The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Tuesday that they have extended longtime head coach Marvin Lewis for two more seasons. The news was met with shock on social media, as most figured Lewis’ time in Cincinnati had come to a conclusion after 15 seasons.
We’re now left wondering if Lewis himself has some sort of tape he’s holding over the head of Bengals owner Mike Brown, because there’s no logical explanation for him being retained after a second consecutive season in which the Bengals missed the playoffs.
It’s also time to play a little game here. Lewis’ tenure in Cincinnati has included losses in all seven playoff games. It started with Jon Kitna under center, continued with Carson Palmer replacing him and has seen Andy Dalton act as an average quarterback since.
It’s now time to look at Lewis and what has unfolded surrounding those who have defined his tenure in Cincinnati. It’s the six degrees of Marvin Lewis, ladies and gents.
The Carson dynamic
Carson Palmer joined the Cincinnati Bengals as the No. 1 overall pick back in 2004. He ultimately played seven seasons with the team before forcing a trade to the Oakland Raiders. During that span, Palmer led Cincinnati to the playoffs two times. This is a good starting-off point.
Hue’s role
Hue Jackson, now the head coach of a Cleveland Browns team that went winless during the 2017 season, was actually the Bengals’ wide receivers coach during Palmer’s rookie season.
In an interesting turn, Jackson was the Raiders’ head coach in Palmer’s first season with the team back in 2011. Finishing 8-8 that season, Oakland’s Week 12 win against Chicago represents the last time Jackson actually won a football game on Sunday as a head coach.
John DeFilippo?
Having lasted one season as the Raiders’ head coach, Jackson was ultimately replaced by Dennis Allen in that role. Allen hired John DeFilippo to be Palmer’s quarterbacks coach. Why is this so interesting?
Fresh off news that Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has joined Palmer in retirement, DeFilippo is being considered as a replacement for him as the Cardinals’ head coach. Currently the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia, he’s done a tremendous job helping Carson Wentz progress from wide-eyed rookie to MVP-caliber player under a head coach in Doug Pederson who once played under then assistant Jon Gruden with the Packers (more on him later).
DeFilippo was also the Browns’ quarterbacks coach in 2015, one season before Hue took over as head coach.
Anthony Lynn
As a member of the New York Jets’ coaching staff back in 2009, DeFilippo served with current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn. Why is this such valuable information? Lynn took over as the Chargers’ head coach this past regular season. It’s the same Chargers franchise that was the last to lose to Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns back in 2015.
The Hue, Paul Guenther dynamic
As Marvin Lewis returns for another two seasons in Cincinnati, he’s probably going to lose defensive coordinator Paul Guenther to the Oakland Raiders and presumed new head coach Jon Gruden. Jackson and Guenther were both on Lewis’ early coaching staff with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chucky
To tie this up neatly together. Jon Gruden will likely return to the Oakland Raiders as head coach after a 16-year hiatus. Why is that relevant to Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati? Gruden’s coaching staff in his first year with the Buccaneers after leaving Oakand included future head coaches Mike Tomlin, Jay Gruden, Raheem Morris and Rod Marinelli.
Those four have combined for eight playoff wins compared to zero for Lewis, all coming from Lewis’ AFC North rival Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For his part, Marinelli led the 2008 Detroit Lions to the first winless 16-game season in NFL history, a feat that was matched by Lewis’ former Assistant Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns this season. That Lions team included an assistant in Joe Barry who served as an assistant for Gruden in Tampa Bay and a quarterback in Drew Stanton who took over for an injured Carson Palmer in Arizona this season.
You’re welcome, Kevin Bacon.