Marvin Lewis Will "Walk Away" if the Cincinnati Bengals Win the Super Bowl

The Cincinnati Enquirer had your typical week-before-camp-opens story full of good feelings, compliments, and optimism at the start of the season. It involved interviews with Marvin Lewis and owner Mike Brown at the pre-camp media session. Lewis, as it turns out, has a vision of walking away like some of the legends of the game like Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells, after winning the Lombardi Trophy.

“I want to hand Mike the trophy, then just walk away,” Lewis said. “It would be the most tremendous feeling,’’ Lewis also said of handing the trophy to Mike Brown, invoking memories of telling Brian Bullock the same in regard to Art Modell in 1999.

This is your reminder that the Cincinnati Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, let alone a title. Also, Andy Dalton is the quarterback.

Marvin Lewis brought the franchise from the laughingstock days of the 1990’s to respectability, and has gotten plenty of opportunities in Cincinnati. Here’s a crazy historical note. Since the Super Bowl era began, only Marvin Lewis (2003-2014) and Chuck Noll (1980-1991) have gone 12 straight seasons with one organization as head coach, without reaching a Super Bowl during that time. Noll, of course, had four rings before that stretch began. Lewis has no playoff wins. Don Shula (1985-1995) and Jim Mora (1986-1996) with the Saints went 11 straight seasons with one franchise without a Super Bowl appearance. If Lewis’ Bengals do not make it to the Super Bowl this year, he will stand alone.