NFL Coach of the Year - How can it not be Marvin Lewis?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Well, yes; but he’s also beaten the teams he wasn’t supposed to beat: Tennessee, Indianapolis, Denver, Philadelphia, Dallas. The Pats are 5-0 against other playoff teams, so there’s no way in hell you can complain that they had a soft schedule.

I’m also not sure about the argument that he had more to work with. NE only has two pro-bowlers. They don’t really have any individual stars, with the possible exception of Tom Brady (who has only mediocre stats, except for his win/loss record).

All that being said – if the Bengals make the playoffs, I would also have to go with Lewis. But I think years of top draft picks have made that a team of talented underachievers, and his greatest accomplishment is not getting blood from a turnip in terms of talent, but in getting the talent that was already there to work together better. And to introduce a bit of confidence into a team that had grown accustomed to losing.

22

You have to understand that Lewis isn’t in the same boat as all the other coaches who have come and gone through Cinci in the last ten years.

For the first time, the Browns have stopped interfering, and given their coach things he asked for- a 20th (let alone 21st) century practice facility, among other things.

That said, whoever suggested that Cincinnati has better offensive talent than Dallas earlier is missing the point. John Kitna has never been anything more than mediocre until this year. Corey Dillon has been injured all year. Peter Warrick has been the poster child for “1st round picks who never really panned out”. Only Chad Johnson had proven himself as a star before this season, and only over last season.

Joey Galloway and Terry Glenn had at least the same pedigree as Johnson prior to this season, and the Dallas offensive skill guys are no less proven than the Bengals’. (Corey Dillon excepted, and again, he’s been hurt all year).

I say give the award to Andy Reid (although as a Bucs fan it should be noted I hate him). With three average backs to go with three average wideouts and five average linemen, he’s won games with a guy who can’t even throw the damn ball all that well.

23

I wasn’t saying they had a soft schedule although I will say that the AFC East was a bad division this year and that worked to their advantage. (Not to mention that the Marlins staying alive in the playoffs keeping the dirt on Miami’s field making Olindo Mare miss a few field goals that would’ve sealed a Phins victory over the Pats, but I digress)

Also, the Pats are expected to beat inconsistent teams like Dallas and Tennessee at home. The win at the Colts was a great win for that team, but when the Pats played the Broncos on Nov. 3, the Broncos were not the same team they are now. IIRC, Jake Plummer was out and the Broncos were down to their second or third-string QB. Someone jump in to correct me if I’m mistaken. The Eagles game…hmm…McNabb was in the midst of a bad strectch and that team didn’t have their feet yet. Not to take anything away from a great 14-2 season for the Pats (They lost to the Skins and the Bills…), but I think this team was expected to do great things this year. Upon re-reading my previous comments on Belichick, I think I was too harsh. He did do a great job this year, but I think his success is less remarkable than that of Parcells or Lewis.

24

That’s a compelling argument. Perhaps Lewis did “coach-up” Kitna and Warrick and Johnson & Johnson. It’s certainly worth considering, but Marvin Lewis was brought into Cincy because of his prowess coaching defense. That said, let me pose a few questions to the world at large: Who would you rather have at QB, John Kitna or Quincy Carter (both before and after the influence of their new coaches)? How about RB: Corey Dillon/Rudi Johnson or Troy Hambrick? WR: Peter Warrick/Chad Johnson or Terry Glenn/Joey Galloway? Coming into the season and leaving the season, I’d have gone with all the Cincinnati guys (WR being the only category that’s a close race).

The Cowboys counterparts at QB and RB had never been anything more than atrocious before this year. Galloway is far past his best years and Glenn only has real success when playing for Parcells. I give Parcells the edge in the total race.

So I have:

  1. Bill Parcells
  2. Marvin Lewis
  3. Bill Belichick
    (switch Lewis and Belichick if Cincy misses the playoffs)
25

Yeah, you’re right. The Broncos were having major problems offensively with Plummer out, and not just because he’s a better QB than the 2nd and 3rd stringers (though of course he is).
It was a painful time.

26

After today’s debacle against Detroit, it sure as hell isn’t Mike Martz.

27

And with the Bengals having lost their final 2 games to finish at 8-8 and out of the playoffs, it isn’t Marvin Lewis either. Lewis did a great job raising Cincy from the dead, but coach of the year is either Bellicheck or Parcells.

28

I agree with you, zamboniracer.

29

:rolleyes:
Oh Brother! Not another one!
So, the Sooners won all of their regular season games, which USC couldn’t do.
The Sooners had the highest scoring offense for the season.
The Sooners had the #1 defense for the season.
Their single loss came to a team ranked #14.
USC single loss came to team ranked… not sure, I can’t see that they’re even ranked at all, right now.
Oklahoma did all this inspite of the 11th toughest schedule.
USC’s strength of schedule was 37th.

