Paul Daugherty: honeymoon's over for Marvin

Monday, January 01, 2007

honeymoon's over for Marvin

I'm a little tired of hearing about selfishness and responsibility and chemistry. Marvin started to sound like Huggins used to: I coached great, they didnt listen. The Bengals were next-to-last in the AFC in 3rd quarter point differential. That's a stat geek's number, but it reflects poorly on the staff's ability to change gears at halftime...

They continued to overemphasize Rudi Johnson. Heavy Duty's a nice, complementary player, a straight-ahead plower who doesnt screw up often and comes to play every week. He isnt the focus of this team's attack. Or shouldnt be. Rudi had 100 yards against Indy and Denver. So?

The play-calling got ridiculously predictable. 2nd-and-long, give the ball to Rudi. Carson changing the play, give the ball to Rudi. When Palmer was getting hammered routinely middle of the year, rarely a draw, screen or 3-step drop. Silly reverses to TJ and Chad, 3 yards a pop...

Speaking of Chad, he's the obvious target of the "selfish'' sniping. Just stop. How about this: Cover someone. Tackle someone. Hit someone in the numbers with a pass before the 4th quarter. Make an extra point. Stop with the false starts in Week 17. Chad is selfish, though. That explains 8-8.

Stop taking chances on guys with a history. Stop saying it doesnt affect the team. Stop thinking you're a good enough coach to overcome that. You're not. Develop a better relationship with the media, who are your conduit to the public, like it or not. Ease off the condescension. You've had it easy here for 4 years. Next year will be different. You might need your friends in the press. Next year's the swing year for this coach and this franchise. 8-8 won't make it.

45 Comments:

at 6:08 PM

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Its about time someone got tough on Marvin. Yeah, he's done great here when compared to the Lost Decade era...but overall, he's had 3 of 4 very mediocre seasons. Better coaches have been fired for that.

at 9:54 PM

Anonymous said...

Nicely said Paul. It is going to be very interesting to see if changes are truly made and what they are!

at 10:59 PM

Anonymous said...

Amen, Doc. At last the Doc that we knew & loved to read is back.
Opponents' 99-yard drives in back-to-back weeks, one TD & one lucky break barely prevents another. The first one by a rookie QB with how many games under his belt?
From a Bill Simmons ESPN column on 12/21, "Someone In The Know once told me, "Bet against Chuck Bresnahan against any good coach. He stinks. Smart coaches and smart QBs always have a field day against him"".
And that play calling, when was the last time the BENGALS threw a slant? And oh how we do miss James Brooks.
Keep the heat on.

at 6:14 AM

Anonymous said...

A-Men!!!!!!!!!!!

at 8:30 AM

Anonymous said...

Doc - EVERYTHING you typed was so spot-on, i only wish it wasn't tucked away in a blog for only a handful to see... would love to have seen that in the Enquirer today - would've been a nice, ice cold glass of water thrown in some faces.

especially loved this:

"Develop a better relationship with the media, who are your conduit to the public, like it or not. Ease off the condescension. You've had it easy here for 4 years. Next year will be different."

i only hope next year "will be different." i listen to his pressers from time to time, and ask myself, "who does this guy think he is?"... combine his attitude, w/ his team's
underachievement, and throw him into the Philly or NY media ocean, and he'd blow a gasket.

Dave Kneejerk
Whineyville, Ohio

at 8:58 AM

matty buckets said...

I agree with nearly everything here. However, Chad does neat to shut his mouth in 2007. When he was caught on tape whining that his TD against the Falcons wasn't against their top corner, he lost me. How is that not selfish? The questionable player bit is getting old, too. The most questionable one of them was the only receiver to step up against Pittsburgh.

at 9:58 AM

Anonymous said...

Marvin has done a great job. He has taken the worst professional sports franchise of the 1990's and helped turn them into a respectable organization.
However his relationship with the media is horrendous. He comes across as condescending and thin skinned in his press conferences. Any time a tough question is asked he seems to take it as a personal attack.
He needs to take responsibility for the players he has chosen. If they don’t tackle and follow their assignment then why are they still on the team?
He also seems a little overwhelmed during the game. When is the last time the Bengals dominated a second half?
Is Marvin the guy to consistently take the Bengals into the playoffs? I hope he is but I guess we will find out next year.

at 10:25 AM

Anonymous said...

