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[b] Lewis plans to talk to Bengals about extension[/b]
[b]
By GEOFF HOBSON[/b]

Posted 32 minutes ago[size=3]


INDIANAPOLIS _ Saying that he and Bengals president Mike Brown are united in the quest to win, head coach Marvin Lewis said Friday he wouldn't mind finishing his career with the Bengals.
After his media availability here at the NFL scouting combine, Lewis revealed that Brown has approached him two or three times in an effort to extend a contract that ends after his franchise-longest 10[sup]th[/sup] season in 2012.
"We haven't had the time and opportunity to do it," said Lewis, citing vacations and other commitments. "Hopefully we'll get it resolved.
"I'm not going to coach until I'm 80 years old, so I wouldn't mind that at all," said Lewis, 53, of ending it in Cincinnati. "I enjoy what I do. I like where we live. I enjoy the people I work with day in and day out and I think we're moving in the right direction. I think there's a great commitment to winning and I appreciate that."
Two years ago at the combine Lewis was also working on the last year of his deal and indicated he wanted some assurances from management before signing it. But on Friday he said he and Brown are on the same page after a season they revamped their roster with youth and secured a Wild Card playoff berth at 9-7.
"That’s the thing I don't think enough people around Cincinnati get an appreciation for," Lewis said of Brown, "is how badly the man wants to win and we are united in that."
Lewis is third on the list for most regular-season games coached without a playoff win (144) behind Jim Mora (231) and Norm Van Brocklin (173), and that elusive victory bothers him. When he finishes out this season he'll pass Dennis Green as the African-American who has coached the most regular-season games with one club.
"It means a great deal because we know what kind of coach Denny Green was and the success he had in Minnesota," Lewis said. "Taking them to the championship game a few times. Frankly, that's where I'm disappointed. I haven't got us to the championship game. We haven't won a playoff game. We've won the division twice, but haven't won a playoff game. I was hoping we could get beyond that this year."

[url="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Lewis-plans-to-talk-to-Bengals-about-extension/7c88dc82-f328-4b9f-9b28-6d4baeb1b175"]http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Lewis-plans-to-talk-to-Bengals-about-extension/7c88dc82-f328-4b9f-9b28-6d4baeb1b175[/url][/size]
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[quote]Now as he prepares to go into the final season of that two-year extension, the problem now is more about finding the time to get something done.[size=4]
“He (Mike Brown) would like to get it extended. He’s told me that two or three times,” Lewis said on Friday. “We would like to continue moving forward and we haven’t had the opportunity to do it. Hopefully we’ll get it resolved.”[/size]
[size=4]
Discussions about his future is one thing that Lewis has always been leery of talking about. This time though there seems to be a genuine interest from both parties to get something done instead of it being a 10-month subplot.[/size]
[size=4]
When asked if both he and Brown are now more closely aligned in terms of philosophy, Lewis said last season’s 9-7 record and Wild Card berth were an affirmation that things were on track.[/size]
[size=4]
Said Lewis: “I think we made those changes and it was reflective on where we were last season. We moved forward and made the revisions to things I thought were important. I thought Mike agreed that those things were important. We’ve moved forward on a lot of that stuff and he and I agree on that direction. There’s a great commitment to winning and that I appreciate.”
While some have speculated if Lewis would eventually move into the front office, he said that he could envision ending his career as the Bengals head coach.

Lewis will become the 22[sup]nd[/sup] NFL head coach since 1960 to coach 10 seasons with one team. He is also the only one on that list to have not won a playoff game and other than Lewis only Weeb Eubank had a losing record. Lewis enters the upcoming season with an overall record of 69-77-1, including three playoff loses.[/quote]

[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2012/02/24/lewis-optimistic-about-contract-extension/"]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2012/02/24/lewis-optimistic-about-contract-extension/[/url][/size]
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[b] Bengals' Marvin Lewis deserves extension[/b]

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis seemed optimistic that he'll sign a contract extension with the team. Lewis is entering the final year of a previous two-year extension.

