Why is Marv 0-7 in the playoffs?

[Shake n Blake]

So much attention is paid to Dalton and his performance, but he's only played in 4 of 7 games and there's been a plethora of problems in each one. Here's some of the problems...

1.

The pass offense suddenly starts to suck. Kitna, Palmer, Dalton and McCarron. All proved at least capable regular season QBs. All flopped miserably in the playoffs. Dalton has a 57.8 rating on 158 attempts. Non-Dalton QBs combined for a 65.0 rating on 118 attempts. Here's the full set of stats:

Dalton: 88-158-873-1-6
Others: 66-118-621-3-4

Kitna, Dalton (twice) and McCarron all had multiple turnovers. Palmer was close, but recovered his own fumble. All QBs combined for an astoundingly bad 5.41 yards per attempt. In other words, our solid QBs and excellent passing attacks suddenly came to a screeching halt for whatever reason. Despite the struggles, the Bengals have continually stuck with the pass (39.4 attempts per game)

2.

The run game isn't effective enough/the coaches don't stick with it enough. Overall, the numbers don't look abysmal at first glance. Our RBs (I removed QB scrambles that artificially fatten the stats) have gone for 597 yards (85.3 yards per game) on 5.0 yards per carry. If you look at it on a game by game basis, you get a clearer picture:

vs Steelers: 15-59-1 (3.9 ypc)
vs Jets: 21-169-1 (8.0)
@Texans: 16-59-1 (3.7)
@Texans: 12-65-0 (5.4) * a 29 yard long skewed the numbers
vs Chargers: 20-87-0 (4.4)
@Colts: 17-76-1 (4.5)
vs Steelers: 19-82-1 (4.3) * a 38 yard long skewed the numbers

Some of the stat lines are pathetic. You always want to see 100+ yards rushing for your team, and our RBs didn't even get close several times. Whether that's due to ineffectiveness, coaches choosing to abandon the run or some combination of that, is up for debate.

3.

Teams run it down Marv's throat. All 7 teams have combined to average a whopping 162.6 yards rushing per game. That would lead the NFL in almost any year. They've also been efficient while pounding us, averaging 4.7 YPC.

4.

Maybe partially as a result of all the success on the ground, opposing passers have been limited in their attempts (26.9 per game), yet extremely efficient. A combined passer rating of 103.5, completion rate of 68.6%. Peyton Manning type numbers...and that's with matchups against the likes of Sanchez, Yates and Schaub when he was falling off.

5.

We've been outscored 96 to 29 in the 2nd half. Seeing how Marv believes adjustments are "journalistic jargon", I guess that explains why.

6.

We've turned the ball over 17 times (2.4 per game) while only forcing 4 turnovers on defense (0.57 per game). That's a minus 13 differential. Amazingly bad.

7.

Suddenly our vaunted pass rush disappears. Only 9 sacks in 7 games, and 4 of those came in the last game. Before that, the pass rush was non-existent.

8.

Suddenly our excellent pass blocking falls apart. 22 sacks allowed in 7 games. That would average out to 50 sacks across a full season, which would be more than any season since 2008.

______________


We've even had ST issues (think Shayne Graham in the Jets game). I guess my overall point with this thread is that the problems have been team-wide, we've been epically bad in all phases, and this has spanned multiple coordinators, position coaches, QBs and other players. I blame Marvin Lewis...the one constant through all this. Sure, Mikey hasn't helped with his wallet, but that doesn't explain why these teams have all fallen apart in such epic fashion.

[THE PISTONS]

Guys drop passes too. I think it boils down to the same reason we generally don't win primetime games: The moment is too big for the coaches and players.

Last years playoff loss to Pittsburgh was a huge implosion. It was akin to the ball going through Buckner's legs. It was that level. Had we just took a knee 3 times and punted, we win that game. Instead....fumble, personal foul, personal foul, fg...loss.

How fans find that excusable...I don't know.

Most teams fire their coach minimum and let Jones walk in free agency. No changes here.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

Why is Marv 0-7 in the playoffs?




He sucks?

[THE PISTONS]

While people point to Dalton...these playoff losses have been a team effort. I'll even go as far as saying units of the team that usually perform well meltdown.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-18-2017, 03:13 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: While people point to Dalton...these playoff losses have been a team effort. I'll even go as far as saying units of the team that usually perform well meltdown.