What the hell does "having a better relationship with the media" have to do with winning games? just as i thought, the "white meia" in this town cant stand an EDUCATED BLACK MAN with the NUTS to do things HIS WAY and not the media's way. I just knew this day would come back to haunt marvin lewis. see, the media in this town is so use to weak kneed white coaches who were told what to do by the media. Bring in a black guy who has more "street cred" than the media will EVER HAVE makes to media feel WEAK and UNDERAPPRECIATED. It's the same feeling many regular white gUys feel when they see sports dominated by people that dont look like them. i jknew this day was coming and i knew the media would try and threathen marvin lewis. You better back off PAUL. The "community" has Marvin Lewis's back and will have your head if you try and go after marvin lewis. DONT GET IT TWISTED....blank the media Marvin...........do what you do best...if the media were any good at playing sports they would be playing sports instead of talking and writing about sports while sniffing the jocks of young black men who can sell books for them. TYPICAL RACIST CINCINNATI MEDIA....where griffey jr to get the hate going.

at 10:49 AM

Anonymous said...

Love it - this is spot on, P.D. Except in your assessment of Chad Johnson. Right now, he is indeed part of the problem with this team - selfishness and over-confidence. Instead, of being a me-first, cocky, loud-mouth, he could be part of the solution by being a team-first leader.

I know you're buds with Mr. Ocho Cinco, but even as talented as he is, right now anyway, he is part of the problem. Not the only problem or biggest problem - those fall to Marvin. But Chad is nontheless part of the problem.

at 10:51 AM

Anonymous said...

I think the players need to toughen up and realize that professionalism has its demands that good players always meet and great players surpass.
Chip Lapp
Kenwood

at 10:51 AM

Anonymous said...

Once agan the white racist media in this town has reared it's ugly head. Why does marvin lewis need the media to win games? What the hell does Pual mean when he syas" Marvin might need the media next year"? Is that a threat? Are you freaking serious? Where do idiots like Paul get the nuts to tell marvin lewis he needs them to get by next year? I guess Paul wants this city to go into FULL RIOT MODE"? Because that is exactly what will happen if the low self esteemn, non athletic, jealous and envious media of white people if they mess with marvin lewis. Period..............

at 11:10 AM

Anonymous said...

The media should scrutinize Marvin Lewis for his inefficiency to close out a season on a high note. No playoffs, palmer has the worst 3 games of the year at the close, chad was a nonfactor the last three games, the special teams could not come through in the clutch, the defense has too many holes to not give up the big play, the offensive and defensive coordinators became too predicable (as Hines Ward stated) and 8 players selfishly thought of themselves and not their team.

at 11:22 AM

Anonymous said...

Amen, Paul. I rarely agree with you, but am with you 100% on this one.

Marvin is so lucky he is in Cincinnati instead of NYC, Chicago, Boston, etc. He's been getting a free pass for years. He is consistently outcoached week in and week out, he has no control over his players, and he is condescending and surly to the media and fans. He has as talented a roster as any in the NFL and can't do squat with it. I think it's clear he has taken this team as far as he can. Let's just hope he is replaced before the small 3-5 yr. window of opportunity this team has to win a championship is closed.

at 12:18 PM

Anonymous said...

It seems like almost every time Marvin has been asked a tough question about either a player or coach's performance (on or off the field)he deflects the question by saying something like, "Utimately it is my responsibility." That seems to end everything.

How about a simple follow-up like: "As the person in the position of responsibility, how do you plan to deal with (insert your issue here)?" If he answers vaguely, push for details and don't let up. If he wants to just walk away, let him. That will speak volumes.

I agree that Marvin has had it easy with the media, but, at least half of that responsibility lies with the media's lack of assertiveness.

at 12:41 PM

Anonymous said...

Excellent take.