“[Bengals owner Mike Brown] would like to get it extended. He’s told me that two or three times,” Lewis told reporters at the NFL combine, via the [url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2012/02/24/lewis-optimistic-about-contract-extension/"]Cincinnati Enquirer[/url]. “We would like to continue moving forward and we haven’t had the opportunity to do it. Hopefully we’ll get it resolved.”

Lewis deserves a contract extension from the Bengals. He's the winningest coach in Bengals history, which is a great achievement when it comes at a franchise that is more frugal than most. He guided them to a 9-7 record and a trip to the playoffs after beginning the season as the worst-ranked team in many power rankings, including [url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2011/week/1"]the one at ESPN[/url].

This was a remarkable turnaround when you consider most didn't think Lewis would be coaching the team after last season. He turned the Bengals from a four-win team into a playoff one by relying on a rookie quarterback and changing six starters on defense-- all in a lockout season.

Lewis was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2009, but this season was a more impressive coaching job.

There are obviously things that Lewis has to fix going forward. The Bengals have won two division titles but have never won a playoff game. This team also continues to have run-ins with the law, including three since last July.

Lewis' longevity has been impressive. As the Enquirer points out, he will become the 22[sup]nd[/sup]NFL head coach since 1960 to coach 10 seasons with one team. He will also surpass Minnesota's Dennis Green as the the longest tenured African-American head coach with one team.

“Denny Green took them to the championship game a couple times and frankly that’s where I’m disappointed," Lewis said. "I haven’t gotten us to the championship game. We haven’t won a playoff game. We won the division twice but we haven’t won a playoff game. I was hoping we would have gotten beyond that this year.”

[url="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/42953/bengals-marvin-lewis-deserves-extension"]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/42953/bengals-marvin-lewis-deserves-extension[/url]
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[size=6][quote] But on Friday he said he and Brown are on the same page after a season they revamped their roster with youth and secured a Wild Card playoff berth at 9-7.[/quote][/size]

For anyone that argued that Mike Brown was the reason for all the improvements made last year, this quote tells it all. Mike Brown FINALLY allowed someone else to come in and help make the right moves to get the team on track.


[size=6][quote]Said Lewis: “I think we made those changes and it was reflective on where we were last season. We moved forward and made the revisions to things I thought were important. I thought Mike agreed that those things were important. We’ve moved forward on a lot of that stuff and he and I agree on that direction. There’s a great commitment to winning and that I appreciate.”[/size][/quote]

[size=4]This comment speaks for itself, and does nothing but solidify the above point that Marvin's front office personnel moves is what turned the team around last year.[/size]
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Bengals need to put their big boy pants on. I bash Lewis all the time. But he is deserving of an extension. This is how the NFL works.

If Lewis doesn't get them to the next level, then guess what? They need to eat the contract and fire his ass. That's the deal. I got no problem being fair weather on a coach.
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[quote name='scharm' timestamp='1330109229' post='1098769']
Probably the biggest key for next year is not having him as a lame duck.
[/quote]

I just dont really see how this has much impact in the NFL. I've heard numerous people say it (here on the boards)... but this isnt college football where a lame duck coach controls recruit decisions. It may slightly impact FA's, but they come to teams that pay them, or teams that win consistently- I just dont see a coach that doesnt win in the playoffs being a major draw... So either we get them with money, or with the fact that we've been doing better 2 out of the past three years... but virtually every coach in the NFL is teetering on one year deals, and on most teams you can be in the playoffs one year and fired after a terrible follow up season.

I also dont see a lame duck NFL coach mattering during the season and impacting play.

My opinion, but I just dont see the damage.
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[quote name='big_dish' timestamp='1330118631' post='1098857']

I just dont really see how this has much impact in the NFL. I've heard numerous people say it (here on the boards)... but this isnt college football where a lame duck coach controls recruit decisions. It may slightly impact FA's, but they come to teams that pay them, or teams that win consistently- I just dont see a coach that doesnt win in the playoffs being a major draw... So either we get them with money, or with the fact that we've been doing better 2 out of the past three years... but virtually every coach in the NFL is teetering on one year deals, and on most teams you can be in the playoffs one year and fired after a terrible follow up season.

