2007 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2007 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 40th overall season . The team attempted to improve upon their 8 – 8 record in 2006 and were looking to return to the playoffs after narrowly missing them . They failed to do so , finising with a 7 – 9 record . Offseason . Coaching changes . Head coach Marvin Lewis would be entering his fifth year with the Bengals . He was joined with offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan . 2007 NFL Draft . Suspensions . Chris Henry , after repeated off - field run - ins with the law , was suspended for 8 games ( ½ the regular season ) after a private meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell . Odell Thurman , another NFL player currently under contract with the Bengals has had legal troubles and still appears to be in trouble with the Bengals as well . Generally speaking , head coach Marvin Lewis has repeatedly avoided or refused to speak about his status with the team after Thurman was suspended for the all of 2006 . When he applied for reinstatement in July 2007 he was denied and was further suspended the entire 2007 – 08 season . The exact reason for the extension was not specified by the league but many suspect it had to do with a drunk - driving incident earlier that same month . His suspension prompted Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge John Burlew to call the NFL officials " Hypocrites " for promoting alcohol sales and consumption during games but punishing players for drinking . Off - field incidents . Chris Henry was arrested for driving without a license and a seatbelt , which led to the meeting with Goodell and his subsequent suspension for 8 games . In May , it was reported he failed a drug test as part of his parole agreement but shortly after the announcement was made it was recanted by the Kentucky police department . Levi Jones was involved in an altercation with linebacker Joey Porter of the Miami Dolphins . Allegedly Porter and some others ambushed Levi , physically assaulted and robbed him . Porter was charged with a misdemeanor for assault . Jones characterized the incident as a " cowardly assault " . AJ Nicholson was arrested for the second time in as many years but for domestic violence . His wife dropped the charges but due to statutory state laws the state continued to press charges . On the day his arrest was announced he was released a few hours later by the Bengals . Odell Thurman , who was suspended for all of the previous season but still contractually bound to the Bengals , was reportedly involved in an assault at his home but the hearing was cancelled as no charges were leveled before the hearing date . Long term and / or important injuries . David Pollack , injured last season with a broken neck vertabrae will spend this season in rehab with the hopes to return in the 2008 – 09 season . Kenny Irons , the 2nd round draft pick , experienced a serious knee injuring during the preseason putting him on Injured Reserve for his rookie year . Chris Perry experienced another injury which threatens to keep him out the entire season . In August he was placed on the PUP ( Physically Unable to Perform ) list meaning he will be out a minimum of 6 games . Henderson fractured his wrist during the preseason and was put on Injured Reserve . Preseason games . In the previous preseason the Bengals went 4 – 0 . The Bengals 2007 preseason run ended at 1 – 3 , with its final victory the game against Indianapolis in which neither Carson Palmer nor Peyton Manning came prepared to play . The preseason started off with a loss to the Detroit Lions at their dome . The big focus was the limited showdown and relationship between Palmer and his former mentor Jon Kitna . The Bengals ' starting team did not score a touchdown in their possessions , walking away with 2 Shayne Graham field goals and a huge time of possession advantage before they were benched . The Lions ' starters did not score a TD during their possessions during that same time . In this game the second - round draft pick , Kenny Irons , experienced his season - ending injury . Detroit went on to win the game . The second game was against the New Orleans Saints . Again , the starting Bengals offense failed to score a TD and settled for several Shane Graham