The last time the Bengals played for an AFC title: Jan. 8, 1989 against the Bills

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When the Bengals play at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, it will be Cincinnati's first AFC Championship Game appearance in 33 years.

The last time the Bengals made it this far, Jan. 8, 1989 they faced the Buffalo Bills.

Much like playing the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes this season, Cincinnati faced one of the game's top quarterbacks in that game – the Bills' Jim Kelly. The Buffalo offense also featured Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Reed and rookie running back Thurman Thomas.

The Bills' "Blizzard Defense" gave up the fewest points and fewest total yards in the AFC. There were three All-Pro players on the defense: Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan and Bruce Smith.

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Here is a look back at the leadup and aftermath from the 1988 AFC Championship Game:

Bengal’s no-huddle offense caused controversy

Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy criticized coach Sam Wyche and the Bengals’ no-huddle offense. Levy considered it being outside the spirit of the rules by “quick-snapping”.

Levy threatened to have his defense fake injuries in order to get time to substitute personnel.

Never at a loss for words, Wyche responded to the criticism:

"I’m really disappointed in Levy, because I really respect him as a coach. I still respect him as a coach, but I’m disappointed he’d try to influence the officiating this way, which is basically what he’s trying to do.

“I know one thing – there wasn’t any big reason for us to dislike the Bills, but he just have us what we needed right when we needed it.

“He couldn’t have ticked this team off any more than he has. We’re ready.”

On the day of the title game, the NFL office issued a ruling restricting the use of the quick snap.

Bengals owner/president Paul Brown weighed in on the ruling:

"I don’t think it’s quite in order to make a ruling the night before a game after a team has been operating a certain way the last several years.”

JANUARY 9, 1989: The Bengals' David Fulcher hugs head coach Sam Wyche as the Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs.
JANUARY 9, 1989: The Bengals' David Fulcher hugs head coach Sam Wyche as the Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs.

Following the ruling, Wyche said:

“You know, in the world outside sports, many times sports teaches you lessons. I think in the case of overcrowding of our jails, this is probably the answer for us. The next time somebody robs a restaurant at 6:30 in the evening, the police should let the crook go and tell the restaurant, ‘You can’t say open until 6:30 because you’re vulnerable to robbery.’ This is basically what happened.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly (12) walks off the field as Cincinnati Bengals defenders Jason Buck (99), Lewis Billups (24) and David Grant (98) celebrate a 10-yard sack in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 1989 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly (12) walks off the field as Cincinnati Bengals defenders Jason Buck (99), Lewis Billups (24) and David Grant (98) celebrate a 10-yard sack in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 1989 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Jim Kelly vs. The Jungle

The Bills Hall of Fame quarterback didn’t care to comment about the no-huddle, but he made his thoughts about playing at Riverfront Stadium’s “The Jungle.”

“Who cares about The Jungle? That’s just a nickname,” he said.

Boomer says no to 'People' magazine

From Enquirer reporter Mike Dodd’s Jan. 8, 1989 Bengals notebook:

While he was waiting to be introduced at a press conference Friday, quarterback Boomer Esiason was approached by a reporter who identified herself as from "People" magazine.

“We’d like to do a story on you,” she said.

“Me? I don’t have any dirt,” Esiason responded.

“Oh no, we’re not looking for dirt,” the reporter said.

“Nah, I know you guys follow Brigitte and Gastineau around,” Esiason said. “My wife and I are pretty quiet. Actually, we’re pretty dull.”

Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife Danish model Brigitte Nielsen kisses her friend U.S. football player Mark Gastineau, as they showed up on the terrace of their hotel in Cannes, France, May 18, 1989, during the International Film Festival.
Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife Danish model Brigitte Nielsen kisses her friend U.S. football player Mark Gastineau, as they showed up on the terrace of their hotel in Cannes, France, May 18, 1989, during the International Film Festival.

'Ed Brady's 10 Reasons Why Bengals Will Win'

The Enquirer turned to Bengals' special teams player Ed Brady to provide a David Letterman-style Top 10 list that ran in the Jan. 8, 1989 paper:

10. We had Chia Chia at the zoo. When Chia Chia came to the zoo, that's when we started winning. Even though Chia Chia is gone, I don't think he went to the Buffalo zoo.

