Editing Cincinnati Bengals (section)

==== Forrest Gregg/Sam Wyche years (1980–1991) ====
[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 27 - Dan Bunz.jpg|thumb|The Bengals played against the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI (''pictured'') and XXIII, but lost in both games.|191x191px]]
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl twice during the 1980s – in [[Super Bowl XVI]] and [[Super Bowl XXIII]] – and lost against the [[San Francisco 49ers]] both times.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XVI – San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals – January 24th, 1982 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198201240cin.htm |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XXIII – Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers – January 22nd, 1989 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198901220cin.htm |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The team appeared in the playoffs in [[1990 NFL season|1990]], making it to the second round before losing to the Los Angeles Raiders.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round – Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Raiders – January 13th, 1991 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199101130rai.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Before the [[1991 NFL season|following season]] got underway, Paul Brown died at age 82.<ref name="a650">{{cite web | title=Paul Brown, One of Pro Football's Primary Architects, Dead at 82 | website=The New York Times | date=1991-08-06 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/06/sports/paul-brown-one-of-pro-football-s-primary-architects-dead-at-82.html | access-date=2024-08-15}}</ref> Due to declining health, he had already transferred control to his son, [[Mike Brown (American football executive)|Mike Brown]], but was reported to still influence the daily operations of the team.<ref name="p964">{{cite web | last=Mecklenborg | first=Jake | title=Art Modell's passing stirs up history that brought Cincinnati an NFL franchise and political turbulence| website=UrbanCincy | date=2012-09-12 | url=https://www.urbancincy.com/2012/09/art-modells-passing-stirs-up-his-past-that-brought-cincinnati-an-nfl-franchise-and-political-turbulence/ | access-date=2024-08-30}}</ref> The Bengals' fortunes changed for the worse as the team posted 14 consecutive non-winning seasons and were saddled with numerous draft busts.