Very simple, and should be easy enough to answer, hypothetical question. Going into the current season, if you had your choice of head coach, would you rather have Marvin Lewis or would you rather have Mike Zimmer?

I pick marvin lewis because I'm a bengals fan not a Vikings fan

Zimmer may end up being a great head coach, but he just does not have the track record to justify picking him over Marvin.

(08-12-2016, 11:45 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Zimmer may end up being a great head coach, but he just does not have the track record to justify picking him over Marvin.

Well he's got a lot of work to do to catch up with all those playoff losses Marvin accumulated without a single win! 

Marvin is more proven and younger.

(08-12-2016, 11:45 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Zimmer may end up being a great head coach, but he just does not have the track record to justify picking him over Marvin.

He's off to a good start.

Marvin Lewis, been to the playoffs 56% of his seasons. Lost all.

Zimmer, been to playoffs 50%, lost all.

Interesting that current voting shows a majority in favor of Zim, yet all posts made support Marvin edit-appear to mostly support Marvin, with some added sarcasm thrown in LOL

Zimmer is a fan favorite. There's no denying that. And there's a lot of doubt with Lewis because of the obvious playoff troubles. And rightfully so.

Zimmer has put together a great team. As has Lewis.

Both SHOULD have won playoff games last year. But didn't.

It's hard to gauge what Zimmer will be able to do further down the line. We know Lewis' track record as a HC. Zimmer is more unknown.

Current season? Marvin Lewis cause this is his team going into this current season.

Who would i rather have as my HC? Zimmer by a fricking mile.

Zimmer. I want a fiery leader who doesn't put up with knucklehead crap, and who players absolutely love. Marvin has done well here, no question. However, his teams fold like a lawn chair when it matters most. You don't lose 7 playoff games in a row by sheer accident. Zimmer may not have the track record of Marvin, but really, is coaching teams to a bit over a 500 record and losing every time
on the big stage a desirable track record. The point of the NFL is to hoist the Lombardi. The Bengals have been nowhere near that.

This is a no brainer.

It took Marvin how long to be within a few plays of a playoff victory? It took Zimmer how long with less talent? Zimmer has reached the peak of Marvin's career quicker then he has and nearly surpassed it. Marvin has had essentially 2 reboots with the same team while Zimmer is still on his first turn-around. The Bengals have had enough talent and the matchups to have a few playoff victories imo and they've only been competitive in a handful while getting flat out spanked in the majority of them.

I'll defend the organization when I feel it's fair and often times find myself sticking up for them but Mike Brown blew it by letting Zimmer leave and we could regret it for a long time. Not saying Marvin can't be successful but I see very little support to the argument that he is better then Zimmer.

In all fairness I think the AFC north is a MUCH tougher division than the NFC north, and certainly that the AFC as a whole is tougher than the NFC. Would Zim have led us to a playoff victory had he been HC last year, or the year before? Impossible to say. But to compare his success in the NFC north to Marvin's in the AFC north isn't exactly apples to apples, IMO. NOT saying Marvin is ideal, but I don't think it's completely fair to say how much better Zimmer has fared with how much less he had. In my mind, it must also be stated that 'doing more with less' also occurred in a realm of slightly less talent on opposing teams and within the division and conference also. But that's my take on it

(08-12-2016, 03:32 PM)jonesy84 Wrote: In all fairness I think the AFC north is a MUCH tougher division than the NFC north, and certainly that the AFC as a whole is tougher than the NFC.  Would Zim have led us to a playoff victory had he been HC last year, or the year before?  Impossible to say.  But to compare his success in the NFC north to Marvin's in the AFC north isn't exactly apples to apples, IMO.  NOT saying Marvin is ideal, but I don't think it's completely fair to say how much better Zimmer has fared with how much less he had.  In my mind, it must also be stated that 'doing more with less' also occurred in a realm of slightly less talent on opposing teams and within the division and conference also.  But that's my take on it

I think Zimmer inheriting Marv's team would of won us atleast one Playoff game. Our team was set, the Vike's weren't
even close. Of course that has tons to do with Marv in the first place who is great at putting a talented team together,
but still. This is what i believe.

(08-12-2016, 02:53 PM)CageTheBengal Wrote: This is a no brainer.

It took Marvin how long to be within a few plays of a playoff victory? It took Zimmer how long with less talent? Zimmer has reached the peak of Marvin's career quicker then he has and nearly surpassed it. Marvin has had essentially 2 reboots with the same team while Zimmer is still on his first turn-around. The Bengals have had enough talent and the matchups to have a few playoff victories imo and they've only been competitive in a handful while getting flat out spanked in the majority of them.

I'll defend the organization when I feel it's fair and often times find myself sticking up for them but Mike Brown blew it by letting Zimmer leave and we could regret it for a long time. Not saying Marvin can't be successful but I see very little support to the argument that he is better then Zimmer.

Frankly, Marvin's first half-decade as HC were not very good thanks to the heavy handed Mikey Brown. Recent years' results are all on Marvy.

(08-12-2016, 03:46 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I think Zimmer inheriting Marv's team would of won us atleast one Playoff game. Our team was set, the Vike's weren't
even close. Of course that has tons to do with Marv in the first place who is great at putting a talented team together,
but still. This is what i believe.

Fair enough. 

Zimmer inherited a team that had won 5 games and was only one year removed from making the playoffs and had a losing record.

Lewis inherited a team that had only won 2 games and had not even had a winning record in 13 years and finished at .500.

Zimmer inherited a team with multiple Pro Bowl players (OT Matt Kalil, LB Chad Greenway, K Blair Walsh, KR Cordarrell Patterson, TE Kyle Rudolph)

Lewis inherited a team with zero Pro Bowl players.


Marvin stepped into a much worse position than Mike Zimmer.

(08-12-2016, 04:11 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Zimmer inherited a team with multiple Pro Bowl players (OT Matt Kalil, LB Chad Greenway, K Blair Walsh, KR Cordarrell Patterson, TE Kyle Rudolph)

I think they have a decent RB too.

(08-12-2016, 04:11 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Zimmer inherited a team that had won 5 games and AND NOW WAS WITHOUT THEIR BEST PLAYER IN ADRIAN PETERSON, WAS STARTING A ROOKIE QB, PAIRING HIM WITH 2 NEWLY ACQUIRED WR's, ONE AN AGING VET AND ONE A PRACTICE SQUAD CLAIM.

I took the liberty of providing a tad more context to your post.

If you don't mention these facts then you're not telling the whole story.  When you inherit a five win team, and then lose Adrian Peterson for the season, then that's kind of a big a deal.  Especially when you're already planning on a having to start a rookie QB.

(08-12-2016, 04:23 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think they have a decent RB too.

The best in the league, but I figured someone who cry about him only playing 1 game in '14 when Zimmer took over.

(08-12-2016, 04:25 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The best in the league, but I figured someone who cry about him only playing 1 game in '14 when Zimmer took over.

Who would do such a thing?