Right.  If Andy had thrown two picks against Houston, and we fumbled a kickoff like NE and Brady did, this team would've folded like a Goodwill tent in a hurricane.  They ALWAYS do.

[Shake n Blake]

(01-18-2017, 03:12 PM)Wyche Wrote: Why is Marv 0-7 in the playoffs?




He sucks?

Well damn. I could've saved a lot of time...

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-18-2017, 03:18 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Well damn. I could've saved a lot of time...

Well.....I mean, if you're not into the whole brevity thing...

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

All these factors come down to Marv. Dude is terrible and gets outcoached and panics everytime.

Even our best players like Green, Geno and Dunlap don't play as well as they usually do.

The common factor is evident. As Wyche said...

The shoe frickin' fits.

[bengalguy71]

(01-18-2017, 03:15 PM)Wyche Wrote: Right.  If Andy had thrown two picks against Houston, and we fumbled a kickoff like NE and Brady did, this team would've folded like a Goodwill tent in a hurricane.  They ALWAYS do.

In playoff games so far they have been consistent with this.

Just like 2005, I DO think last year would have had a different outcome had Dalton not gone down!  I think they would have secured a bye and would not have been playing Pittsburgh in a WC game.

One thing I've learned being a Bengals fan since 1968 is that, before you celebrate a Bengals victory you have to:

1.  Wait for the clock to reach 00:00 in the 4th quarter.

2.  Make sure they are at least a point ahead.

3.  There are no yellow flags on the field.

[McC]

Maybe if Marvin just stayed home on playoff game day...

Next time we make the playoffs, I'll volunteer to lead a posse to hunt Marvin down and kidnap him for four hours. Who's with me?

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-18-2017, 03:23 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: In playoff games so far they have been consistent with this.

Just like 2005, I DO think last year would have had a different outcome had Dalton not gone down!  I think they would have secured a bye and would not have been playing Pittsburgh in a WC game.

One thing I've learned being a Bengals fan since 1968 is that, before you celebrate a Bengals victory you have to:

1.  Wait for the clock to reach 00:00 in the 4th quarter.

2.  Make sure they are at least a point ahead.

3.  There are no yellow flags on the field.

LOL....how true.

(01-18-2017, 03:26 PM)McC Wrote: Maybe if Marvin just stayed home on playoff game day...

Next time we make the playoffs, I'll volunteer to lead a posse to hunt Marvin down and kidnap him for four hours.  Who's with me?

You buyin' the ice cold Yeungling?

[*bengalfan74*]

Expectations,

Which goes back to the lack of discipline and no accountability.

It's a broken culture here, there aren't any real expectations. Oh sure they talk about going to the super bowl in training camp blah, blah. But when it gets right down to it everybody truly knows they aren't really expected to WIN. Everybody knows Marvin doesn't have a bar set. Everybody knows PA is gonna be here next year and on and on.

The culture, the focus, the heart and soul of this team - is a broken system doomed to fail, always !

[THE PISTONS]

(01-18-2017, 03:35 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Expectations,

Which goes back to the lack of discipline and no accountability.

It's a broken culture here, there aren't any real expectations. Oh sure they talk about going to the super bowl in training camp blah, blah. But when it gets right down to it everybody truly knows they aren't really expected to WIN. Everybody knows Marvin doesn't have a bar set. Everybody knows PA is gonna be here next year and on and on.

The culture, the focus, the heart and soul of this team - is a broken system doomed to fail, always !

How do you set an expectation of winning Super Bowls when you haven't won a single playoff game in 26+ years?

Winning a Super Bowl takes stringing 3-4 playoff wins together.

[McC]

(01-18-2017, 03:32 PM)Wyche Wrote: LOL....how true.



You buyin' the ice cold Yeungling?

Absolutely.

[Fan_in_Kettering]

My answer might upset half of the board and alienate the other half, but the OP asked a perfectly legitimate question about Marvin Lewis and his 0-7 playoff record as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.   We need to examine Marvin's overall playoff record as he was also the linebacker coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992-1995 and the Ravens' defensive coordinator from 1996-2001.  Marvin's overall playoff record is 4-13.  The Steelers won a few postseason games with Marvin coaching the linebackers but they lost their only Super Bowl appearance during his tenure.  With the Ravens, Marvin was the record-setting defensive coordinator during their Super Bowl win in 2001.