Playoff systems stop a team from playing when they lose a game. The BCS, right or wrong, was designed to pick a team without human bias. I don’t see how anyone could legitimately argue that the Sooners don’t have the best team in football for the 2003 season.

E3

30

I didn’t really finish my thought on that… Playoff systems allow teams to advance who don’t lose their last game. BCS allow teams to advance that are the best overall teams.

College football doesn’t use a playoff system, so the fact the Sooners lost their game late in the season is irrelivant.

If Michigan beats USC, I want to see where all the USC fans are then.

E3

31

Blah, blah, blah. Oklahoma lost 35-7. That’s not a loss, that’s a disgrace. Most teams lose one game, but if you don’t just lose, you get fucked up the ass, you have no claim on the national championchip.

32

That’s rich! So, losing to a ranked team should bar you from the national championship, but losing to an unranked team is OK?

That makes sense.

e3

33

Losing by 28 points to anybody should bar you from the national championship.

34

Sigh…I’m going to have to agree with you now. I’d probably prefer Andy Reid win it, but he’s already won it twice. It’s going to be Belichick, and I am not happy about that. :mad:

35

Quack – you’re nit-picking at the Pats wins. You can find reasons they beat all those teams. Give me another playoff team and their victories can be just as easily disassembled.

(RAMS? two against zona, barely against chicago. cleveland after 2 gifts, ravens after some gifts. KC? 4 against OAK and SD. PITT, HOU, BUFF, CLE, BAL, DEN, DET and CHI. They beat 2 playoff teams.)

Dogman – Vermeil second for coach of the year??? Come on. Ron Jaworski was saying the same thing on “Sunday Matchup” this week (of course Ron Jaworski’s entire measure of a football team is how often they throw the ball downfield). This is a joke. He took a team with incredible offensive talent and got a lot of output out of it (and that’s to his credit) simply using similar systems he used in St. Louis and that Martz is still using effectively. There is NOTHING special about what he did with that offense this year.

However, I think this team being last in the league in rushing D, and bad in total D is an indictment of his schemes and preparation. No, they don’t have great defensive personnel, but a coach of the year does not have a team get repeatedly embarassed in the same manner (or get worse in their weaknesses). What’s astounding is that KC was playing with big leads for most of the year and the rushing ‘D’ was still atrocious. I have no idea how that happened.

A team who gets worse as the season progresses (9-0 to 13-3) does not have a coach who is a coach of the year candidate. Man, he faced worse teams than the pats, got fewer wins, and had better tools to work with.

And, he cries too much. :slight_smile:

And, go back and check out the list of who they beat at the top of this.

Except for Martz, who I think is a FOOL, I wouldn’t put Vermeil ahead of any playoff coach.

My vote: M-Lew. For the reasons others have mentioned. He may not have got as much out of his personnel as Bellichick or Parcells or Reid or even Fox did, but he was battling a lot of history and the “black hole” to get his team playing for a playoff spot in week 17.

36

I think that anyone participating in this thread could outcoach Mike Martz on any give sunday. Really, what do he and Jim Haslett have to do to get fired?

37

Of course I am. I could nitpick the Cowboys victories (6 against Redskins, Giants, Cards, Lions…). I don’t know if you’ve been watching the Cowboys for the last 3 years, but they’ve been absolutely horrible. The Patriots have enough talent to have won the Super Bowl recently and been extremely competitive recently. I just think that the job Parcells has done is more remarkable. He has won in spite of his team, not because of it. Maybe Belichick deserves it more than Parcells (the Cowboys will be out of the playoffs before the Pats play their first game), maybe not. It should be a close race.

38

Trunk

Yes, Vermeil deserves to be considered. Why should Parcells get credit for a great D and a putrid O, while Vermeil not get credit for a great O (and great special teams, by the way) and a putrid D. And let’s not forget, as good or better record than any of the other candidates save the guy who should win, Belicheck.

Trent Green and Priest Holmes were not considered top notch players pre-Vermeil. System or not.

It’s called coach of the year, not coach of the last four weeks.

Marvin Lewis’ rep as a great defensive coach was greatly enhanced by talent (see Ray Lewis).

  1. Belecheck 2. Vermeil. 3. Parcells 4. Lewis or maybe Fox
39

Dave McGinnis…for beating the Vikings. 'nuff said.

Should Coach/GMs get credit for good drafts in the coach of the year award? Or is it just for the coaching side of things?

40

I disagree. Both were giving me sleepless nights before Vermeil came along…