Particularly pointing out that calling out nameless "selfish" players is going to be percieved as a shot at Chad. Best I can remember, Chad hasn't called out a teammate all season. Oh, and by the way, lets not forget that the 4 game winning streak (you know the last 4 games we won)- Chad was the guy who carried the offense. The season is over fellas. Chad didn't dance this year - he wasn't on 27 commercials like Peyton Manning (although he clearly could've been), he publicly supported his teammates, he wasn't arrested, he was inconsolible after losses, playful after wins.. I'm just not clear on what he did to bring negative attention to the team? He had some flashy shoes, he wanted the ball? Gimme a break. I'm not in the locker room, but as a fan who watches the team pretty closely, I'm still waiting for the evidence that Chad and TJ aren't desperately concerned with winning. Carson, Willie and Marvin (in particular) need to take a hard look in the mirror along with everyone else. Chad and TJ are what other teams in the NFL refer to as "bright spots."

at 1:15 PM

Anonymous said...

You are right. I really cannot understand the people that point fingers at Chad and TJ as the problems on this team. At least these guys have some heart and emotion. A lot of these guys mimic the timid attitude of Marvin Lewis.

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you are timid or aggressive from a personality standpoint. It just matters if you perform on the field. This team has too many guys that don't/can't perform on the field.

at 1:37 PM

Anonymous said...

I agree totally Doc, however the sad thing is, coaches don't change. Once they lose their team, it's gone and the parallel with Huggins is the perfect comparison. I really didn't realize it until draft day 2006. The "I can change him", controlling mindset doesn't work on people. The reason I loved Mark Dantonio was because although he wasn't charismatic, he had great character and built a foundation with which UC football will continue to grow. Marvin Lewis, like Huggins, appears to have built no foundation and all the good built, is crumbling. Maybe Marvin, instead of making your players learn the pyramid of success by the great John Wooden, you should live it. As you say, your players "see better than they hear".

at 3:41 PM

Anonymous said...

Perfect analysis. I like Marvin, but the honeymoon is over with this very very loyal bengal fan.

In fact, Bill Cowher is up for grabs. Wouldn't that be a great addition to the bengal family.

Win or go away.

at 4:05 PM

Anonymous said...

Paul,

Nice analysis. But here's the thing. We need to talk about discipline on a professional level. Do you have examples where discipline was done effectively and can you compare to how it is done in Lewis's Bengals organization. We also need to understand the tradeoffs. In other words, when Lewis has to discuipline a starter does he have methods and resources that he can use and if necessary the depth to back up a player and win ifhe has to sit someone?

at 4:22 PM

Anonymous said...

Hey Paul Great Job! I agree that we need to tackle, make extra point, but it would be nice for Chad all about me Johnson to shut his mouth. Do something Chad, you are a big mouth underachiver.

at 5:51 PM

Anonymous said...

Wow, Paul. By the sound of a couple idiotic posts here, it seems like you are not allowed to criticize a black coach. Seems you to have give preferential treatment to a black coach. Seems you aren't allowed to treat a black coach equally as you would a white coach. I never heard those rules either, but apparently that's the way it is. So guess you better lay off Marvin, Paul. He needs some special treatment from the media afterall.

at 6:12 PM

Anonymous said...

Um

Chad won the receiving title this year

When he had his biggest games, the Bengals had their big win streak.

Therefore

Saying that Chad is an underachiever is not a true statement.

at 6:44 PM

Anonymous said...

It's about time the teflon came off the man. I've thought Marvin a fraud from day one amd am glad to see other people finally starting to catch on. This team has only a finite number of years to capitalize on having the best quarterback in football, someone Marvin just happened to fall into. His teams have no toughness, they're as soft as he is. What a travesty that this so called defensive guru has yet to establish a defense that is any better than the one he inhertited. The only difference between he and Coslet is he has yet to learn how to spit on the sideline. Let's hope we can get rid of him before all the talent on the offense is gone too.

at 7:21 PM

Anonymous said...

