It's Time for Marvin Lewis to Win or Go Home

Just as the Playoffs are win or go home it’s time for Marvin Lewis to win or go home. A new voice with new excitement could do the Bengals some good.

Bengals management and fans need to ask themselves if they are satisfied with being a Wild Card team.  If so, there’s no reason to fire Marvin Lewis.  But if they want playoff victories it may be time to move on and bring in a new voice. 

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The Bengals have lost seven Wild Card games since the hiring of Marvin Lewis in 2003.  A brilliant defensive mind and steady temperament have allowed Lewis to avoid the firing squad in recent years. However, it has been five straight years of Wild Card meltdown losses. Last year, even with a backup QB, the Bengals were in a position to win their first playoff game since 1990. Yet, Lewis allowed an emotional defense to become irrational and implode with penalties.

Following years of awful coaching under the likes of Dave Shula, Bruce Coslet, and Dick LeBeau the Bengals were glad to have a real head coach in Marvin Lewis.  In the years following, Lewis brought in elite Assistant coaches like Mike Zimmer, Jay Gruden, and Hue Jackson.  At the same time, elite players like Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, and A.J. Green were brought in with great promise.  This promise was turned into great stats and contracts but nothing beyond the Wild Card round of the playoffs.  Eventually, the Bengals need to get playoff wins or get a new coach; simple as that.

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There’s no time like the present for the Cincinnati Bengals 

With a Top-5 Defense, a top shelf QB and a winning pedigree it is unthinkable to lose in the Wild Card round yet again.  If the Bengals can remain relatively healthy and win the games they should, a Wild Card birth is very attainable.

However, the Wild Card round has been attainable seven times under Marvin Lewis and the Bengals are 0-7 in those games.  So, in 2016 the mindset cannot be one merely happy to be a playoff team. The goal must be to get in the playoffs and get wins (or at least one).  If that goal isn’t accomplished, the Bengals need a new voice as head coach.

What has doomed the Bengals in the playoffs under Marvin Lewis?  For one, injuries in the playoffs to Palmer and in the regular season to Andy Dalton haven’t helped.  Every playoff team has to battle injuries but when a starting QB is lost it’s not easy to win.

Dedication? 

At the same time, the Bengals defense gave up more than 26 points in four of the seven losses. For a former defensive coordinator and a respected defensive mind to lose that way in the playoffs is a sign of a playoff mental block.  The talent, staff and opportunity to win has been there but the results have not been.  Of course, Marvin Lewis wants to win in the playoffs but it appears that he is simply unable to accomplish that desire.

Next: Who Should be the Next Coach?

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Who should be the next coach? 

If the Bengals decide to move on from Marvin Lewis there are numerous promising candidates. Lewis has many great features that made him successful: a steady demeanor, excellent defensive mind and rapport building with players are just a few. Yet, there comes a time when the steady voice becomes old and hoarse.  A new voice with new excitement could do the Bengals some good. This voice needs to be experienced, enthusiastic and able to communicate with the modern generation of players.  Even next year, the Bengals won’t be rebuilding and will need a coach who is ready to win.

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Jim Mora Jr has had two failed stints in the NFL as a head coach with Atlanta and Seattle. Similarly, both Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll both failed as head coaches in the NFL before winning Super Bowls with their teams.  Much like Carroll, Mora Jr has been successful in the college game and brings energy and excitement wherever he goes.  His experience in the NFL and his DNA gives him a unique perspective as a coach.  No doubt former defensive coordinator Mora would love another NFL opportunity and the Bengals rabid defense would be a great fit.

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