2004 Cincinnati Bengals

The 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 37th year in professional football and its 35th with the National Football League. The Bengals began to focus on the future, as the team traded All-Pro Rb Corey Dillon to the New England Patriots, clearing the way for Rudi Johnson to start at HB, while giving QB Carson Palmer the starting job at quarterback. Palmer and the young Bengals would struggle early, losing five of their first seven games. However, as the season wore on, and Palmer grew comfortable on the field, the Bengals began to hit their stride, as they climbed back to .500 at 6-6, before an sprained knee sent Palmer to the sidelines in a hard fought 35-28 road loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Patriots. However, the with wins in their final two games the Bengals would finish 8-8 for the second year in a row as Rudi Johnson finished sixth in the NFL in rushing with 1,454 yards, giving Bengals fans hope for the future.