Now, you ask, why are the Bengals 0-7 in postseason play with Marvin as head coach?  What he didn't learn in Pittsburgh or Baltimore is this:  Postseason play is not like regular season play.  It's harder, it's faster, and it's more intense.  One cannot game plan for a playoff game as if it were taking place mid-season.  Urban Meyer fell into the same bad habit against Clemson and got the Buckeyes' butts kicked in the process.  If we learned anything from watching Aaron Rodgers play this past weekend, for example, it is about how to raise one's personal level of play to new heights.  That doesn't happen with the Bengals in the postseason; the players seem to underperform, often embarrassingly so.  Basically their regular season effort doesn't cut it against teams primed for postseason play; it's that simple.

Now why?  Why has Marvin not prepared these players for battle?  The answer lies in reading The Godfather and focusing on the character of Tom Hagen, the Corleone Family consigliere.  Tom is a brilliant lawyer and through intellect and cunning, he keeps the Corleones out of trouble.  However, when Santino goes to war against the Five Families, he replaces Hagen as consigliere because, in Santino's words, "Tom, I need a wartime consigliere."  Hagen, brilliant as he was, wasn't suited for the brutality of cosa nostra warfare.  When the Corleones won the war, Hagen was put back into his old position.  Think of Marvin Lewis as a Tom Hagen character:  Brilliant at normal operations but wholly outclassed in wartime. i.e. the playoffs.

[Interceptor]

Second half suckiness.

[*ochocincos*]

One only needs to look back at the 2000 Ravens Super Bowl victory to see why Marvin Lewis coaches the way he does. The Ravens won the Super Bowl with arguably the worst starting QB to ever win it in Trent Dilfer. Dilfer was 12/25 (48%) for 153 yards and 1 TD in the Super Bowl. The defense, ST, and Jamal Lewis carried that team to the promised land. The Ravens had a defensive TD and KR TD in that game.

It's no wonder the team seems to be satisfied with what they have on offense when it comes to the passing game. Lewis must figure that Dalton is better than Dilfer, Green is by far better than any WR on that 2000 Ravens roster, and Eifert can be a playmaking TE like Sharpe was. All the Bengals need to do is play better on defense (mainly cause some turnovers) and for the Bengals to be mistake-free to make a playoff run.

Does it not seem like Marvin Lewis wants to recreate that Ravens team? He constantly emphasizes the importance of ST, the defense making stops, and not turning the ball over on offense.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-18-2017, 04:29 PM)ochocincos Wrote: One only needs to look back at the 2000 Ravens Super Bowl victory to see why Marvin Lewis coaches the way he does. The Ravens won the Super Bowl with arguably the worst starting QB to ever win it in Trent Dilfer. Dilfer was 12/25 (48%) for 153 yards and 1 TD in the Super Bowl. The defense, ST, and Jamal Lewis carried that team to the promised land. The Ravens had a defensive TD and KR TD in that game.

It's no wonder the team seems to be satisfied with what they have on offense when it comes to the passing game. Lewis must figure that Dalton is better than Dilfer, Green is by far better than any WR on that 2000 Ravens roster, and Eifert can be a playmaking TE like Sharpe was. All the Bengals need to do is play better on defense (mainly cause some turnovers) and for the Bengals to be mistake-free to make a playoff run.

Does it not seem like Marvin Lewis wants to recreate that Ravens team? He constantly emphasizes the importance of ST, the defense making stops, and not turning the ball over on offense.

However, we have no Jamal Lewis....our run game is consistently ranked in the 20s.

[*Awful Llama*]

I thought it was because the NFL is fixed.

[Shake n Blake]

(01-18-2017, 04:32 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: I thought it was because the NFL is fixed.

Can't speak for everyone, but I've never claimed that it's for sure completely rigged.

Just that I have my suspicions that some calls may go the way of marquee teams.

Either way, officiating wouldn't explain why Marv's teams are so awful. It's not like we're putting up 400 yards, with multiple sacks and TO's on defense and losing due to flags. The only game where you could make that argument was the 2nd Steelers game. Most of the other games weren't even close and weren't against "marquee" teams anyway.