field goals . LB Henderson suffered a season - ending wrist injury late in the game . The third game was at the home of the Atlanta Falcons on a Monday night . The starting Bengals played until the 3rd quarter and scored two touchdowns to end their drought . Shayne Graham was injured on a kickoff during an attempted tackle and did not return to kick any PATs or kickoffs , which meant the Bengals made a conversion attempt on 4th down and attempted a 2 point try . Atlanta ' s starting team , led by Joey Harrington since Vick ' s legal troubles will keep him from the team , also managed two touchdowns . The Bengals went on to lose the game . Their fourth and final game , also their only preseason win , took place on the 31st of August . Neither starting quarterback came prepared to play ; though Palmer at least wore his uniform , while Manning dressed up in a Colts polo . Cincinnati scored 14 points in the 3rd quarter , with no score coming from the orange jerseys before or after that quarter . Indianapolis scored 6 in the 4th quarter , falling 8 points short of victory . Regular season schedule . The 2007 Bengals ' schedule includes two Monday Night Football games for the first time ever . They will appear in nationally televised games up to four times this season ( the fourth game , versus the Steelers , is set as a " flexible time " and depending on the predicted interest in the game may be moved to showcase other late - season playoff race games ) . Regular season . Week 1 : vs . Baltimore Ravens . Game summary . In their very first Monday Night home opener , the Bengals and their offensive firepower began their 40th Anniversary season in Game 1 of the Monday Night Football doubleheader against the defending AFC North champion Baltimore Ravens , with last year ' s top defense . In the first quarter , Cincinnati managed to cash in on a Raven fumble with QB Carson Palmer completing a 39 - yard TD pass to WR Chad Johnson ( whose TD celebration was on the sideline , in the form of a Hall of Fame jacket . ) Later , the Bengals managed to turn another fumble recovery into points as kicker Shayne Graham kicked a 23 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , Baltimore finally managed to score with RB Musa Smith getting a 6 - yard TD run . Cincinnati would respond with Graham kicking a 40 - yard field goal , while Ravens kicker Matt Stover ended the half with a 36 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the Bengals defense struck big , as OLB Landon Johnson recovered a McNair fumble and returned the ball 34 yards for a touchdown , along with the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Baltimore took the lead with Stover getting a 23 - yard field goal , while Safety Ed Reed returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown . Fortunately , Cincinnati regained the lead by turning an interception into a huge score as Palmer completed a 7 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh ( followed by a successful 2 - point conversion by RB Rudi Johnson ) . After the Ravens managed to recover a Bengal fumble on Cincinnati ' s next drive , Balitimore had one final chance . Eventually , the Bengals held their ground and won . The Bengals defense had a total of 6 takeaways while the offense only turned over the ball twice . The game was relatively close in score with the final chance to tie up the game coming with a bit more than one minute left on the game clock . The defense held Baltimore out successfully scoring the tying touchdown after they had " goal to go " for 8 consecutive plays ( after penalties extended their opportunities ) . Two Bengals linemen , Willie Anderson and Levi Jones , did not play most of this game due to injuries . With the win , Cincinnati began its season at 1 – 0 . Scoring summary . Q1 – CIN – 8 : 38 – 39 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson ( kick failed ) ( CIN 6 – 0 ) Q1 – CIN – 4 : 07 – Shayne Graham 23 yard FG ( CIN 9 – 0 ) Q2 – BAL – 11 : 56 – Musa Smith 6 yard TD run ( Matt Stover kick ) ( CIN 9 – 7 ) Q2 – CIN – 1 : 07 – Shayne Graham 40 yard FG ( CIN 12 – 7 ) Q2 – BAL – 0 : 06 – Matt Stover 36 yard FG ( CIN 12 – 10 ) Q3 – CIN – 8 : 57 – Landon Johnson 34 yard fumble return TD ( Graham kick ) ( CIN 19 – 10 ) Q4 – BAL – 14 : 05 – Matt Stover 23 yard FG ( CIN 19 – 13 ) Q4 – BAL – 12 : 25 – Ed