Hey paul i think you are being a little hard on coach lewis. Do you remember when this franchise was the laughing stock of pro sports. The bengals had numberous injurys on the defense. The offensive line was bagged up all year long. And remember carson palmer was no where close to 100%. You have to look at the positive. Out of the 8 losses cincinnati had a chance to win 5 of those games. Yes coach lewis must address the off field issues but he has done a great job. So please get off his back and be glad we have had 4 seasons without a losing record.

at 9:32 PM

Billy said...

Agreed.

I'd like to point out one more thing. The major thing lacking on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball:

Attitude. Swagger. However you want to characterize it. We don't have it.

Look at the Ravens D. The Colts offense. They have that killer instinct. Never settle for average or mediocrity - even if you end up winning the game. Why? It can carry into the next game where the average play may matter.

Marvin seems to be content with having a 'bend but don't break' defense. As long as the game's won, he compliments the overall play. What he doesn't seem to address are the things that lacked out on the field. Sometimes, a win simply isn't enough.

I kinda like that about say a Bill Parcells. He likes to focus on the negatives instead of the positives? Why? Because it may matter the next time around. And because there's no such thing as a perfect game. A team ALWAYS has room to improve.

He had one of the best defenses of ALL TIME. He has future Hall of Famers in Carson, Willie and Chad.

8-8? Inexcusable. Even with the number of injuries we had. Guys stepped in and performed admirably. It starts up top. It starts and ends with Marvin.

Let's get nasty in '07. Let's get tough. Oh, and for the love of god...FIRE BRESNAHAN!!!

at 9:44 PM

Anonymous said...

That is the point of Chad. Yes he did win the receiving title, SO WHAT, his team is 500. We know that he is not the team and only him self. Tell me what pro-receiver would almost miss a game because his uniform is not according to the NFL policy on the most important monday game um like ever! He is a underachiver no doubt.

at 9:47 PM

Anonymous said...

Only a complete moron would suggest that the on target comments given by Paul were racist in any way. Because Coach Lewis is a blacl man does not mean that he is to be held to a different standard than any other coach. The bottom line is simply this, the team is underperforming dramatically. A significant reason for that is the lack of character, and discipline on the team.

at 11:01 PM

Anonymous said...

Ye Gods! From bengals.com ...

"The Bengals’ efforts to put the off-field issues behind them hit a snag on the second day of the offseason when one of the three street free agents they signed was former Iowa State linebacker Jason Berryman.

Berryman has served nearly 300 days in jail on assault and theft charges in 2004 and was then kicked off the Cyclones after the 2005 season for being cited on the premises of a club underage, which was listed as an alcohol offense."

Here we go, welcome to the Bengals 2007...

at 11:37 PM

Anonymous said...

Interesting how you posted the brothers whose spelling was not up to par. Was there a reason for that? Were you trying to make some suttle statment and be funny @ the same time? As well as condescending? Marvin needs to coach the Defense and bring in Ray Lewis types, and Bill Cowher Steeler type mean asses, who routinely slam the Bengals through intimidation. Let Bratkowski handle the offense/manage the game clock in tight situations. Character does mean something. Remeber your gifts/skills will take you where your character won't. Boise State was road kill for years before they got more Brothers to go there. Whoever heard of Idaho, in basketball/football in any year prior to 2006?

at 2:12 AM

Anonymous said...

This was a great post, Mr. Daugherty! I want to keep Marvin with the Bengals, but he definitely needs a wake up call on his own approaches.

I've heard him respond like a total jerk multiple times in press conferences. And not only to tough questions, but to softball's like "What does it mean to be facing a team you went to the Super Bowl with?" prior to the Ravens game. It's not the actual interaction with the media that hurts the Bengals on the field, but the hubris it reveals in Lewis that that does so.

If he treated the officials like he treats the local media, maybe the players with great heart like TJ & Chad wouldn't be so darn frustrated all the time.

If Marvin can do a little soul searching of his own (you know the kind 85 embraces all the time), he could raise himself from the level of a good coach to a great one.

Chad Johnson is one of the greatest things to ever happen to Cincinnati. Paul Daugherty is not a racist. The Bengals problems are about teamwork, leadership, preparation/adjustment and execution.

at 8:33 AM

Paul Daugherty said...

to anon. 1137: not my job to correct a poster's spelling... and I post almost every take that isn't blatantly vulgar... guy's entitled to his opinion... if he wants his spelling to be correct, he should find a dictionary

at 8:33 AM

Anonymous said...

