Good on Taylor but WTF Marvin?

[membengal]

Quote

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green spent the first eight years of his career playing for head coach Marvin Lewis, so he’s making an adjustment this offseason with Zac Taylor now occupying the top job on the coaching staff.

During an interview with Chris Simms, Green discussed the differences between the two men. Practices have a different energy with Taylor playing music — something Lewis wasn’t a fan of — and favoring the offensive side of the ball, which is something that Green has found appealing during the early stages of the offseason program.

“Playing with coach Lewis, it’s all about the defense,” Green said. “You don’t show up the defense at practice. But Zac is like, ‘OTA one, we’re going to kick the defense’s butt.’ That’s what we like to hear. I love the way he teaches. He’s not yelling at you, he’s teaching every little detail and having you understand why we run it this way.”

Green said that he feels recovered from the toe injury that curtailed his 2018 season and anything Taylor teaches will look better with a healthy Green executing it come the fall.

That re-fired my Marvin hate all over again. So glad for something different. You want to know why this team sucked in prime time games, against the Steelers, and in the playoffs? It is because Marvin was an absolute unimaginative shitshow of a coach who imparted messages like the above. Want to make your team worse? Prop up a unit at practice - makes both units worse. He was such a ***damn tool.

In any event, the rest of those quotes as to how things are under Taylor giving me some hope. I bet the offense is feeling like they have been let out of jail.

[kingwilly]

1 hour ago, membengal said:

That re-fired my Marvin hate all over again. So glad for something different. You want to know why this team sucked in prime time games, against the Steelers, and in the playoffs? It is because Marvin was an absolute unimaginative shitshow of a coach who imparted messages like the above. Want to make your team worse? Prop up a unit at practice - makes both units worse. He was such a ***damn tool.

In any event, the rest of those quotes as to how things are under Taylor giving me some hope. I bet the offense is feeling like they have been let out of jail.

There’s no angry face emoji that can reflect how this makes me feel. Holy cow. 

[membengal]

I am livid.

[AMPHAR]

If the line can block.  They stay healthy.  Really no excuse not to have top half offense this year.  Maybe top 10. 

[COB]

Typical Marvin.  He propped up one side of the ball, he propped up vets to keep them on the field. 

He actually didn't want hard competition in practice.  The most amazing thing about that is that it doesn't surprise anyone.  

[AMPHAR]

I wouldn’t say I’m livid, because you kind of knew that already. 

Any end of half near 2 minutes with the ball was shut it down time. 

There’s half a dozen complaints on this board of situations that Marvin would take a 3rd and medium  and instead of looking at it as 2 downs it’s all 3rd or punt. 

He was horrible at game management and a lot of times it was done from defensive perspective. 

[membengal]

But, in practice? Literally, telling the offense to cool it so the defense doesn't look bad? What. The. FUCK?. That serves neither side of the ball well. That guy was such a dink.

[TJJackson]

if this was the only thing I had against Melvin, this alone would be enough for me to want him gone as a coach

no wonder our D was near historically bad last year

[COB]

Our guys couldn’t compete in big games or big moments, apparently because they weren’t used to competing in practice.

[cincyhokie]

This shouldn't surprise anyone. From the same coach who refused to play the best players in favor of the veterans on many, many occasions. The same coach who didn't want to hurt fe-fe's by actually disciplining players' behaviors that were clearly disruptive. Chad, Burfict, Jones, etc.

Marvin brought this team out of the basement.  But then throttled the talent when the teams could have been so much better. You wonder why Palmer wanted out? No accountability. None.

I won't be shocked at all if this team does pretty damn well this year simply from the change in culture. All I hope is that I don't look back and say "what if?" as we're looking at AJ Green exit his prime.

[ArmyBengal]

I read that and was unfazed. Marvin has been a piece of shit coach for quite some time. How many years have people been calling for his head ?? Some longer than others.

While I don’t like hearing that, I’m happy that is no longer the situation. 

[membengal]

12 hours ago, COB said:

Our guys couldn’t compete in big games or big moments, apparently because they weren’t used to competing in practice.

That’s exactly it. It was no accident their inability to perform in big moments. 

[redsbengalsbucks]

What I'm worrying about is it sounds like Taylor is focusing on the Offense.  The head coach should be focused on all aspects of the team, just changing focus to the O instead of the D will not work any better.

[ArmyBengal]

By the sound of it, the offense needed exactly what Taylor is giving them at the moment. He is an offense oriented coach so no surprises. Plenty of time to make sure the D is getting up to speed.

 

[cincyhokie]

This is why the Taylor hiring was a home run. Who knows how he ends up but the selection of a younger coach with a fresh mindset is desperately what this organization needed. Denver can have Fangio, Miami can have the next NE golden coach, I'll take Taylor everytime.

[COB]

Offensive coaches are the thing.  The whole league is set up for innovative and creative offenses to thrive.  

The league has set up defenses to be the Washington Generals of the NFL.  

Even if you have a great defense, without a great offense they’ll be on the field all day and they won’t be that great after all.  

Offense is the primary thing in this league, hopefully our DC can make that side of the ball respectable, that’s about all you need anymore.

[membengal]

2 hours ago, redsbengalsbucks said:

What I'm worrying about is it sounds like Taylor is focusing on the Offense.  The head coach should be focused on all aspects of the team, just changing focus to the O instead of the D will not work any better.

Weird thing to worry about. 

[COB]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/a-j-green-unsure-of-his-future-with-the-cincinnati-bengals/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

 

More of AJ Green damning Marvin with faint praise.  Gosh AJ, it sure is different to have a coach who’s smart and detailed.  Marvin was great though!!

 “It's different to have your head coach be in the office and meeting room going through every play, every detail to every guy, telling you why you need to run this way or what this concept is, it's just a little different, but it's fun and it's awesome because he's so smart and so detailed."

[ArmyBengal]

You mean Marvin was a detailed oriented coach ??
I mean look at all the post-season success he...  What ??  Not a single game in all that time ??

Nevermind

[AMPHAR]

Marvin was a CEO type coach who’s best regular season success came when he had coordinators exceeding well enough to get HC jobs.

This again comes as no surprise.   It was an often mentioned criticism.  Teflon Marvin. 

Hey Bodine is bust.  That damn Alexander even though Marvin personally scouted and persuaded them trading up. 

Hey why didn’t you run the ball more? Well you common folk don’t understand Andy has wide ranging authority at the LOS.  

[membengal]

4 hours ago, COB said:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/a-j-green-unsure-of-his-future-with-the-cincinnati-bengals/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

 

More of AJ Green damning Marvin with faint praise.  Gosh AJ, it sure is different to have a coach who’s smart and detailed.  Marvin was great though!!

 “It's different to have your head coach be in the office and meeting room going through every play, every detail to every guy, telling you why you need to run this way or what this concept is, it's just a little different, but it's fun and it's awesome because he's so smart and so detailed."

Thanks for this. I giggle'd. And so on. I am REALLY curious what this will look like going forward - with coaches who are engaging the players. Genuinely curious.

 

There was more to that quote from AJ too:

Quote

"Coach Lewis was a great guy, he turned this franchise around and got us headed in the right direction. Zac, he's young, he's a high-energy guy, no dull moments in the meeting rooms, you always gotta be on your toes with him because he's gonna ask you a question and you have to know the answer to it or you just gonna look stupid in front of the team, so he's always keeping everyone on their toes and that's what we love about him."

 

[kingwilly]

Don’t let it bother you, he was only here for about 2 freaking decades. It really makes one reconsider almost everything for which he had decision making authority. How many players did he sour in that are now out of football? I’d wager quite a bunch.