Is Marvin Lewis on the hot seat?

Marvin Lewis is the longest tenured Head Coach in the NFL, right behind Bill Belichick of course. Lewis has rebuilt Cincinnati football into a consistent winner during his time as the Head Coach since taking over for Dick LeBeau in 2003. The Bengals have made it to the playoffs 3 of the past 4 seasons with Lewis at the helm, and the team is coming off of a ten win season. However, Lewis has had his roller coaster rides; with the successes he has had on the field, there have also been some negative moments. 

The Bengals have had 2 four win seasons under Marvin Lewis, and have finished at the median record of 8-8 three times in his 10 seasons. The Bengals have also gone 0-4 in the playoffs under Lewis, including three routs at the hands of opposing teams. The 2005 loss to Pittsburgh was more understandable, considering the Bengals lost Carson Palmer on his first pass attempt, which knocked the wind out of everybody in Paul Brown Stadium. 

The 2009 and 2011 playoff defeats were inexcusable. The Bengals clashed with two rookie quarterbacks in Mark Sanchez and TJ Yates, and they were thoroughly outplayed by the opponents. Last season's playoff defeat in the rematch against the Texans was much closer. The Bengals could have won the game if Andy Dalton hit AJ Green late in the fourth quarter in the end zone. But Lewis' coaching demeanor worries me as a fan. He seems so tentative and nervous when the games start. Lewis puts together cautious game plans to keep the games close, but not only are these games close most of the time, they are also very low scoring and ugly slugfests. 

In 2009, the Bengals had to come from behind in low scoring, tight games many times in order to get the win. Last season, in the decisive Week 16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals edged out a 13-10 victory, despite only having 14 rushing yards. Lewis is extremely defensive minded, and to his credit, the strategy has worked out under Mike Zimmer. I would like to see Lewis allow Jay Gruden to open up the playbook a little bit more in order to maximize the talents of Dalton and his supporting cast.  

This year's Bengals roster is Marvin Lewis' most talented. The team has a lot of depth, and some of the best players in the league at certain positions such as AJ Green at wide receiver and Geno Atkins at defensive tackle. If Lewis fails to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year, I could see the Bengals finally letting him go. Mike Zimmer and Jay Gruden are prime candidates for a Head Coaching gig, and if this season does not live up to the hype, it may be time to turn in the different direction of a Bengal assistant for the leadership of the team.