How The Bengals Can Reclaim The AFC North
By Emile Pierce
Lewis…Step Ya Game Up
It’s been a long time since Bengals fans have felt good about the Stripes in a playoff game. The 2017 season has to be the year that Marvin Lewis delivers or he’s out. There have been way too many chuckles, bad clock management, and last-minute extensions. Lewis has no other choice than to produce.
Lewis is in the same situation as last year. He has no contract in place and the current agreement ends in 2017. But, to be honest, the Bengals have come a long way with Lewis at the helm. They have become one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. Unfortunately, that success has been in the regular season. In seven postseason tries, Lewis has been one-and-done.
It’s time to dump the motivational mumbo jumbo. No more Pound The Rock or Do Your Job. This is the year that Lewis & Co. must show fans that they can produce a legitimate winner. What’s that? Piling up regular season W’s has become old hat for the Bengals. What counts most in the NFL is how you perform under the lights. The Big Dance and primetime have to become priorities for the Bengals.
Cincinnati is just a few key moves away from getting to the next level. Lewis has been shrewd enough to engineer five straight appearances in the playoffs. That’s a feat hard to duplicate in the NFL. But, this year, the buck has to go farther than a Wild Card game. Win the North, get a playoff win…or two. Maybe, that gets the contract extended.
Until further notice, this is Marvin’s team. It’s time to step the game up.