The 2012 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 45th season as a professional sports franchise and its 43rd season as a member of the National Football League (NFL). This also marked the 22nd season under the leadership of owner and team president Mike Brown and the 10th season under head coach Marvin Lewis. The team improved on its 2011 season, finishing tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North division title, but lost the tiebreaker to the Ravens. The Bengals, however, made the playoffs as a Wild Card, finishing as the 6th seed in the AFC playoffs, but lost to the Houston Texans for a second consecutive season.