"Develop a better relationship with the media, who are your conduit to the public, like it or not. Ease off the condescension."

The point of these comments (I think) is that if the Bengals suffer another season like this one there will be calls to fire Marv. If he doesn't have the support of the local media those calls will be stronger.

It seems that Coach Lewis takes pride over the fact that he can keep information from the media. Take Rich Braham for example, why the heck not disclose his injury weeks ago?

at 9:12 AM

Anonymous said...

Anon. 11:37
Also...the correct spelling of "suttle" is s-u-b-t-l-e and the correct spelling of "remeber" is
r-e-m-e-m-b-e-r. That was classic, trying to put PD in check and looking kind of dumb doing it.

Go Bengals. Oh yeah, they're out of it...go Florida Gators!

at 9:23 AM

Anonymous said...

Yes, Marvin needs to get his act together. It seems as though he is not the "messiah" we all made him out to be for the last 4 years.

But at the same time, let's not forget what Bengaldom looked like a few years back: No hope, just sarcasm and frustration. And if that has changed dramatically over the years, it's because of Marvin. When was the last time we read about the Bengals "underachieving"? Before, they just plain sucked. If today we have good players that can "underachieve", it's because Marvin brought them here.

I agree with Paul that Marvin is not flawless, and needs to work even harder to take us to the next level. But hey, ever wonder where we'd be without him? Heck, we haven't had a losing season under him - after what, 15 in a row before he took over? Give the man a break... It's frustrating not to be in the playoffs with the team we have, but I guess it's just been that kind of a year, with all the injuries, bad breaks etc.

I mean, come on, anyone really wonder why the offense wasn't in sync this year? With Carson's knee, plus EVERY weapon in the passing game except Chad and Housh out for significant time (anyone remember Chris Perry? Tab? Chatman? And the Chris Henry?), plus the O-line in shatters, what did you all expect? And then with I-lost-count-how-many LBs out, two unreliable CBs... Does anyone seriously think that's the kind of team that wins Super Bowls?

I'm convinced we'll be the stronger for it next year. A bit better luck with injuries, a solid FA corner, and we're set up for a long playoff run!

at 10:21 AM

Anonymous said...

Daugherty is right on all points except media relations. ML is under no obligation to cut the media any slack.

Slants and screens were not run in the 1st Ravens game because, I believe, Palmer was making most of the play calls, and was clearly not up to the task. Palmer is no Peyton Manning, because Peyton Manning is not human. His life is football with commercials on the side. Palmer needs to mature a little more on the football side, and he will.

Enough of the racism comments. You people should know better. If there is any racism, it's worse in the national media (a major network that features #85 in some of its promos). The nat'l media has always had a bias against cincinnati. Always has, and always will. Especially after Mike Brown refused to move the team after the Browns bolted from Cleveland. (I would've loved to be a party to those calls and emails!)

Ray Lewis is involved in a MURDER down here in Atlanta, and he is a hero now. Certainly is to the press, but the Ravens got little flack from that.

Put 53 randomly chosen men in a room, and at least 2 either have had, or will have DUI's. Not to mitigate the seriousness of a DUI, but take away those and most of the "character" issues are attributed to #15.

Here's to next year. Oh how I wish we had a Paul Daugherty down here in Atlanta.

at 11:50 AM

Anonymous said...

anon 10.21 am

Great Post! Couldn't agree more about the Ray Lewis thing and the other legal issues. Heck, one of the arrests was a "BUI" (boating under the influence - Steinbach I believe.) Lord knows how many people have done that. Again, it's not right, but it's not a deeper indication of character in my opinion either....esp for guys in their mid 20's.

Daugherty is spot on about Chad and TJ too..those guys are NOT the problem.

at 12:23 PM

Anonymous said...

