Bengals First 50 countdown reveals players ranked 10-1

The Cincinnati Bengals have completed the Bengals First 50 countdown.

Over the last five days, 50 of the greatest retired Bengals have been honored in this countdown, which is voted on by fans and media. The final 10 players to make the list are running back James Brooks, wide receiver Isaac Curtis, quarterback Boomer Esiason, wide receiver Cris Collinsworth, defensive back David Fulcher, kicker Jim Breech, wide receiver Chad Johnson, defensive tackle Tim Krumrie, quarterback Ken Anderson and offensive tackle Anthony Munoz.

Anytime you’re talking greatest Bengals of all time, these are the names you’ll quickly hear mentioned. There’s also no debating the greatest Bengal ever in Anthony Munoz. He’s not only regarded as the best Bengal of all time, but one of the great NFL players to ever play the game, not to mention the best offensive tackle the league has ever seen. His spot at No. 1 on this countdown was an easy slam dunk.

Click here to watch all of these Bengals in action with analysis by Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham. Here is the full list of the last 10 players honored and a brief bio on all of them, courtesy of the Bengals.

• #10 – James Brooks: Four-time Pro Bowler. Holds team record for average yards per rushing attempt (4.80). In top five for career rushing yards (6647), rushing attempts (1344), rushing touchdowns (37), rushing yards in a game (201) and 100-yard games (17). Member of Super Bowl XXIII team.
• #9 – Isaac Curtis: Bengals first round draft selection in 1973. Four-time Pro Bowler. Holds team record for average yards per reception (17.07). Third in team history for receiving yards (7101), receiving touchdowns (53) and 100-yard games (20).
• #8 – Boomer Esiason: Three-time Pro Bowler who led Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII. Named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1988. Holds team records for most 300-yard games (23), passing yards in a game (490) and average yards per passing attempt (7.62). Second in team history for career passing yards (27,149) and touchdown passes (187).
• #7 – Cris Collinsworth: Three-time Pro Bowler. Led team in receiving yards in Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XXIII. Ranks in the top five in team history for total receptions (417), career receiving yards (6698), average yards per reception (16.06) and most 100-yard games (18).
• #6 – David Fulcher: Three-time Pro Bowler. Tied for most interceptions by a safety in a season (eight in 1989) and ranks third in team history for total interceptions (31). Recorded several key tackles, a sack and forced a fumble in Super Bowl XXIII.
• #5 – Jim Breech: Bengals all-time leading scorer, with 1151 points. Scored in 186 consecutive games. Thirteen year career with the Bengals is tied for fourth longest in team history. Member of Super Bowl XVI and XXIII teams.
• #4 – Chad Johnson: Six-time Pro Bowler (tied for second-most in team history). Bengals career leader in receptions (751), receiving yards (10,783), receiving touchdowns (66) and most 100-yard games (31). Second all-time in total touchdowns (66), behind FB Pete Johnson (70).
• #3 – Tim Krumrie: Never missed a game during his Bengals playing career. Started 166 of his 193 games, including a stretch of 160 starts in 161 games. Led team in tackles five times, an unusual feat for an interior lineman. Made Pro Bowl in 1987 and 1988.
• #2 – Ken Anderson: Four-time Pro Bowler who led the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI. Named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1981. Sixteen year career with the Bengals is longest in team history. Holds team records for passing attempts (4475), completions (2654), passing yards (32,838) and touchdown passes (197).
• #1 – Anthony Munoz: Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, his first year of eligibility. Eleven-time Pro Bowler, the most in team history. Earned All-Pro honors every season from 1981-91. Received NFL's Man of the Year Award in 1991. Played in both Bengals' Super Bowl games.

My only issue with this final portion of the countdown is Jim Breech. He absolutely deserves to be high on this ranking as arguably the greatest specialist to ever wear Bengal stripes, but he’s a kicker. His impact on the game never amounted to what guys like David Fulcher, Cris Collinsworth, Boomer Esiason or many other on this list did during their careers.

That’s not a shot at Breech, however. He’s an all-time great at what he did. Kickers, in general, just don’t have the kind of impact that they should be in the top 20 of a ranking like this, let alone the top five.

With all that said, here is the entire Bengals First 50 countdown:

• #50 – Stanford Jennings
• #49 – Tim McGee
• #48 – Robert Geathers
• #47 – Brian Simmons
• #46 – Greg Cook
• #45 – Eric Thomas
• #44 – Doug Pelfrey
• #43 – Ross Browner
• #42 – Lee Johnson
• #41 – Justin Smith
• #40 – Solomon Wilcots
• #39 – Mike Reid
• #38 – Rich Braham
• #37 – Eddie Edwards
• #36 – Joe Walter
• #35 – Bruce Kozerski
• #34 – Coy Bacon
• #33 – Jim LeClair
• #32 – Bill Bergey
• #31 – Pete Johnson
• #30 – Tommy Casanova
• #29 – Eddie Brown
• #28 – Louis Breeden
• #27 – T.J. Houshmandzadeh
• #26 – Carl Pickens
• #25 – Pat McInally
• #24 – Ickey Woods
• #23 – Rodney Holman
• #22 – Dan Ross
• #21 – Rudi Johnson
• #20 – Bob Johnson
• #19 – Takeo Spikes
• #18 – Dave Lapham
• #17 – Bob Trumpy
• #16 – Lemar Parrish
• #15 – Corey Dillon
• #14 – Willie Anderson
• #13 – Max Montoya
• #12 – Reggie Williams
• #11 – Ken Riley
• #10 – James Brooks
• #9 – Isaac Curtis
• #8 – Boomer Esiason
• #7 – Cris Collinsworth
• #6 – David Fulcher
• #5 – Jim Breech
• #4 – Chad Johnson
• #3 – Tim Krumrie
• #2 – Ken Anderson
• #1 – Anthony Munoz