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Bengals owner on retaining Marvin Lewis: 'I don't think we're far off'

By The Sports Xchange
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. File photo by John Sommers II/UPI
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. File photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo

Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown defended his decision to retain long-time coach Marvin Lewis for a 16th season.

"We had a disappointing season because we didn't win our share of those close games that we could've, should've won. I think it goes beyond that, though. I think we tailed off in some areas that brought us down," Brown told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Friday.

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"I think those issues are correctable. I don't think we're far off. I think we can make the changes that we need to make and quickly rebound to the level where we were a couple years ago."

Cincinnati reached the postseason seven times under Lewis, including a run of five straight seasons from 2011-15, when the team won 52 games.

Lewis also guided the Bengals to four AFC North titles, but the biggest knock against the 59-year-old coach was his lack of success in the playoffs -- with the Bengals going 0-7 during his tenure.

Lewis is the winningest coach in franchise history, posting a 125-112-3 record in his 15 seasons.

Following a successful stint as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator from 1996 to 2001, including a Super Bowl title in 2000, Lewis took over a Cincinnati franchise in shambles in 2003.

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The Bengals had gone 2-14 in 2002, but Lewis led them to consecutive 8-8 marks before reaching the postseason with an 11-5 mark in 2005.

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