North crown.
Week 16: at Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado The Bengals flew to
Invesco Field for a snowy Week 16 intraconference game with the
Broncos. In the first quarter, Cincinnati scored first with running back
Rudi Johnson's 6-yard touchdown run for the only score of the period. In the second quarter,
Jay Cutler tied the game at seven, with a 1-yard TD pass to tight end
Tony Scheffler. Cutler then handed Denver the lead with a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Javon Walker. The Bengals cut the Bronco's lead with kicker
Shayne Graham's 46-yard field goal, and quarterback
Carson Palmer gave the Bengals the lead with an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Chris Henry. In the second half, Denver pulled ahead with running back
Mike Bell's 2-yard touchdown run, and kicker
Jason Elam's 24-yard field goal. Cincinnati would pull within one point with Palmer's 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh. On the extra point attempt, holder
Kyle Larson allowed the snap to fly between his hands, securing the Broncos' win. The Bengal loss dropped their record to 8–7.
Week 17 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio The Bengals wrapped up their regular season at home with a must-win
AFC North rematch game against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals had two possible options for reaching the post-season: • 1 – A Bengals win and a
Jets loss, or • 2 – A
Kansas City Chiefs win, a
Denver Broncos loss, and a Bengals win. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers struck first when running back
Willie Parker scored a 1-yard touchdown run. Cincinnati got on the board when
Shayne Graham kicked a 34-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, the Bengals took the lead after recovering a
Willie Parker fumble for a touchback. Quarterback
Carson Palmer completed a 66-yard touchdown to wide receiver
Chris Henry. Undaunted, Pittsburgh retook the lead when Parker scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Cincinnati would again retake the lead when Palmer completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Tony Stewart. The Steelers tied the game late in the 4th quarter when kicker
Jeff Reed kicked a 35-yard field goal. The Bengals managed to move into field goal range, but, Graham's potential game-winning 39-yard field goal attempt went wide right. In overtime, the Steelers won when quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Santonio Holmes. With the loss, Cincinnati fell to 8–8, and their season-ending, three consecutive losses, eliminated the Bengals from the playoffs. In a cruel twist of fate, the
Chiefs defeated the
Jaguars and the
Broncos lost to the
49ers, meaning that the Bengals cost themselves a playoff berth. It was Marvin Lewis' third 8–8 season in his four years as the Bengals head coach.
Standings ==Team leaders==