The 1970 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 3rd year in professional football and its 1st with the National Football League. The NFL-AFL merger took place before the season, and the Bengals made their first NFL campaign a memorable one. After winning their first ever game as a member of the NFL, which happened to be their inaugural game in the brand new Riverfront Stadium, they would lose six games in a row. But they would win out the rest of the way, as they rallied to finish 8–6 and win the new AFC Central Division. In their first playoff game, they lost, 17–0, to eventual Super Bowl-champion Baltimore. QB Greg Cook was forced to the Injured Reserve list in training camp with a shoulder injury that would end his career, and Virgil Carter took over as the starter.