With the bye up next, the current Bengals will have to wait two weeks to see if they can separate themselves as the fastest starting team in the 48-year history of the franchise.
Statistically, this year's Andy Dalton-led offense is the best of the three teams that have started 6-0. Here is a breakdown of the numbers through the first six games of the 1975, 1988 and 2015 seasons.
Points
2015: 182
1988: 171
1975: 128
Total Yards
2015: 2,462
1988: 2,431
1975: 1,865
Passing Yards
2015: 1,729
1988: 1,502
1975: 1,147
Rushing Yards
1988: 929
2015: 733
1975: 718
Turnovers
2015: 6
1988: 8
1975: 13
Defensively, this year's Bengals team lags behind the 1975 and 1988 groups.
Points Allowed
1975: 70
1988: 107
2015: 122
Total Yards Allowed
1975: 1,430
1988: 2,061
2015: 2,224
Passing Yards Allowed
1975: 603
1988: 1,307
2015: 1,569
Rushing Yards Allowed
2015: 655
1988: 754
1975: 827
Turnovers Forced
1975: 22
1988: 16
2015: 9
The 1988 team's perfect run ended with a 27-21 loss at New England in Week 7. The Patriots were not a great team that year. They were 2-4 when Cincinnati came to town, and they finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. But the Bengals committed six turnovers that day in Foxborough, and New England jumped out to a 20-0 lead. Five of the six turnovers were Boomer Esiason interceptions. It would be the only five-pick game of his career.
The 1975 team's perfect start came to an end at home with a 30-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the same team that will be tasked with ending the run this year when the Bengals head to Heinz Field on Nov. 1.
Unlike the 1988 Patriots, the 1975 Steelers were a formidable foe as they would go on to win Super Bowl X. The Bengals fell behind 23-3 when Terry Bradshaw hit Lynn Swann with a pair of touchdown passes.
This year's Steelers are 4-2 and could be 5-2 after traveling to 1-5 Kansas City on Sunday. Regardless of what Pittsburgh does against Kansas City, the Bengals will assured of leaving Heinz Field in first place in the AFC North Division. But that lead could be anywhere from 3.5 games to a half game depending on how things play out the next two weeks.
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