Bengals Moments: Beating the Oilers 61-7

It was December 18, 1989. The Bengals were leading the Houston Oilers 45 – 0 in the fourth quarter. Instead of simply kicking the ball back to the Oilers on the kickoff, Cincinnati executed an onside kick, which allowed them to regain possession of the ball. As shocking as this may seem now, it fit right in with the Bengals’ game plan that day. The fourth quarter alone showed the Bengals throwing on first down, going for it on fourth down and kicking a field goal with 21 seconds left in the game to solidify the final score of 61-7. All this on an Oilers team that was set to win the division.

So why did the Bengals run up the score on this particular day? Simply because Sam Wyche hated Jerry Glanville. Wyche had a lot to say after the game:

"We don't like this team we don't like their people. When you get a chance to do it (run up the score), you do it. I wish today this was a five-quarter game. I just don't like Jerry Glanville, I don't like phonies, and I don't think Jerry is a very genuine guy. The cheap shots they tried after our quarterback was down, their big mouths. Jerry tries coming up and talking to me before the game and when the cameras start rolling he puts his arm around you and smiles behind those dark glasses. When your football team is so talented and yet so undisciplined, you got to be ready to get kicked and the score run up on you. And that's exactly what happened today ... I feel sorry for the Houston players having to put up with him. He can take that hit-the-beach stuff and take it back to high school or wherever he got it from. He's a joke."

The rivalry continued as the two coaches went on to lead the Buccaneers and Falcons respectively and continued to run the score up in those matchups as well. Bengals fans will always remember the drubbing the Bengals laid on the Oilers fondly.