Reed 63 yard punt return TD ( Stover kick ) ( BAL 20 – 19 ) Q4 – CIN – 8 : 53 – 7 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to T . J . Houshmandzadeh ( Rudi Johnson 2 point conversion run ) ( CIN 27 – 20 ) Week 2 : at Cleveland Browns . Playing in their second game of the season , the Cincinnati Bengals had a lot of things go wrong . Playing Ohio state rivals Cleveland Browns , the defense looked the exact opposite as they did in week one . Browns quarterback Derek Anderson started and threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns . It was only the third time in NFL history that two quarterbacks had thrown at least five touchdown passes in the same game . Jamal Lewis had 215 yards rushing with one touchdown and the Browns had two receivers with over 100 yards , Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow . The Bengals offense tried their best to keep the team in the game , however , as Carson Palmer threw for 6 TD ' s and Chad Johnson caught for 209 yards . The game started out slowly in the first quarter but the second quarter saw a combined 35 points scored . It was close in the end , when the Bengals started a drive with under one minute left . They managed to get the ball to the 50 yard line when Carson Palmer was intercepted by Leigh Bodden on an intended pass for Chad Johnson . This game ended up being the eighth highest scoring game in NFL history , but not the highest scoring game between these two teams . In 2004 , the Bengals beat the Browns 58 – 48 for the second - most combined points . The Redskins ( 72 ) and Giants ( 41 ) combined for 113 points in 1966 for the most . Scoring summary . Q1 – CIN – 10 : 40 – 13 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Rudi Johnson ( Shayne Graham kick ) ( CIN 7 – 0 ) Q1 – CLE – 5 : 02 – Phil Dawson 39 yard FG ( CIN 7 – 3 ) Q1 – CLE – 0 : 09 – Phil Dawson 39 yard FG ( CIN 7 – 6 ) Q2 – CLE – 11 : 02 – 17 yard TD pass from Derek Anderson to Joe Jurevicius ( Dawson kick ) ( CLE 13 – 7 ) Q2 – CIN – 7 : 40 – 23 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to T . J . Houshmandzadeh ( Graham kick ) ( CIN 14 – 13 ) Q2 – CLE – 6 : 37 – 9 yard TD pass from Derek Anderson to Joe Jurevicius ( Dawson kick ) ( CLE 20 – 14 ) Q2 – CIN – 3 : 12 – 22 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson ( Graham kick ) ( CIN 21 – 20 ) Q2 – CLE – 1 : 11 – 25 yard TD pass from Derek Anderson to Kellen Winslow ( Dawson kick ) ( CLE 27 – 21 ) Q3 – CIN – 12 : 13 – Shayne Graham 20 yard FG ( CLE 27 – 24 ) Q3 – CLE – 8 : 24 – 34 yard TD pass from Derek Anderson to Braylon Edwards ( Dawson kick ) ( CLE 34 – 24 ) Q3 – CIN – 6 : 18 – 14 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson ( Graham kick ) ( CLE 34 – 31 ) Q3 – CLE – 6 : 04 – Jamal Lewis 66 yard TD run ( Dawson kick ) ( CLE 41 – 31 ) Q3 – CIN – 0 : 53 – 5 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to T . J . Houshmandzadeh ( Graham kick ) ( CLE 41 – 38 ) Q4 – CLE – 10 : 07 – 37 yard TD pass from Derek Anderson to Braylon Edwards ( Dawson kick ) ( CLE 48 – 38 ) Q4 – CLE – 5 : 47 – Phil Dawson 18 yard FG ( CLE 51 – 38 ) Q4 – CIN – 3 : 45 – 7 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Glenn Holt ( Graham kick ) ( CLE 51 – 45 ) Week 3 : at Seattle Seahawks . Following their embarrassing divisional road loss , the Bengals flew to Qwest Field for an interconference fight with the Seattle Seahawks . The Seahawks won the toss , opted to receive the ball , and then proceeded to return the opening kickoff deep into Cincinnati territory . Seahawk QB Matt Hasselbeck completed a 18 - yard TD pass to WR Bobby Engram on that drive . Cincinnati responded with QB Carson Palmer completing a 35 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . In the second quarter , the Bengals took the lead with kicker Shayne Graham getting a 43 - yard field goal . However , Seattle took the lead with Hasselbeck completing a 42 - yard TD to WR Deion Branch . In the third quarter , Cincinnati would strike back with LB Lemar Marshall sacked Hasselbeck in his own end zone for a safety , along with the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the Bengals would take the lead with Graham getting a 24 - yard field goal . The Seahawks would respond with kicker Josh Brown getting a 23 - yard field goal , while Cincinnati retook the lead with RB Kenny Watson getting a 8 - yard TD run ( with a failed 2 - point conversion ) . However , Seattle took the lead with Hasselbeck completing a 22 - yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson . The Bengals ' special teams unit tried to get Palmer and his offense decent field position , but WR Glenn Holt fumbled the return at their own 29 - yard line , allowing the Seahawks to recover the ball for the win . Watson came into the game because Rudi Johnson was injured . Leon Hall got his first NFL interception . Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson both gained more than 125 yards each receiving . Levi Jones saw his most extensive playing time so far in the season after an injury to Stacey Andrews forced the offensive line to be reshuffled . T With the loss , Cincinnati fell to 1 – 2 . Week 4 : vs . New England Patriots . Trying to stop a two - game skid , the Bengals went home for their second Monday Night game of the year . They would wear their alternate uniforms as they played against the New England Patriots . In the first quarter , Cincinnati trailed early as Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski got a 31 - yard field goal , while QB Tom Brady completed a 1 - yard TD pass to LB Mike Vrabel . In the second quarter , the Bengals managed to get on the board with QB Carson Palmer completing a 1 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . However , New England would respond with Brady completing a 7 - yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss . Near the end of the 2nd quarter , the Bengals had a chance to get closer to the Pats , but a miscommunication between Palmer and Chad Johnson resulted in a New England interception . Palmer and Johnson argued on the sidelines and all the way back to the locker room . In the third quarter , Cincinnati continued to struggle as Patriots RB Sammy Morris getting a 7 - yard TD run . The Bengals ' only response would be kicker Shayne Graham nailing a 40 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , New England increased its lead with Gostkowski kicking a 36 - yard field goal . Cincinnati ' s final response was Graham kicking a 48 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Patriots sealed the win with Brady and Moss hooking up with each other again on a 14 - yard TD pass . With their third - straight loss , the Bengals entered their bye week at 1 – 3 . It also marked Cincinnati ' s 5th loss to New England in the last 6 meetings . After the game , Marvin Lewis was heard yelling at his players for their 1 – 3 record . He called a team meeting a few days later and said that " anyone who doesn ' t want to play shouldn ' t show up " . Week 6 : at Kansas City Chiefs . Coming off of their bye week with hopes to turn their season around , the Bengals flew to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 6 duel with the Kansas City Chiefs . In the first quarter , Cincinnati trailed early as Chiefs kicker Dave Rayner kicked a 32 - yard field goal . The Bengals would respond with QB Carson Palmer completing a 42 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . However , Kansas City would respond with QB Damon Huard completing a 3 - yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez . In the second quarter , Cincinnati continued to struggle as Chiefs RB Larry Johnson got an 8 - yard TD run , along with Rayner ending the half with a 20 - yard field goal . After a scoreless third quarter , the Bengals would try to make a comeback in the fourth quarter as kicker Shayne Graham got a 33 - yard field goal . After Kansas City increased its lead with Huard and Gonzalez hooking up with each other again on a 26 - yard TD pass , Cincinnati got within striking distance as Palmer and Houshmandzadeh hooked up with each other again on a 30 - yard TD pass , along with Graham ' s 36 - yard field goal . Unfortunately , the Chiefs would hold on to get the win . With their fourth - straight loss , the Bengals fell to 1 – 4 . It also marked the first time in the Marvin Lewis era that Cincinnati had lost four - straight games . Week 7 : vs . New York Jets . Trying to snap a four - game skid , the Bengals went home for a Week 7 intraconference duel , as they hosted the New York Jets for the first time in a decade . In the first quarter , Cincinnati trailed early as Jets