All-Bengals Team - QB

[bengalsfansince68]

Reading this thread it occurs to me that most of you guys are too young to know much about the entire history of this organization.

First in regard to the head coach. To take Sam (Wicky-Wacky) Wyche over Paul Brown or Forrest Gregg is in my mind laughable. Paul Brown was an innovator who changed the way football was and is played. In addition to that without him we would not even have a franchise. While I grant you that Sam had a few innovations of his own, most were designed to trick the opposition and trickery rarely, if ever, wins in the Nfl! I cannot count how many hairs I pulled out of my scalp when on third and goal from the six inch line, Wycky Wacky would pitch the ball back eight yards to try and gain six inches. Not the way to win football games. It took a great deal of restraint for me to keep from destroying several TV sets over the years of the Sam Wyche era.

Second in regard to the QB. While a case can be made for Boomer, and I love Boomer by the way, Kenny Anderson must cetainly start for our all time squad. While Boomer did throw for some extra yards and td's, he also played during a pass happy era for a pass happy coach. KA had a better completion %, a better pass rating, a better yards per attempt, and less interceptions. In the run game it was no contest. Although Boomer ran the ball 50 more times than KA, KA ran for more than 600 more yards than Boomer. KA had a 5.6 yards per carry to Boomer's 3.6.

KA ran for 20 td's to Boomer's 7 td's. KA fumbled 44 times. Boomer fumbled 123 times. I don't mean this as a slight on Boomer. I love Boomer. As someone who followed both throught their respective careers, I have to say Ken Anderson without a doubt

I did my own informal poll of people who have been Bengal fans as long as I have and all six said KA without any doubt.

In reference to wide receiver, I would say that anyone who thinks that Chris Collinsworth or any other receiver in Bengal history is better than Issaac Curtis, probably does not know who Mr. Curtis is.

Finally, the place kicker. Give me Horst Muhlman over Jim Breech every day of the year.

Chuck Taylor

[Bengals44]

Obviously I'll go w/ KenAnderson - a man who once owned three passing titles at a time when no one else even owned two and yet is not in the Hall of Fame... Put Ken in that San Fran offense or even the 70's Steelers and he goes to Pro Bowl after Pro Bowl along w/ winning some championships... Sometimes it's just a matter of who you are surrounded by - Ken was the most accurate QB we have ever had w/out a doubt...

[jjakq27]

Here is the all-time Bengal team based on a fan poll conducted on bengals.com in 2002.

DE Justin Smith

DT Tim Krumrie

DT Mike Reid

DE Coy Bacon

LOLB Takeo Spikes

MLB Brian Simmons

ROLB Reggie Williams

CB Ken Riley

CB Eric Thomas

FS Tommy Casanova

SS David Fulcher

P Lee Johnson

QB Boomer Esiason

RB Corey Dillon

FB Ickey Woods

WR Isaac Curtis

WR Cris Collinsworth

TE Rodney Holman

RT Willie Anderson

RG Max Montoya

C Bruce Kozerski

LG Dave Lapham

LT Anthony Munoz

K Jim Breech

[BENGALTHEM]

I think James Francis should be on the list.

[jjakq27]

From the Bengals yearbook in 1997:

30 Retired Gridiron Greats

Ken Anderson

Bill Bergey

Jim Breech

Louis Breeden

James Brooks

Eddie Brown

Tommy Casanova

Cris Collinsworth

Greg Cook

Isaac Curtis

David Fulcher

Rodney Holman

Bob Johnson

Essex Johnson

Pete Johnson

Bruce Kozerski

Tim Krumrie

Dave Lapham

Jim LeClair

Tim McGee

Max Montoya

Anthony Munoz

Chip Myers

Lamar Parrish

Mike Reid

Ken Riley

Paul Robinson

Dan Ross

Bob Trumpy

Reggie Williams

[williamnminor]

It was a tossup between Gus Frerrotte and Boomer, but Boomer definitely gets my vote today. In 10 years, however, I have a feeling it will be Palmer

[Kirkendall]

Vote now for the Bengals QB of all time at the top of the BengalsZone forum page.

[vettespd20]

BOOMER FOR SURE!!!!

[Kirkendall]

Everyone Vote! If you're not registered, or a guest, register and vote for your favorite Bengal QB. Vote so your voice is heard!

[redsfan2]

Obviously I'll go w/ KenAnderson - a man who once owned three passing titles at a time when no one else even owned two and yet is not in the Hall of Fame... Put Ken in that San Fran offense or even the 70's Steelers and he goes to Pro Bowl after Pro Bowl along w/ winning some championships... Sometimes it's just a matter of who you are surrounded by - Ken was the most accurate QB we have ever had w/out a doubt...

Accuracy and timing ........... Anderson amassed these numbers behind a line that to put it nicely wasn't a strong point of the team. I've referenced the game that he played against Bert Jones of the the Baltimore Colts. We lost the game, but that was the best show of passing I've ever seen.

Everybody has noted Boomers arm, and he was strong but the one thing that hasn't been mentioned was his play action. Best faker ever. The camera man usually fell for the fake and would track the runner.

