10-08-2017, 11:28 AM
Marvin Lewis is the Jim Tressel of the NFL.
A few years ago I was at a private Bengals practice where Marvin addressed the 50 or so of us there and quoted former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes - "Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad."
Marvin either does not understand or does not like the current way NFL football is being played (I believe it's a combination of the two). The rules have changed since Marvin cut his teeth and he just hasn't adapted like other guys have. He is a very conservative, risk averse person and he manages his football teams this way. It's totally against his personality to risk throwing the ball when he has a 2 or 3 score lead.
It's just, unfortunately, who he is as a person. I think he would be very uncomfortable running up a score for several reasons:
1. You have to throw the ball to do that. He doesn't like to throw the football because the other team can take the ball. When you're up 2 or 3 scores that "let's them back in the game", so to speak.
Counter Point: So does a punt. And with today's NFL rules to encourage passing and high scoring it's easy to score 3 times in a quarter, let a lone a half or 3 quarters.
2. I believe he respects other coaches a lot. He's been around a long time and I think he hates embarrassing another coach.
Counter Point: Before anyone brings up the drubbing Hue Jackson and the Browns were handed, the Browns couldn't stop the Bengals at all in any phase of the game. The long 60+ yard TD run by Gio with 47 seconds left was certainly not typical and I suspect that was more to grind the clock down and end the half.
The last TD was a passing play to Kroft makes sense as they need to keep working him in with Eifert out, plus they need redzone work/confidence. I am NOT for extending Eifert with Kroft, Uzomah, and Shreck (who supposedly had a quietly strong camp) on the roster.
^ PLUS, I looked at the play by play on the drive and the Bengals were NOT trying to score. The drive started on the Cincinnati 17 and then 2 straight runs followed by a pass to a RB (penalty is how they got the 1st). Then two back to back runs again and ANOTHER short 3rd down pass to a RB that happened to scamper for a 1st. They then passed to a TE followed by run run run... before a TD pass.
^ Given the above sequence of repeated runs on 1st & 2nd with short passes to RBs on 3rd. They weren't looking to drive down and score again. That was 7 runs against 4 passes on that drive and it was still just the 3rd quarter. Marvin was clearly sitting on a lead.
Looking back through the rest of the Bengals offensive possessions through the 3rd & 4th quarters they were all short passes or runs. Nothing over 10 yards trying to make it down and score again and a 3 and out that was just runs. I totally get running it out with a big lead and only 6 mins left, however.
A few years ago I was at a private Bengals practice where Marvin addressed the 50 or so of us there and quoted former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes - "Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad."
Marvin either does not understand or does not like the current way NFL football is being played (I believe it's a combination of the two). The rules have changed since Marvin cut his teeth and he just hasn't adapted like other guys have. He is a very conservative, risk averse person and he manages his football teams this way. It's totally against his personality to risk throwing the ball when he has a 2 or 3 score lead.
It's just, unfortunately, who he is as a person. I think he would be very uncomfortable running up a score for several reasons:
1. You have to throw the ball to do that. He doesn't like to throw the football because the other team can take the ball. When you're up 2 or 3 scores that "let's them back in the game", so to speak.
Counter Point: So does a punt. And with today's NFL rules to encourage passing and high scoring it's easy to score 3 times in a quarter, let a lone a half or 3 quarters.
2. I believe he respects other coaches a lot. He's been around a long time and I think he hates embarrassing another coach.
Counter Point: Before anyone brings up the drubbing Hue Jackson and the Browns were handed, the Browns couldn't stop the Bengals at all in any phase of the game. The long 60+ yard TD run by Gio with 47 seconds left was certainly not typical and I suspect that was more to grind the clock down and end the half.
The last TD was a passing play to Kroft makes sense as they need to keep working him in with Eifert out, plus they need redzone work/confidence. I am NOT for extending Eifert with Kroft, Uzomah, and Shreck (who supposedly had a quietly strong camp) on the roster.
^ PLUS, I looked at the play by play on the drive and the Bengals were NOT trying to score. The drive started on the Cincinnati 17 and then 2 straight runs followed by a pass to a RB (penalty is how they got the 1st). Then two back to back runs again and ANOTHER short 3rd down pass to a RB that happened to scamper for a 1st. They then passed to a TE followed by run run run... before a TD pass.
^ Given the above sequence of repeated runs on 1st & 2nd with short passes to RBs on 3rd. They weren't looking to drive down and score again. That was 7 runs against 4 passes on that drive and it was still just the 3rd quarter. Marvin was clearly sitting on a lead.
Looking back through the rest of the Bengals offensive possessions through the 3rd & 4th quarters they were all short passes or runs. Nothing over 10 yards trying to make it down and score again and a 3 and out that was just runs. I totally get running it out with a big lead and only 6 mins left, however.