If the Bengals want to be a big-league team, they have to adopt a big-league attitude. Starting at the top. Marvin treats the media like complete dirt, which (aside from anyone's personal gripes with the press) shows he's no big-league coach. If you can't stand the heat, go coach high school football. All this nonsense about limiting the press's access to players and thinking he's better than answerig tough questions has got to stop. He's also got to start making the tough decisions, from coaching to players. Again, this isn't high school football; personal loyalties aren't as important in the NFL as winning. But my God, even most high school football coaches would bench or cut a player for landing in jail. Maybe discipline is what the team needs, but Marvin can't exempt himself from that. It's not all on his shoulders, though. The players get paid too much to be running around like little boys, waving guns and throwing up out of car windows. If they can't act like men, they have no place in the big leagues.

That having been said, the fans need to stop being so fickle. Yes, this season was a huge disappointment and changes need to be made. But last season we all treated Palmer and Marvin like Messiahs, swooping in to save the Bengals franchise from eternal Browns-style purgatory. It was one season. I'm not saying it was a fluke, but I think we've had that much farther to fall this season because of all the hype surrounding last year. We need to start acting like big-league fans and be able to roll with the punches, and understand that it will take some time, along with some wiser team decisions, to become that big-league team.

at 1:46 PM

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on Marvin's poor responses to legitimate questions from the media and thought seriously about writing to him several weeks ago. One does not have to be sarcastic or bombastic if one wishes to avoid a question. It would be much better to simply say, "I don't feel it appropriate to answer that."
Now . . . having agreed with you, would you agree with me that the media shares some of the blame in this less-than-ideal relationship? It seems to me that too many of your colleagues act like sharks circling chum each hoping to strike first. Frankly, I'd like to see y'all seek information rather that look to support your own conclusions.

at 2:45 PM

Anonymous said...

Paul:

Like your article, but remember Mike Brown loves 8-8. He does not have to pay big money for a first round draft choice, and how many of the free agents can claim big money?

The Bengals have faltered for 3 reasons:
1. Trying to squeeze one more year out of their most important offensive lineman,Richie Brahm;
2. Absence of Tab Perry for those big plays on kickoffs; and
3. Absence of their top picks of 2004 and 2005, to wit, Chris Perry, Pollack, and Thurman. High draft choices are supposed to play and be stars. When you don't have the three best players from the last two drafts, you can expect a fall-off.

Selfishness occurs when teams are frustrated, not when they are winning. Great players want the ball, bat, or stick in their hands when the games are on the line. That does not make a player selfish. TJ and Chad are two of if not the most exciting players the Bengals have had certainly since James Brooks left. With all the character issues, I would bet the presence of those 4 guys for most of the season give the Bengals at least 2 more wins, and maybe more.

at 7:40 PM

Anonymous said...

I heard a quote thrown around in different forms about baseball that goes something like, "baseball is a simple game, you throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball".

Unfortunately, (or fortunately for whomever said that), pitchers, hitters and catchers, unlike receivers, quarterbacks, and running backs, don't have 220 lb guys running full speed at them, trying to blow them up.

It is a well known axiom that if you take the best QB, and do not put a line around him, he will end up being no more than an overpaid pinata no matter how talented he is(a.k.a. David Karr, and gents David Karr IS a good QB).

So let's consider that Rich Braham only played about 5 quarters of football this year. Let's consider that Levi Jones, the man who stopped the musical chair dance at LT and has blanked speed rushers like Freenie missed more than half the season. And left guard Bobbie Williams missed quite a few games with an apendectomy.

So what some people call a "lack of adjustments" on the 3rd quarter, or being outscored on the 3rd, I call exploiting our O-Line weaknesses after half-time, because our O-Line right now is weak. And before you go after Alexander, remember how many people he lost this year, and the fact that Willie played a good part of the year injured.

And then that QB guy, (who let's not forget came back from a MAJOR knee injury and missed spring training and all that) lost his #4, #5, and #6 receiver, along with his 3rd down no huddle back. He also lost his most productive TE to a trade. His #1 receiver seems to have played a good part of the year with an undisclosed shoulder injury, his #2 missed the first two games, and got his clock cleaned out in one game which caused him to be unproductive in another, and his #3 was suspended for 3 games AND came back from knee injury himself.