9. In the Wizard of Oz, it's "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my." There's no mention of Buffalo Bills. So they can't be very scary animals. The Lions and Tigers and Bears are the fiercest animals in the Jungle, you know. There are no Buffalo Bills in the Jungle.

8. I think we eat more raisins than they do. There are more carbohydrates in raisins, so that's going to help us with our energy and keeping our glycerin level up.

7. We're right in the heartland of Ohio and they are up by Canada. We're more of an American team.

6. Jim Kelly is from East Brady, Pa., and that abbreviated would be E. Brady and that's my name, Ed Brady. I don't think the gods will let that happen… I don't think a quarterback from my town – must have been some relation to me – will come into our stadium and beat us.

5. Since it's Cincinnati's 200th birthday, we are sort of giving them a present. The birthday was last year, but this is going to be part of the birthday. The present. The total present.

4. I have not heard any of their song, but ours might help.

3. The words "Cincinnati Bengals" have more letters than the words "Buffalo Bills" and everybody knows that more is better in letters.

2. On our biorhythm chart, we're on a peak right now. A very high rise. A high-rise building looking on top of everything.

1. We're wearing black and they're wearing white. The guy who wears the white hat in the movies is the good guy and the good guy always finishes last. We're going to be the bad guys.

'Ed Brady's 10 Reasons Why Bengals Will Win' from the Jan. 8, 1989 Cincinnati Enquirer.
'Ed Brady's 10 Reasons Why Bengals Will Win' from the Jan. 8, 1989 Cincinnati Enquirer.

1988 AFC Championship Game: Bengals vs. Bills lineups

The starting lineups for the AFC Championship Game in the Jan. 8, 1989 Cincinnati Enquirer.
The starting lineups for the AFC Championship Game in the Jan. 8, 1989 Cincinnati Enquirer.

There were plenty of big names playing in the title game. In addition to future Hall-of-Famers Kelly, Thomas and Reed, the Bills offense featured long-tenured tight end Pete Metzelaars as well as Pro Bowler Kent Hull and future Pro Bowlers Will Wolford and Jim Ritcher on the offensive line.

The Bills' defense, in addition to Bennett, Conlan and Smith, featured Pro Bowl nose tackle Fred Smerlas. Future Pro Bowler Darryl Talley and former Pro Bowler Art Still were also part of the front seven. Future Pro Bowler Nate Odomes started at cornerback.

The Bengals started six Pro Bowlers on offense: Esiason, running back James Brooks, wide receiver Eddie Brown, tight end Rodney Holman and offensive linemen Anthony Muñoz and Max Montoya.

The defense featured three Pro Bowlers: Eric Thomas and David Fulcher in the backfield and nose tackle Tim Krumrie.

Esiason, Munoz and Krumrie were all First Team All-Pro.

Bengals 21, Bills 10: The game

From Dodd’s game story in the January 9, 1989 Enquirer:

The no-huddle offense may not go to Miami totally intact. But the Bengals will.

Just hours after the NFL imposed restrictions on Cincinnati’s no-huddle attack Sunday, the Bengals just said no to the Buffalo Bills – no running against them, no field position, no stopping Ickey Woods.

The Bengals held the Bills to 181 total yards and held Kelly to 14 of 30 passing for 163 yards and three interceptions.

Cincinnati Bengals Ickey Woods (30) leaps past falling Buffalo Bills defender Derrick Burroughs on his way for open field in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game in Cincinnati, Jan. 8, 1989.
Cincinnati Bengals Ickey Woods (30) leaps past falling Buffalo Bills defender Derrick Burroughs on his way for open field in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game in Cincinnati, Jan. 8, 1989.

Ickey Woods ran the ball 29 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bengals offense.

Wide receiver Cris Collinsworth said after the game:

"This team had so much pressure on us from opening day of pre-season. People were telling us we were no good. Every magazine picked us to finish dead last. Sam Wyche should be fired, the whole staff should be fired, and so on.

"I think it really was just a case of an entire football team thinking their backs were up against the wall. We just came out fighting, starting with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton."

After the game, Eric Thomas said of his coach and team:

"I think Sam is kind of feeling like the whole team is feeling right now. It's like – 'There. There you go fans, media, everybody who thought we really weren't worth a rip. Now you guys can take it back and you can record it and watch it again.' I think he's feeling a great feeling of gratification right now."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals playoff history: The 1988 AFC Championship Game vs. Bills