Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals: Why He Is Not the Problem

Though the decision by the Cincinnati Bengals to re-hire head coach Marvin Lewis may be met with much chagrin from fans, in the end, it is the right move to make.

In Lewis' eight-year tenure, the Bengals have accrued an overall record of 60-67-1, with two playoff appearances. From a numbers standpoint, the decision to let Lewis walk would seem pretty straightforward.

However, things always become a bit more complicated when speaking of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lewis' record at Cincinnati may seem laughable, but the picture changes when it is taken into context with the Bengals' history. In the 12 years before Lewis' arrival, the Bengals were a combined 55-137, with zero playoff appearances.

Lewis changed the culture in Cincinnati from his very arrival and, by his third year, the team had achieved its first division title since 1990 and was only derailed by an injury to quarterback Carson Palmer in the first round of the playoffs.

Yet, despite Lewis' early successes, the organization seemed to reach a plateau. Besides last year's division title, the Lewis teams have failed to improve upon the first winning season in 2005 and have yet to win a playoff game.

While this may seem puzzling to casual NFL followers, it should serve as no surprise to avid Bengals fans. The struggles of the Bengals can be attributed to one man, but this man is not Lewis.

This man is Mike Brown.

Brown took over ownership of the team in 1991 after his father, Paul Brown, passed away. It should serve as no coincidence that the organization's last playoff win came in 1990, the year before Brown took the reigns.

The Bengals have a winning percentage of .361 under Brown, which is actually inflated by Lewis' .465 winning percentage.

While it is the coaches that take the brunt of the criticism for the Bengals' failures, Brown is the one making the majority of the personnel decisions. Most NFL teams employ a general manager to oversee personnel moves, as well as a team of scouts to evaluate draft and free agent prospects.

However, the Bengals have no general manager and employ only one scout. Brown assumes most of the responsibilities of a general manager and has the final say on basically all personnel moves.

Not only are the moves made by Brown generally uninformed, they are often in conflict with the wishes of the head coach. For example, Brown orchestrated the signings of receivers Chris Henry and Terrell Owens, despite Lewis' previous statements of disapproval.

There have also been numerous reports that Lewis wanted to part ways with offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski in favor of Hue Jackson, but Brown vetoed the idea. Bratkowski's unimaginative play-calling and affinity for the passing game are a big reason for the Bengals' recent ineptitude on offense.

Lewis was actually offered a contract extension during this past offseason, but turned it down due to Brown's unwillingness to meet with many of his demands. These demands included hiring a general manager, increasing the scouting department and building an indoor practice facility.

With the news that Lewis will be back in stripes next season, it is possible that Brown finally caved and gave in to Lewis' requests. Either that or Lewis caved first, as his own job prospects were beginning to look slim.

Bengals fans should hold out hope for the former. The Bengals' organization will never find consistent success until Brown loosens the reigns and allows someone else to run the team.