Marvin Lewis said today that he expected to get the ball back with a chance to win the game if they had punted the ball on 4th and 11 in overtime with only 1:04. Really, Marvin? Really? You thought that if you punted the ball, the Browns would just magically cough it up. The Browns didn’t have any time outs left, so they would have to pass it, and he just expects them to make incompletion after incompletion and then give us the ball back. Really? Was that the most likely scenario? You don’t think, oh, I don’t know, the Browns had chance to complete one or two passes, take some time off the clock, etc.? What happens if they had to go for it on fourth down? What if they catch the ball but keep it in bounds? I guess they would have to spike it and stop the clock, but do you see the problem here, Marvin?

How do you justify this decision? If you punt the ball, you lose possession and then control of the game. An infinite number of possibilities could happen with the football. One of the least likely is for the Bengals to get the ball back AND have enough time AND good enough field position to take a legitimate shot at winning the game. Granted, going for it on 4th and 11 is risky, but punting it at that time is just playing scared and stupid. If you’re playing for the percentages, you would go for it on 4th and 11 rather than punt the ball and have a pipe dream of getting the ball back with a chance to win.

Really, Marvin? Your brain at one point thought this was a viable option? Really? Why? Did they teach you this in Game-Management 101 or was this something that you came up with all on your lonesome? Really, this is just ridiculous, Marvin. You’ve come under criticism before for your inept handling of end-of-the-game situations. At one point in the preseason I was going to write a blog to defend you and say you have other attributes that supersedes your deficiencies. Not anymore.

I could almost forgive the initial thought of punting it, but after 48 hours and you STILL hold this view… I’m just disappointed. I have never called for Marvin to get fired, and I’m not going to now. It’s pointless to change coaches, especially if you’re (barely) winning. But once Marvin’s contract is up, I’m not giving him any endorsement to stay on as captain of the Bengals ship.