Bengals: 5 Questions About The 2016 Season

Nov 5, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert (left), quarterback Andy Dalton (14), and tackle Andrew Whitworth (right) against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

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The Lewis factor

If any coach has more to prove, please stand up. Marvin Lewis may not be on the hot seat with Mike Brown, but he’s strapped into the electric chair with many Bengals fans. Since his arrival, he’s turned the team around. Outside of 2005 and 2009, Lewis has guided the Men in Stripes to five straight playoff berths. But, his 0-7 record has to have him squirming.

The 2015 season was on par to be his crowning achievement. With an 8-0 start, the Bengals looked unstoppable. Two things worked against Marvelous Marv and Cincinnati. Andy Dalton’s season-ending thumb fracture and the subpar play calling of the January 9 Wild Card game.

That elusive playoff win was in Lewis’s reach. Fielding one of the most talented teams in franchise history, there was little doubt that it would happen. But alas, the same results in a different year.

Brown extended Lewis’s contract, to the dismay of some Bengals faithful. Yet, that may turn out to be a stroke of genius. With Lewis having to prove his worth, he may get back to being the tough, no-nonsense coach that turned the franchise around. Nothing can motivate better than job security.

Next: Just Win Baby!