QB Chad Pennington completed a 57 - yard TD pass to WR Laveranues Coles . Fortunately , the Bengals would respond with kicker Shayne Graham getting a 20 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , New York increased its lead with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 24 - yard and a 35 - yard field goal . Cincinnati would respond with RB Kenny Watson getting a 3 - yard TD run . The Jets would end the half with Pennington and Coles hooking up with each other again on a 36 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , New York added on to its lead with Nugent kicking a 43 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Bengals would respond with QB Carson Palmer completing a 3 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . In the fourth quarter , Cincinnati ' s offense took over as Watson added a 1 - yard and a 2 - yard TD run on to his magnificent day . Afterwards , the Bengals defense sealed the win with CB Johnathan Joseph returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown . Afterwards , the Jets end the game with Pennington completing a 32 - yard TD pass to WR Jerricho Cotchery . With their four - game skid snapped , Cincinnati kept its playoff hopes alive by improving to 2 – 4 . Week 8 : vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . Coming off their home win over the Jets , the Bengals stayed at home for an AFC North clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers . In the first quarter , Cincinnati struck first with kicker Shayne Graham getting a 31 - yard field goal . However , the Steelers responded with QB Ben Roethlisberger completing a 21 - yard TD pass to WR Hines Ward . In the second quarter , the Bengals struggled as Roethlisberger and Ward hooked up with each other again on a 6 - yard TD pass . Cincinnati answered with Graham kicking a 20 - yard field goal . Pittsburgh ended the first half with RB Willie Parker getting a 1 - yard TD run . After a scoreless third quarter , the Bengals tried to come back as QB Carson Palmer completed a 9 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh in the fourth quarter . Pittsburgh sealed the win with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 40 - yard field goal . With the loss , Cincinnati fell to 2 – 5 . Week 9 : at Buffalo Bills . Hoping to rebound from their divisional home loss to the Steelers , the Bengals flew to Ralph Wilson Stadium for a Week 9 intraconference duel with the Buffalo Bills . In the first quarter , Cincinnati trailed early as Bills QB J . P . Losman completed an 8 - yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans . Fortunately , the Bengals answered with QB Carson Palmer completing a 15 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . In the second quarter , Buffalo retook the lead with kicker Rian Lindell getting a 23 - yard field goal . Immediately afterwards , Cincinnati would take the lead as WR / KR Glenn Holt returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown . The Bills ended the half with Lindell getting a 21 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , Buffalo regained the lead with Lindell kicking a 29 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Bengals went back into the lead with Palmer completing a 1 - yard TD pass to FB Jeremi Johnson . Unfortunately , Cincinnati ' s struggles continued with Lindell nailing a 38 - yard field goal , along with RB Marshawn Lynch completing an 8 - yard TD pass to TE Robert Royal & getting a 56 - yard TD run . With the loss , the Bengals fell to 2 – 6 . Week 10 : at Baltimore Ravens . Trying to snap a two - game losing skid , the Bengals flew to M & T Bank Stadium for an AFC North rematch with the Baltimore Ravens . After a scoreless first quarter , Cincinnati drew first blood in the second quarter as kicker Shayne Graham managed to get a 34 - yard and a 19 - yard field goal . Ravens quarterback Steve McNair continued to struggle , with an interception and several fumbles . In the third quarter , the Bengals increased its lead with Graham kicking a 22 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Cincinnati pulled away with Graham nailed two 35 - yarders , a 21 - yarder , and a 33 - yard field goal . The Ravens managed to avoid a shutout loss with RB Willis McGahee getting a 1 - yard TD run . With their season - sweep