It's undeniable that a large share of the blame for the recent loss, in particular, should be placed on the performance of Quarterback Andy Dalton, who looked miserable, and the team's offense has been overall fairly successful but consistently lacks any form of identity (are they a passing team? a running team? power or finesse? Dink and dunk? some unbalanced Frankenstein's monster of a combination of some or all?).
The one part of the equation that seemed to avoid immediate criticism was Lewis, who is the common denominator for all of these years. It's obvious that Marvin has spearheaded a turn around for the team (twice?) to make them contenders, but he still hasn't proven an ability to make them champions. The criticisms were few and far between until Stephen A Smith had this to say on ESPN earlier this week:
"I would disagree with the Lord himself if he told me that Marvin Lewis should stay on as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals..."
In the days since, the coordinator of the offense that laid the egg has been rewarded with a head coaching job in Washington, which may end up being a blessing in disguise for Bengals fans, in my opinion.
Running backs coach Hue Jackson is expected to be promoted to offensive coordinator. If you watched any of Hard Knocks last season, you saw the same fiery, competitive, and likable guy I did. I think he's a good hire, but the overarching question remains: should Marvin Lewis' regular season success merit more chances? Or should the Bengals move on and take the risk that someone else may be up for the task of getting them over the hump? At this point it doesn't look like Marvin is going anywhere, regardless of what we think. Do you think he has the ability to improve the team's standing next year?
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