[Stardust]

With his future being a daily subject since mid-November, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis doesn’t sound isn’t sounding like Sunday’s game against San Diego is going to be his final one on the home sideline.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101...to-Bengals


Following Friday’s practice at Paul Brown Stadium, Lewis voiced optimism about returning for a ninth season.

Asked if he felt as if the end of his eight-year tenure was near, Lewis replied, “I don’t think so. That’s not the plan.”

Lewis did say that he has talked with Mike Brown about his the future but that no decisions have been made.

“My plan is to beat the San Diego Chargers and beyond that time will take care of itself,” Lewis said. “Our team has hung in there, kept playing and kept practicing and preparing.”

Lewis’ comments came on a day that has not been cheery for Bengals coaches. Forrest Gregg resigned on Christmas Eve in 1983, and Sam Wyche was fired on Dec. 24, 1991.

In eight seasons, Lewis is 59-68-1 overall, which ties him with Wyche for the most losses in club history. Lewis, who is tied with Wyche and Paul Brown for longest tenure in club history, is 35-29-1 in games at PBS.

The other big subplot surrounding Sunday’s game is whether or not Chad Ochocinco will play. After not practicing on Wednesday and Thursday, Ochocinco did take part in Friday’s 90-minute session and was limited. He is officially questionable for the game. Lewis, who termed Ochocinco’s status as “iffy,” said it will be a gametime decision.

“I’m just trying to get my treatment and get on the field and start off with a bang,” Ochocinco said.

Regardless of whether Ochocinco plays ,Jerome Simpson will once again see significant action and Andre Caldwell will start at the other receiver spot.

Lewis also continued to voice his support for Carson Palmer. Lewis liked the way Palmer rebounded from the Pittsburgh game, where two of his three interceptions were run back for touchdowns. In the last two home games, including last Sunday’s win against Cleveland, Palmer is 37 of 56 for 458 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. San Diego comes in, though, with the league’s top-ranked defense.

Said Lewis of Palmer: “He bounced back from the game in Pittsburgh and is enjoying the new guys around him. He’s had his hands full this year and I haven’t got him helped out enough. We didn’t lift the weight off his shoulders enough. He has to push forward and he’s done a good job at that.”

Lewis also said that he got a slight chuckle out of the assertions that the Bengals made more of a commitment to the running game compared to past weeks.

“We lost 10 straight games, and in seven of those games, we thought we would go in there and rush for 150 yards. In three of them we knew it was going to be hard sledding and if you got 100 yards you would have a good shot at winning,” Lewis said. “If we figure out some way to win half of those games, we’re sitting here and playing for something that really matters. But we didn’t, and that’s my responsibility.

“It’s a one-year proposition. From the onset I said we had work to do. Unfortunately the perception is you pick up from where you left off. It’s not done talking or tweeting about it. We didn’t change as a football team. We didn’t get it done as well as we did a year ago.”

[Jarons]

I think he is staying, they would have resigned him by now.

[Stardust]

I think he is staying, they would have resigned him by now.

I have never known the Bengals ever signing a coach before the end of their contract. Marvin deserves better. He is not as bad as his record, he is as bad as his Owner!

[Jarons]

I have never known the Bengals ever signing a coach before the end of their contract. Marvin deserves better. He is not as bad as his record, he is as bad as his Owner!

I think you are right about his record. He helped bring the Bengals to respectability despite the hand Mike Brown has given him through the years. I think if he coached for a franchise set up like the Steelers, Ravens, or Patriots he would have had much more success.
If he leaves the Bengals this year, he will not be unemployed very long.

[Stardust]

I think you are right about his record. He helped bring the Bengals to respectability despite the hand Mike Brown has given him through the years. I think if he coached for a franchise set up like the Steelers, Ravens, or Patriots he would have had much more success.
If he leaves the Bengals this year, he will not be unemployed very long.

I'm with you. I'm torn. I like Marvin, but is he a head coach? Maybe not. I see him more like Lebeau, great defensive mind, excellent communicator, but as a head coach, not strong enough to challenge goofy owners.

On the flip side, knowing that the Brown family will not bring in a quality coach, then I think we could get worse. I'd rather see Marvin back, than start with another coordinator and wait for him to learn how to coach.

[Jarons]

I'm with you. I'm torn. I like Marvin, but is he a head coach? Maybe not. I see him more like Lebeau, great defensive mind, excellent communicator, but as a head coach, not strong enough to challenge goofy owners.

On the flip side, knowing that the Brown family will not bring in a quality coach, then I think we could get worse. I'd rather see Marvin back, than start with another coordinator and wait for him to learn how to coach.

If he had the right owner he would be more successful as a head coach. He was a heck of a coordinator at Baltimore. I wouldn't mind if the Steelers took him as a D-Coordinator whenever Lebeau leaves. His defenses were fun to watch at Baltimore.

[Stardust]

Agreed. I miss the days when the Bengals actually had "rivalries"! Can't much have rivalries unless both teams can equally beat the other. Marvin could build, if he had free hands to do it. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen in his lifetime.