The Cincinnati Bengals spectacularly blew yesterday’s Wild Card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing 18-16. The team was a couple of minutes away from an assured victory when stupid penalties gave the Steelers a chance to kick a game-winning field goal, which Chris Boswell buried. With the loss, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis became the first coach in NFL history to have a 0-7 record the playoffs.
With his seat seemingly hotter than an active volcano, reports today suggested the Bengals are going to retain the man who’s coached the team since 2003, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Issue of Marvin Lewis' future really isn't much of an issue. Bengals have no plans to make any HC change at this time, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2016
The news both is and isn’t surprising.
It seemed like a sure thing Lewis would be canned following the loss since he’s coached the Bengals through so many first round losses, and the spectacular failure of yesterday’s matchup. It was one of the most embarrassing finishes in NFL history, and given his awful playoff track record, it would have made sense if Cincinnati opted for a change.
But Lewis is a players coach and despite his playoff failure, he’s done a good job with Cincinnati. He’s led the Bengals to five straight playoff appearances, and the team finished first in the AFC North with a 12-4 record in 2015. On Saturday, his team lost because his players acted like complete knuckleheads, which was mostly out of his control. If the Bengals did make the change, there’s no guarantee things are going to get better. Continuity is always important.
Lewis deserves some flack for his playoff past, but yesterday’s epic loss shouldn’t be pinned directly on him.
