The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 21st year in professional football and its 19th with the National Football League (NFL). After coming off a disappointing 1987 season, the Bengals tied for the best record in the NFL in 1988, secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and won the AFC Championship, appearing in Super Bowl XXIII, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers 20–16. The Bengals went 8–0 at home in 1988 and 4–4 on the road. The Bengals would not play in the Super Bowl or AFC Championship again until the 2021 season.