The Status Quo

This would only happen in Cincinnati...

Only in Cincinnati would we be wondering whether or not a coach with Marvin Lewis' success levels (or lack thereof) would be sticking around for another season.

Only in Cincinnati would there be many proponents of a coach keeping his job simply because he has [usually] been better than the dark ages fans faced before his tenure.

Only in Cincinnati would we accept such mediocrity.

You've heard it. People say they want Marvin Lewis to stay in town because he's done better than the Bruce Cosletts of the '90s and early 2000s. Why? Because the 8-8s feel slightly better than the 2-14s. And that's what we remember from Marvin Lewis. They remember that first year with 8 glorious wins and the Comeback Player of the Year season of Jon Kitna with the future of the franchise, Carson Palmer, waiting safely on the sidelines. They remember the emergence of Chad Johnson (who?) and the hope that it inspired.

Then, they remember the good years. The two playoff appearances. The first, which was destined for a Super Bowl victory, spoiled by an injury to Palmer. The second, spoiled by a team that was just too hot going into the postseason.

But these memories only rush back into the minds of Cincinnatians after the season is over. It's not until the regular season starts that they are reminded of the terrible time management, questionable draft picks and monotonous play calling to which they have become accustomed, and even worse, acceptant.

Nothing is going to change unless there are changes at the top. Bob Bratkowski's head might be thrown to the fans as an offering, but I say this is not good enough. Not to say that the Bengals should not be in the market for a new offensive coordinator, they should, but there should be more moves than that. And since Mike Brown isn't going anywhere, the changes should start with Marvin Lewis.