Gotta go with Anderson. He could go deep when he had too. He had plenty of arm as well. Accuracy was his hallmark ................ it was like watching a dam Zorro movie.*

* They did a remake of Zorro, so I know you've all seen him

[BengalszoneBilly]

I guess us older members he have to bear in mind that alot of guys here havent been around since the beginning. It's hard to do when you have no real image of the people here, other than their names and avatars!

I remember when Cincy HAD no pro team, and the closest thing to root for was the Browns. (Ugh!) I actually remember the first time the Bengals beat the Browns, and believe me, it was a hell of an upset!

Too bad the history channel doesn't cover football.

[jjakq27]

I had to check it out for myself. I heard that Ken Anderson was moved to WR coach with the Jags. So I checked on their website and he indeed is listed as their WR coach and Bill Musgrave is the OC/QB coach.

I am sure that if Kenny had a more distinguished career as an assistant or a coordinator that he would get more consideration for the HOF and might already be there.

[Barbarian]

I'm changing my mind too. I'm voting for Anderson.

After all, it's hard to vote for a QB that has more INTs than TDs (Boomer Esiason).

And I'm also stating for the record that Neither NOR should be in the Hall of Fame.

[Black'n'Orange]

Saw em both play. Though I hafta admit saw more of Boomer than Anderson.

Still stickin' with Boomer.

He was a motivator!

[bengalboy]

Ken Anderson. The championship game against the Chargers seals it for me.

[jjakq27]

I'm changing my mind too.  I'm voting for Anderson.

After all, it's hard to vote for a QB that has more INTs than TDs (Boomer Esiason).

And I'm also stating for the record that Neither NOR should be in the Hall of Fame.

I gotta disagree with you on that one...I think Anderson has the numbers to go up against just about any HOF QB. I think his downfall is that he was never a high profile player, he played in Cincinnati and never won a Super Bowl. I think the NFL places too much of priority on the Super Bowl factor.

Also keep in mind that the NFL didn't switch to a 16 game schedule until 1978. So from 1973-1977 Anderson played in two less games per year than they do now. That may not seem like much but ten games is about 2/3 of a season and that would have added a couple thousand yds and a few more touchdowns to his career statistics. Especially during the 74 and 75 season when he won the passing title.

[Barbarian]

Fran Tarkenton NEVER won a Super Bowl either. Neither did Jim Kelly.

Fact is that I'd take Fran Tarkenton or Jim Kelly over Ken Anderson on their worst days.

[chrishcovga]

Don't forget about the strike season of '82 either.. Only 9 games were played that year, and Cincy' was 7-2 !. Terrible loss to the Jets in the playoffs though.

[jjakq27]

Fran Tarkenton NEVER won a Super Bowl either.  Neither did Jim Kelly.

Fact is that I'd take Fran Tarkenton or Jim Kelly over Ken Anderson on their worst days.

My comment was "just about any HOF QB". Please read the following from bengalsjungle.com. There are alot of stats to make the case for Kenny.

http://bengalsjungle.com/anderson-hof-qb.html

".....He holds the Bengals record for most touchdown passes (197 ) and passing yards ( 32,838 ) and completion ( 2654 ). Anderson won four passing titles, only the great Sammy Baugh won more. He lead the league three times for lowest interception percentage, and again only Sammy Baugh has more. He was the first Bengal quarterback to lead us to a Super Bowl. He holds the Bengals record for most touchdown passes in a season. Ken Anderson has a better quarterback rating better than all but 5 quarterbacks from the modern day era. The total number of quarterbacks in Hall of Fame is twenty four, seventeen from the modern era. Kenny Anderson was MVP of the NFL in 1981. Kenny lead the league in passing in 1974 and 1975, also lead the league in passing in 1981 and 1982. Ken Anderson's second season he was 5th in the AFC in passing. And in 1973 he was third in the AFC. In 1979 he was third in AFC. In 1983 he was 4th in AFC, and in 1984 he was 5th in AFC. As of the Year 2002 Ken Anderson was in the top 5 in QB ratingsthe top five all-time passer rating looks like this:

Steve Young 96.8

Otto Graham 93.1

(Graham had a 78.2 rating NFL and a 99.1 Rating AAFC )

Joe Montana 92.3

Ken Anderson 87.5

Dan Marino 86.4

Tell me how can you be in the top 5 and not be in the Hall of Fame. Or a closer might suggest top 3.

Many arguments why Kenny Anderson shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame don't hold any water. Never won the big one. (Dan Fouts) never won the big one. Padded stats with dump off passes (Average Yards per pass average is better than Bradsshaw,and Griese, One thousandth of a percent away one Namath and less than half a yard from all other Hall of Fame QB's except Otto Graham 8.63, Norm Van Brocklin 8.16. Kenny Anderson YPA was 7.34. And in his playoff years were even better.

Namath and Dawson claim to fame came through the AFL which at the time was consider minor league. Dawson was pick up by the newly develop AFL after being cut by the Browns in 1961 in which he spent 2 years. He also played on the Steelers team in 1957,58, and 59. Namath had 3 years his team won more than it lost. Namath has 47 more interception than TD passes.Brawshaw had 2 more TD passes than interceptions Fouts had 12 more, Griese had 20, Anderson had 37 more TD's.

Anderson also has a better rushing Average than any Hall of Fame QB. Below is table so you can compare Anderson to QB's already in HOF." (See webpage for stats).