Cincinnati Bengals: Does Anyone Still Believe Marvin Lewis Is a Good Coach?

Does Marvin Lewis still have ANYONE fooled into believing he's a good coach? 

Seriously.  Anyone?  The sad truth is that there are still people who think Marvin Lewis is a good coach.  The problem is the only people that believe this are the people who haven't really evaluated the Bengals, or the Bengals problems, over the past several years.  Marvin Lewis is supposed to be a defensive guru, right?  Let's really evaluate that theory.

Marvin Lewis gained his reputation as a defensive genius while in Baltimore as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens during their Super Bowl victory in 2001.  He was rewarded by getting the defensive coordinator position for the Washington Redskins the very next season.  He stayed there for one season before taking over as the head coach in Cincinnati, where he's been since. 

So he's been removed from the Ravens for seven years now.  Guess what - the Baltimore Ravens are still known for having a great defense.  Ray Lewis and company have been considered one of the best defenses in football nearly every year since Marvin Lewis left.  There were a few hiccups in the Ravens defense, going through injuries and rebuilding, but for the most part the Ravens have been the most consistent defensive unit in the NFL since Marvin Lewis left.  Could Marvin Lewis' influence on the defense have lasted six seasons after he left?  Highly unlikely.  Maybe it wasn't Marvin Lewis who led the Ravens defense to the Super Bowl in 2001.  Maybe it was the Lewis that actually played on the field, Ray Lewis.

Let's not discount Marvin Lewis' impact on the Ravens defense just yet.  Let's evaluate what he's done at his other stops, and maybe that will tell us what his real impact on defenses is.  In Washington, Marvin Lewis led a defense that featured the best CB in the game in Champ Bailey, and one of the best linebackers in LaVar Arrington.  But guess what.  Their defense wasn't very good.  Bailey and Arrington complained about Lewis' defensive schemes, as did many of the other players.  Even worse, the defense finished ranked 21st in points allowed.  What happened to Lewis?  He was rewarded again and given the head coaching position for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Marvin Lewis inherited an offense that actually was pretty good.  Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski had a system that worked well, and Carson Palmer was handed to Lewis as the #1 pick in the draft that season.  The problem with the Bengals - their defense.  Marvin Lewis was brought in fix the defense.  Lewis has led the Bengals for five seasons now.  Here are the defensive rankings:

2003:  28th
2004:  19th
2005:  28th
2006:  30th
2007:  27th

Where is the improvement been?  Is Marvin Lewis really a defensive guru?  Lewis' has fired two defensive coordinators since he's been with Cincinnati, which is a very convenient way to operate.  He places blame on others instead of taking ownership of the Bengals defense that has been horrible since he arrived.  Lewis doesn't ever actually coach the defense, or call plays during games.  Ironically, Bill Belichick, who is also a head coach, meets with the defense and coaches them after every series!  Why does Lewis not do this?  BECAUSE HE'S A FRAUD.

When will the media finally put the heat on Marvin Lewis?