over Baltimore , the Bengals improved to 3 – 6 . Shayne Graham ' s 7 field goals would become a franchise - best . Week 11 : vs . Arizona Cardinals . Coming off their season - sweep over the Ravens , the Bengals went home a Week 11 interconference duel with the Arizona Cardinals . In the first quarter , Cincinnati struck first with QB Carson Palmer completing a 19 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . The Cardinals would answer with CB Antrel Rolle returning an interception 55 yards for a touchdown . In the second quarter , the Bengals regained the lead with kicker Shayne Graham getting a 41 - yard field goal . However , Arizona took the lead with QB Kurt Warner completing a 44 - yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin . Cincinnati responded with Graham kicking a 38 - yard field goal , but the Cardinals increased their lead with Warner completing a 5 - yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald . In the third quarter , the Bengals trailed as RB Edgerrin James gave Arizona a 3 - yard TD run . Cincinnati tried to rally as Palmer completed a 37 - yard TD pass to WR Chris Henry , while RB DeDe Dorsey returned a blocked punt 19 yards for a touchdown . The Cardinals sealed the win with Rolle returning an interception 54 yards for a touchdown . With the loss , the Bengals fell to 3 – 7 . Week 12 : vs . Tennessee Titans . Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Cardinals , the Bengals stayed at home , donned their alternate uniforms , and played a Week 12 duel with the Tennessee Titans . In the first quarter , Cincinnati pounced first with RB Rudi Johnson getting a 5 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Titans answered with kicker Rob Bironas getting a 28 - yard field goal . Fortunately , the Bengals responded with QB Carson Palmer completing a 10 - yard TD pass to WR Chad Johnson . Tennessee would end the half with Bironas nailing a 23 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , Cincinnati began to pull away as RB Kenny Watson managed to get a 6 - yard TD run , while Palmer hooked up with Chad Johnson on a 2 - yard TD pass . In the fourth quarter , the Bengals sealed the victory with Palmer hooking up with Chad for the third time on a 3 - yard TD pass . With the win , Cincinnati improved to 4 – 7 . Chad Johnson ( 12 receptions for 103 yards and 3 touchdowns ) ended the game as the Bengals ' All - Time receptions leader with 531 . Also , this marked the third time in his career that he caught 3 touchdown passes in one game . Week 13 : at Pittsburgh Steelers . Coming off their dominating home win over the Titans , the Bengals flew to Heinz Field for a Week 13 AFC North rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers . In the first quarter , Cincinnati took the early lead as RB Rudi Johnson got a 1 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . However , in the second quarter , the Steelers took the lead as QB Ben Roethlisberger got a 6 - yard TD run , along with kicker Jeff Reed getting a 21 - yard field goal . Pittsburgh would end the half as Roethlisberger completed a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Hines Ward . In the third quarter , the Bengals tried to get back into the game as kicker Shayne Graham nailed a 24 - yard TD pass , yet Pittsburgh replied with Roethlisberger and Ward hooking up with each other again on an 8 - yard TD pass . With the loss , Cincinnati fell to 4 – 8 . For QB Carson Palmer , one week after completing a career - best 84 . 2 % of his passes against Tennessee , he would end this game completing a career - worst 38 . 6 % of his passes . Week 14 : vs . St . Louis Rams . Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Steelers , the Bengals went home for a Week 14 interconference duel with the St . Louis Rams . In the first quarter , Cincinnati drew first blood as RB Rudi Johnson got a 1 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Bengals increased their lead with Kicker Shayne Graham getting a 27 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the third quarter , the Rams would get on the board as CB Fakhir Brown returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown . Afterwards , Cincinnati responded with Graham kicking a 38 - yard and a 32 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , St . Louis tried