Stripe Hype Roundtable: How far can the Bengals go with Marvin Lewis as the head coach?
By Jason Marcum
November 4, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis during the game against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-US PRESSWIRE
At 3-5 in the midst of a three-game losing streak, we thought it was time to have our staff discuss what everyone in Bengaldom is wondering right now:
How far can the Bengals go with Marvin Lewis as the head coach?
Guttersnake
Tough to grade Marvin. He’s had a number of tough breaks, primarilyCarson’s knee. The Bengals should have won that play-off game back in early 2006, and if they had, it was likely they were Super Bowl bound. Who knows what we could have expected from there? Unfortunately, like Cowboys and Raiders coaches of the past 20 years, Marvin is not allowed the same liberties and therefore can’t be judged the same as most head coaches because he deals with an Owner/GM monster in Mike Brown.
Its taken ten years for Mike Brown to recognize Marvins ability to Draft and fully turn the reigns over in that regard, and the newly fielded team is what you see before you. Normally, a head coach as long in the tooth as Marvin wouldn’t even have the sway of the locker room, but the house cleaning of the past two years truly do give him a clean slate. Cutting him free at the end of this year is premature, but if the up turn isn’t there by mid-season 2013, he needs to be done… and moved to the front office as either General Manager or Lead Scout.
Sean McMahon
How Far Can The Bengals Go With Marvin Lewis: Honestly, they will only continue to reach mediocrity with him. Although he is a people person with his players, and they do like him, he is not a good head coach. While Marvin Lewis has been here, the Bengals have made the playoffs, however, with as much talent as the Bengals have been given, they would have made it farther if they had a better coach. Lewis is someone who lacks the ability to make adjustments during the game, and plays down to other team’s levels. Marvin Lewis has not beaten many good teams throughout his time here, and still won’t be able to.
Many fans have wanted him gone for awhile now, including me, but since the extension, it’s very unlikely that Mike Brown will fire him before the 2013 season. So expect another mediocre season next year, probably 8-8, and Lewis will get an extension from Mike Brown. Why? Because it’s not a losing season and Mike Brown would view it as an improvement over this year, thinking that 2014 will also improve, and so on. We are most likely stuck with Marvin Lewis for years.
Joe Johnson
It is time for change in the Bengals organization. We need a new head coach. Sure, Marvin has led the Bengals to three postseason appearances, but we still lack a playoff win. Andy Reid will likely be available, and seeing that he has been to a few NFC Championship games and even a Super Bowl. And then there’s also Sean Payton…………if he really does leaveNew Orleans, and that’s a big IF. There is the possibly of a college head coach like Nick Saban of Chip Kelly, but that never works. I just hope to have change.