| 2011 Cincinnati Bengals season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Mike Brown |
| Head coach | Marvin Lewis |
| Home field | Paul Brown Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC North |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Texans) 10–31 |
| Pro Bowlers | 4 |
| All-Pros | DT Geno Atkins |
| Uniform | |
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The 2011 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 42nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 44th overall. They entered the season coming off a 4–12 record in 2010. Head Coach Marvin Lewis was re-signed by the team. Quarterback (QB) Carson Palmer demanded a trade and was dealt to the Oakland Raiders. Wide receiver (WR) Chad Johnson was traded to the New England Patriots. Replacing the two, the organization drafted QB Andy Dalton and WR A. J. Green in the 2011 NFL draft. The start of the 2011 season was hindered by a lockout, which cancelled the teams' mini-camp.
After going 1–3 in pre-season, the Bengals started their season off with a win against division rival Cleveland Browns, en route to a 9–7 record—their best outing since 2009. The franchise received a Wild Card spot in the 2011–12 NFL playoffs where it lost in the opening round to the Houston Texans. This would be paralleled the next year with another loss to Houston. 2011 marked Cincinnati's first of five consecutive playoff appearances through 2015. Four players—Dalton, Green, defensive lineman (DL) Geno Atkins, and tight end (TE) Jermaine Gresham—were elected to the 2012 Pro Bowl; Atkins was also selected to the Associated Press' 2011 All-Pro Team.