to come back as kicker Jeff Wilkins kicked a 50 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Bengals ended the game with Graham nailing a 46 - yard field goal . With the win , Cincinnati improved to 5 – 8 . Week 15 : at San Francisco 49ers . Coming off their home win over the Rams , the Bengals flew to Bill Walsh Field at Monster Park for a Saturday night interconference duel with the San Francisco 49ers . After a scoreless first quarter , Cincinnati trailed early in the second quarter as 49ers QB Shaun Hill got a 3 - yard TD run . Afterwards , the Bengals would take the lead as kicker Shayne Graham managed to get a 24 - yard field goal , while QB Carson Palmer completed a 52 - yard TD pass to WR Chris Henry . San Francisco would end the half with Hill completing a 17 - yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis . In the third quarter , the 49ers increased their lead with kicker Joe Nedney getting a 29 - yard and a 38 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Cincinnati tried to respond as Graham kicked a 35 - yard field goal . However , the 49ers ' defense held on for the win . With the loss , the Bengals fell to 5 – 9 , securing Head Coach Marvin Lewis ' first losing season with Cincinnati . Week 16 : vs . Cleveland Browns . Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the 49ers , the Bengals played their final home game of the year in a Week 16 AFC North rematch with the Cleveland Browns . After a scoreless first quarter , Cincinnati slashed away in the second quarter as kicker Shayne Graham nailed a 29 - yard field goal and QB Carson Palmer completing a 5 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh , along with RB Kenny Watson getting a 1 - yard TD run . In the third quarter , the Browns began to fight back as QB Derek Anderson completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Cleveland drew closer with Anderson and Edwards hooking up with each other again on a 5 - yard TD pass . Afterwards , the Bengals would hold on for the win . With the win , Cincinnati improved to 6 – 9 . Week 17 : at Miami Dolphins . Coming off their home victory over the Browns , the Bengals closed out their season at Dolphin Stadium in a Week 17 intraconference duel with the Miami Dolphins . In the first quarter , Cincinnati trailed early as Dolphins kicker Jay Feely kicked a 49 - yard field goal . The Bengals would respond with QB Carson Palmer completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Chad Johnson . In the second quarter , Miami took the lead with QB Cleo Lemon completing a 5 - yard TD pass to WR Ted Ginn , Jr . , yet Cincinnati replied with Palmer and C . Johnson hooking up with each other again on a 70 - yard TD pass , including a 4 - yard TD pass to WR Antonio Chatman . In the third quarter , the Bengals increased their lead with Safety Chinedum Ndukwe returning a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown , along with the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the Dolphins tried to come back as QB John Beck got a 2 - yard TD run , yet Cincinnati pulled away with RB Kenny Watson getting a 2 - yard TD run and kicker Shayne Graham nailing a 30 - yard field goal . Miami would end the game with Beck completing a 22 - yard TD pass to WR Derek Hagan . With the win , the Bengals closed out their season at 7 – 9 . Scoring summary . Q1 – MIA – 11 : 16 – Jay Feely 49 yard FG ( MIA 3 – 0 ) Q1 – CIN – 3 : 53 – 2 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson ( Shayne Graham kick ) ( CIN 7 – 3 ) Q2 – MIA – 7 : 03 – 5 yard TD pass from Cleo Lemon to Ted Ginn ( Jay Feely kick ) ( MIA 10 – 7 ) Q2 – CIN – 6 : 27 – 70 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson ( Shayne Graham kick ) ( CIN 14 – 10 ) Q2 – CIN – 0 : 04 – 4 yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Antonio Chatman ( Shayne Graham kick ) ( CIN 21 – 10 ) Q3 – CIN – 13 : 12 – Chinedum Ndukwe 54 yard fumble return TD ( Shayne Graham kick ) ( CIN 28 – 10 ) Q4 – MIA – 12 : 21 – John Beck 2 yard TD run ( Jay Feely kick ) ( CIN 28 – 17 ) Q4 – CIN – 10 : 03 – Kenny Watson 2 yard TD run ( Shayne Graham kick ) ( CIN 35 – 17 ) Q4 – CIN – 2 : 16 – Shayne Graham 30 yard FG ( CIN 38 – 17 ) Q4 – MIA – 0 : 28 – 22 yard TD pass from John Beck to Derek Hagan ( 2 point conversion pass from John Beck to Derek Hagan ) ( CIN 38 – 25 )