Monumental Collapse Could Mean End of Marvin Lewis Era in Cincinnati

When a team collapses the way the Cincinnati Bengals did against the 1-8 (before the game) Buffalo Bills (blew 31-7 lead to lose 49-31), the only person to point to is the head coach. Marvin Lewis did not prepare his team the way they needed to be prepared coming out for the second half.

There has to be some accountability for the entire defense as well as guys like Carson Palmer, but the head coach is the guy who must prevent the players from crumbling like that. And if they continue to crumble in spite of him, it’s his job to find someone who will play a full four quarters.

Lewis has done some good things as the head coach of the Bengals, but he can’t get the best out of what should be a good team. With the egos and personalities the team has, they need a Bill Parcells or Rex Ryan type of coach who will challenge these guys.

And if they don’t like it, they need a guy who won’t be afraid to sit them on the bench.

Lewis is not that guy. He’s never been that guy. He’s not the guy for the Bengals moving forward. He’ll likely be allowed to finish out the season, but this is the most underachieving team in football right now — yes, more than the Minnesota Vikings or Dallas Cowboys — and it’s a direct reflection of an underachieving coach.