11-17-2017, 03:36 PM
(11-17-2017, 03:24 PM)Pat5775 Wrote: Ugh, you're probably right.Getting rid of Marv may be like taking a bunch of aspirin to treat a serious bacterial infection. It'll dull some of the symptoms, but the overall problem will get worse and worse
But honestly, I don't know if things are that hopeless.
Keep in mind, this team did make the playoffs five years in a row and for a few of those years, we were widely considered to be legitimate super bowl contenders. Many had us down as one of the most talented teams over that span and I definitely believe that we were.
Those talented teams were put together with the same bengals management in place. What mainly held this team back from making a serious super bowl run? Coaching. Countless, disgusting, consistent, unacceptable coaching blunders in Primetime, steeler and playoff games. That ultimately falls on Marv.
The biggest thing this front office is guilty of is retaining incompetence. Granted, that's a huge issue, but we have been able to get the pieces in place... We just need someone who can put it all together. If we had a coach who wasn't a perpetual choke artist coaching this roster after 2010, I think we'd have at least a playoff win by now. Possibly several.
Largely the same management team is in place that hasn't won a playoff game in 26+ years.
The 5 playoff years in a row were the results of 2 GREAT DRAFTS (Dalton/Green/Boling and Atkins/Dunlap). Our drafts since then have been average at best and many years below average. We simply haven't been drafting Pro Bowl players which is what you need to have a good team.
Green was a pretty consensus pick in the Top 5. We needed a QB because Palmer left so Dalton was an obvious choice. Finding Atkins was most likely luck.
Striking gold in 2 drafts doesn't equate to a skilled management team.
More so than Marvin Lewis, the reason we're bad now is simply we've lost a lot of quality players and not replaced them adequately through the draft. Over the past 2 free agency periods we lost: Jones, Sanu, Dansby, Peko, Nelson, Zeitler, Whitworth, Lamur, Smith, Hall, Hawk, Tate, and Burkhead).
We absolutely haven't replaced most of those guys. Jones had way more speed than Lafell. Peko was better than any of the guys starting next to Atkins at this point. Nelson was better than Williams has been against passes. Zeitler and Whitworth are so much better than the lineman we have. Hall was a quality veteran CB. Sanu was better than any WR on our roster outside of Green.
Blame Marvin if you want but losing those guys made us worse at 6-7 positions and the PFF ratings show it. We start 9-10 guys that grade out as Poor. You can't win with that.