And that was the offense alone. Let's not forget that two of those receivers lost to injuries for the year were the guys that were going to handle KR and PR duty. And many of those backup linebackers that were injured were on special team duty. And that pulled in some corners that ended up getting injured affecting their play on defense.

But to start on things, they lost Pollack with a broken neck for at least the season, and Simmons with a neck stinger for almost half of it, and a couple of other guys were playing with/through injuries. Sure Thurman was suspended, but he is the only "character issue" (along with Henry) that had a REAL impact on the ability of the team to perform. Everything else was injury oriented.

Couple that with the hardest schedule in the NFL, and to me it is a miracle they finished 8-8.

Look, you want the success of the Steelers, you are going to have to pay the same price they did. Cowher logged in over a decade at Pittsburgh as a head coach, before he brought back a trophy, and I don't believe he started with a 2-14 team.

I think the fact that the team, the coach and the fans were all upset at themselves, for finishing ONLY 8-8, and not beating the Steelers at home after beating them at Pittsburgh, says enough.

I still believe we are in fine shape, and would even believe so if they went another year at 8-8 which is NOT going to happen. I believe that our schedule next year is a lot easier. I believe that getting a lot of the rookies and backups playing time is going to pay dividents next year, and I believe that Carson having an entire offseason with the new line and with the new receiving corps is going to help them play better. I believe that the defense is going to gel. I look at the Bengals of 2006, and I am reminded of the Chargers of 2005.

And wouldn't you like to be sitting where the Chargers are sitting right now?

at 9:25 PM

Anonymous said...

I think this is dead on.

If you are bad in the third quarter, you are getting out-coached. It is that simple. Big Willie talked about smarter players, maybe we need smarter coaches? (Our QB coach has a nice last name, but never played a down of QB in his life according to his bio...he is going to fine tune #9's mechanics coming off major surgery...puh-lease!)

This line about we (coaches) say these things and they don't get through...well (PD, I know you had to take a Comm class or two) "Communication" is defined as occurring when a message is RECEIVED, not sent.

Marvin is stubborn. Maybe that's why they don't make good adjustments at the half? Also, maybe that's why he never challenges them to change the play calling up. Your comments here are dead on. If I here one more Bengal fan yell "run!" on 2nd and long...

Marvin has to remember that "potential" applies to coaches too when it really mean "hasn't done (squat) yet."

at 1:42 PM

Anonymous said...

Don't the Bengals employ Eric Ball to, at least, in part, counsel the younger players on the behaviors they need to model to be successful in the league?

Maybe they ought to fire him!

at 8:34 AM

Anonymous said...

Doc, I think you said it all concise and to the point... This staff has not grown or taken steps in the right direction in their coaching, since the first season leaving the players to continue to make the same mistakes they did then... One area I felt you did not hit on was game management which is the worst in football, I was willing to let it go as a first year coach but it has gotten worse instead of better... To me the biggest area showing no improvement is half time adjustments on both sides of the ball they are not made or are so minor they get no results... I thank Marvin for what he has done but he needs to prove that he is a finisher not just a builder...

at 9:26 AM

Anonymous said...

Paul-
You hit it on the nail, Marvin has done an amazing job turning this team around, but I think Carson, Chad, TJ, and Rudi deserve a lot of the credit as well.
Defensively, we need to can Bresnahan and maybe go back after LeBeau if he leaves the Steelers. we've never had a good DC since he left.

I support Marvin but the honeymoon is over and I wish your message was a Enquirer headline for everyone to see.

at 1:42 PM

Anonymous said...

Marvin Lewis is the not the answer here in Cincinnati. He continues to draft the most troublesome players available. Marvin always has a reason why it was the palyers fault instead of his.Are the players wholly and solely responsible for the teams lack of discipline ? No the coach is but not once in the years he has been here has he admitted to being wrong about anything that goes on with the team or his players. Paul I agree with you that Marvin is just happy to be ahea coach in the NFL and is here because it pays a lot more than an assistant coach anywhere else which is what Marvin (moron) Lewis should be.

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Monday, January 01, 2007

honeymoon's over for Marvin

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