Ask Jim Owczarski

[*rfaulk34*]

(10-25-2017, 11:53 PM)jowczarski Wrote: @rfaulk34 - Follow up question. How much could the 'hasn't lost the locker room' be, that players know they're entrenched on this team. It takes an awful lot for a guy to get benched or released, in most cases.

If you have such a good situation, why rock the boat (as far as how you interact with the coach) and end up jeopardizing your career?

I do believe Adam Jones when he said Lewis saved his life. I do believe Burfict when he says he owes his career to Lewis (undrafted FA, Bengals ONLY team to call him). After that, I don’t know … I think all that other stuff that happens with them on or off the field is part of the package. As for the loyalty factor, that is legitimate. Look at the Hill situation. Plays 8 snaps a game but is still the starter. Peko and Maualuga played more than they should have, probably. Clearly Lewis feels he gets more out of them doing that than the other way.

But anyone with a bit of self-awareness has to see just how poor of an NFL coach he is.

Actually, in NFL circles, Lewis is very well respected. And I can tell you – in previewing the Buffalo game, those people couldn’t believe Lewis would be hated here. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 1999 and have had 10 head coaches since then. And I’m sure we’ll hear the same from Chicago people (no playoffs and one season with a winning record since 2010). And of course Cleveland fans think every fan in Cincinnati is insane. So, it’s all about perspective.
If/when Lewis moves on from Cincinnati, he’ll easily find a job with the league, or another team doing something. Head coaching? Maybe. Hard to say on that one. But he likes doing it.

Thanks Jim. I appreciate the insight from someone on the inside, who can provide more than just speculation from what is seen on a Sunday afternoon on the television. 

Being a Bengals fan and having been around for more than three decades, i can't really say that the amount of respect Marv gets around the league--or in the locker room--is any reassurance at all, (can't really think of an accurate ending to this thought so i'm just going to stop typing here). I just know it feels like it's time for a change but i know with this team, there's about zero percent chance of that happening. 

The disappointment train just keeps chugging along, uninterrupted. Not really that far off from the previously mentioned Bills and Browns.