Bengals–Browns rivalry

The Bengals–Browns rivalry is a rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. It has produced 2 of the 8 highest scoring games in NFL history. With their September 16, 2012 win in Cincinnati, the Bengals extended their lead in the all-time series to 42-37.

Geography and a shared heritage add to this rivalry. Cleveland (Northeast) and Cincinnati (Southwest) are on opposite corners of the Buckeye state, and essentially split Ohio. Legendary head coach Paul Brown also founded each franchise (the Browns in 1946 and Bengals in 1968). The colors of each team are similar, since he chose the same shade of orange used by the Browns for the Bengals.

The rivalry would later be fueled by sociocultural differences. Although Ohio is geographically part of the Midwest, Cleveland identifies more with the Northeast while Cincinnati identifies more with the South (particularly Kentucky) and is more socially conservative than the rest of the state. This has led to the Browns fans being more rowdy while the Bengals fans are more laid-back. This was exemplified in 1989 during a game between the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks at Riverfront Stadium that had debris thrown from the stands. Bengals coach Sam Wyche then grabbed a microphone and told the fans, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"

The Bengals and Browns first played in 1970. Previously, the Bengals were a part of the American Football League. After the AFL-NFL merger the Bengals and Browns were placed in the AFC Central Division. They have played twice a year since 1970, except in 1982 (Player's strike-shortened season) and 1996-98 (the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy). The Browns and Bengals have never met in the playoffs.