Cincinnati Bengals: It’s Time for a Change
By R.C. Sprague
"Saturday night was another heartbreaking loss for the Cincinnati faithful. The Bengals fought hard but fell short with insult to injury being added by victors were their arch rival Steelers."
Saturday night was another heartbreaking loss for the Cincinnati faithful. The Bengals fought hard but fell short with insult to injury being added by victors were their arch rival Steelers. The Instantly the blame game started, well the refs were bad, Nelson got hurt, Andy Dalton didn’t play, we committed dumb penalties…
It is the same worn out excuses that have surfaced year after year, the one thing that has remained through seven playoff losses is Marvin Lewis. At what point will the Bengals organization come to the realization that it is time for Marvin Lewis to be replaced.
The Marvin Lewis era has been one with many positive aspects and he will forever hold a place in Bengals history. Lewis has the most wins of any head coach in team history with 112. The total wins is not the only category that he holds a decisive edge in, he is the longest tenured coach in franchise history. Not to mention, he’s led them to more playoff appearances than any other coach in Bengals history including five straight. In regular season, no coach can compete with Lewis’s resume, but that’s only half the story.
Lewis has failed in perhaps the most important category, post season success. Marvin Lewis is 0-7 and has only come close to winning one game past the regular season. In those seven games, Cincinnati has lost by a combined 176 to 90.
While all of this sounds great, Lewis has failed in perhaps the most important category, post season success. Marvin Lewis is 0-7 and has only come close to winning one game past the regular season. In those seven games, Cincinnati has lost by a combined 176 to 90. Those numbers are staggering and nearly unthinkable given the regular season success of some of those teams. It seems that Lewis just can’t find a way to get this organization over the hump. Most coaches would not have been granted so many opportunities, but Lewis has had chance after chance.
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When it comes to longevity, only Bill Belichick has coached in one location longer. Unlike Lewis, Belichick’s has produced when the pressure is on. His career numbers are what you would expect from a guy who has kept his job for 16 seasons. As the leader of the Patriots he has posted 187 win as opposed to just 67 losses. In addition, Belichick has six AFC Championships and four Super Bowl titles. Those are the numbers that you would expect from a coach who has been in place for over 10 years, not an 0-7 playoff record.
Organizations can not accept mediocrity, and I mean any organization, fortune 500, military, or sports. Mediocrity has been the staple of the Marvin Lewis era and it doesn’t seem like anything will change under his control. The fans of Cincinnati deserve better, especially after the season they had.
Thank you Marvin Lewis, but it’s time for change and that change is for the organization to pursue new leadership. It’s been an exciting 12 years during the Lewis era but it’s time to see what the future holds with a new captain at the helm. Perhaps the biggest injustice of this loss is that it gives people false hope in Marvin Lewis. Without change the Bengals are doomed to repeat this cycle for eternity.