The Cincinnati Bengals and Marvin Lewis are making aggressive moves for the future of the franchise.
When the Cincinnati Bengals decided to bring Marvin Lewis back for another stint as head coach, the city was ready to riot. Not only were fans feeling cheated, they felt as though owner Mike Brown was playing the lazy role. Instead of taking on the task of searching for a new coach that would bring fresh ideas, he was…settling. But, in light of what’s been happening with the massive overhaul at Paul Brown Stadium, things could be changing. It may be the start of a new look for Lewis.
Honestly, this is something diehard Bengals fans have seen in the past. The organization makes big moves and then…POOF. Nothing transpires from the deals. It’s called life as a faithful Bengals fan. And, quite frankly, it tends to take the wind from the sails.
But, there seems to be a bit of urgency behind what Lewis is doing. As stated, it looks like Marvelous Marv is making the moves to win now.
Lewis has remarked, via Bengals.com, that he was burdened with coaches that he inherited from the franchise. Now, he’s able to make one of the largest changes in the history of his tenure.
"“Obviously when you take over a similar situation, as I did years ago from when I left Pittsburgh, you inherit some coaches, schemes and players. You have to adjust the coach a little bit, more so that the players don’t have to take too much of a sideways step, and we can keep pushing forward with their knowledge. There will be a different way of doing things, in some ways. We will find them, and obviously, we have to do them better.”"
Getting it right
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So, with all the moves being made to get the right coaches in place, will this translate into wins? And more importantly, will it bring the Bengals their first playoff win and run under Lewis? Hopefully, it all starts to fall into place in 2018. But, this is also the biggest part of believing the hype. In 2003, Lewis was brought on to be the solution. Yet, 15 years later, the Bengals are still searching for their first playoff win of the Dalton-Green era and Marvin is 0-7 in the postseason.
True, the new hires come under circumstances that illustrate Lewis has more “power” now. DC Teryl Austin is one of the hottest prospects in the league. Some Bengals fans may not believe it or even care. That’s how impatient and callous Brown has made this fan base.
The recent snag of Frank Pollack from the Cowboys is a power move that reeks of O-line stability. In other words, discipline eats motivation for brunch. Pollack’s line work speaks for itself. Pollack sent three linemen to the Pro Bowl under his watch with Dallas. Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Tyron Smith made the trip to Hawaii. His 2015 line finished 1st in pass and run blocking and last in number of penalties, per Pro Football Focus.
Lewis has picked another “aggressive” and demanding coach who understands what the standards are and what he wants from the men playing for him. Simply put, the days of being a soft franchise…seem to be fading away. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a return to Forrest Gregg style coaching?
Looks good on paper
Looks can indeed be deceiving, when it comes to the Bengals. But, Lewis is making all the right moves. Snatching Austin from Jon Gruden and the Raiders was brilliant. They obviously saw something in his scheme and teaching.
Not allowing Pollack to sneak onto the market was also another sweet pickup. Now, it’s time for the power moves to pay off. The 2018 campaign should mark a return to the postseason or bust.