I also dont see a lame duck NFL coach mattering during the season and impacting play.

My opinion, but I just dont see the damage.
[/quote]


[url="https://twitter.com/#!/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] [size=4]‏[/size] [color=#999999][size=3][s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/size][/color][/url]
[size=4]Lewis doesn't like to talk about job status, but he does plan to meet with [url="https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23Bengals"][s]#[/s][b]Bengals[/b][/url] and talk about it. Not sure being lame duck has impact[/size]
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[quote name='T-Dub' timestamp='1330132095' post='1098916']
All he's done in his tenure is take a miserable franchise coming off a 2-14 season to a point where people are now complaining about a lack of playoff victories.

:33:
[/quote]


and any other franchise would have let him go for that a while ago

dont get me wrong i love marvin, but its beyond time for the next step and if he cant take us to it then he needs to go

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[size=6][b] [url="http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2012/02/24/lewis_could_be_sticking_around.html"]Lewis could be sticking around in Cincinnati[/url][/b][/size]

By [url="http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2012/02/24/lewis_could_be_sticking_around.html#postcomment"]Carlos "Big C" Holmes [/url]| Friday, February 24, 2012, 05:48 PM


INDIANAPOLIS - Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is heading into the final year of his contract and owner Mike Brown apparently wants him to stick around.

During an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, Lewis revealed he and Brown have discussed a contract extension.

“He (Mike Brown) would like to get it extended. He’s told me that two or three times,” Lewis said. “We would like to continue moving forward and we haven’t had the time or opportunity to do it. Hopefully we’ll get something resolved.”

Lewis is deserving of an extension after coaching a young Bengals squad to a 9-7 record and a trip to the playoffs this past season. He is the winningest coach in team history.

Lewis has never quite received the respect he deserves in Cincinnati even after turning the troubled franchise around. However, the coach won’t let negative comments affect how he goes about his business.

“I enjoy what I do, I enjoy where we live and I enjoy the people I work with,” Lewis said. “I think we will continue to move in the right direction. There is a great commitment to winning that I appreciate. Every time we have a new player walk in the building they feel good about where things are. That’s what’s good with us.”





[url="http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2012/02/24/lewis_could_be_sticking_around.html"]http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2012/02/24/lewis_could_be_sticking_around.html[/url]
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[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1330136079' post='1098921']


and any other franchise would have let him go for that a while ago
[/quote]

Probably, though I think that has more to do with fickle fans than the quality of coaching.

[quote]dont get me wrong i love marvin, but its beyond time for the next step and if he cant take us to it then he needs to go
[/quote]

Up until last year I think he's been fighting management, a sackless OC, and a heartless QB. He held the team together through all kinds of bullshit and I think has only just now been allowed to assemble a core of players according to his own philosophy. Given another year or two I think he could build the foundation to win long-term, not only for one season. And if not, [i]then[/i] I would consider canning him. He deserves the shot at least.
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[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1330136079' post='1098921']



and any other franchise would have let him go for that a while ago

dont get me wrong i love marvin, but its beyond time for the next step and if he cant take us to it then he needs to go
[/quote]

But I thought Mike Brown was the problem! Wish people would make up their mind...
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[quote name='B.A.B.' timestamp='1330227593' post='1099208']
No. He wins after this season, sure. And by win, I mean a playoff victory. He doesn't deserve a long term contract right now.
[/quote]

Yeh it's really lame how he didn't come down with the INT against the Texans, that probably would have sealed the game.
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[quote name='T-Dub' timestamp='1330228038' post='1099214']

Yeh it's really lame how he didn't come down with the INT against the Texans, that probably would have sealed the game.
[/quote]
And its lamer that he doesn't have a playoff victory after a decade and people want to give him a long term contract. Gimme a fucking break. Losers settle.
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