Would You Bring Marvin Lewis Back?

[theFRANCHISE]

As the poll question reads, would you bring Marvin Lewis back to the Baltimore Ravens? [b]This isn't a question as to whether he would be a defensive coodinator, a defensive assistant, an assistant head coach, or whatever his job title may be.[/b] It's a yes or no question: would you bring him back?

Factors to consider:

Pros
- Architect of the record-setting 2000 Ravens defense that won Super Bowl XXXV
- Has 19 years of coaching experience in the NFL
- Maintains close ties to the city of Baltimore
- Has coached in the AFC North his entire NFL career except a one-year stint with the Washington Redskins
- Has posted an 11-5 coaching record against the divisional rival Cleveland Browns since 2003

Cons
- Has been hounded with rumors of having repeatedly lost the locker room since 2005
- Has posted a 4-13 coaching record against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers since 2003, including one playoff loss
- Posted only two playoff seasons during an 8-year stint despite a talent-laden roster
- Fielded a top-ten defense only once during his tenure
- Could have no desire to take a demotion as an assistant after having been a head coach

[Clutch Ravens]

I would take him back because of his ability to scheme for the defensive side of the ball.

I don't know why, more recently, front offices have got the idea of: "He's a good/great coordinator, he'll be a great Head Coach!" into their collective heads. A head coach needs to have an iron will and motivational skills. They need to be a people person and know their players as personalitys as well as football players. They need to have fire and charisma.

Marvin Lewis is a good, some may even argue great, defensive coordinator but a head coach he was not. I'd be happy with him back in Baltimore in any facet, other than head coach or assistant head coach.

[bpytnjr58]

I would say yes as a Defensive Coordinator...He coached one of the best Ddefensive corps in the history of the NFL. I think Marvin Lewis and Josh McDaniel as OC would make the Ravens the elite team in the league.

[Ed_Reed20]

I'd definitely bring him back. The pros are obvious, so I'll the analyze the cons you laid out.

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' timestamp='1293817101' post='588897']
Cons
- Has been hounded with rumors of having repeatedly lost the locker room since 2005
[/quote]

Regardless of the position he'd re-join the Ravens in, I don't think he'd lose the players here.

[quote]
- Has posted a 4-13 coaching record against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers since 2003, including one playoff loss
[/quote]

This might be a lame answer but Steelers have been unquestionably been the best AFCN team since the realignment. To me, there's no shame in having a losing record to them. And considering what Lewis has had to deal with, you can't put it all on him.

[quote]
- Posted only two playoff seasons during an 8-year stint despite a talent-laden roster
[/quote]

The roster hasn't been talented Marvin's entire time there. At first, the offensive was explosive but the defense couldn't stop anyone. Around the time the defense was improving, Palmer suffered a number of serious injuries and offensive stalwarts players like Rudi Johnson, Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson were on the decline.

[quote]
- Fielded a top-ten defense only once during his tenure
[/quote]

This wasn't completely Marvin's fault. Starting in 2005, he attempted to seriously build the defense(after the offense had been addressed the two previous off-seasons). The first round draft pick, Dave Pollack, broke his vertebrae in '06 and retired the next season. The second round pick, Odell Thurman, was a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and was even being compared to Ray. However, he was suspended the next two seasons due to repeated substance abuse issues and was ultimately released in '08.

The team hit on a number of their picks, including their next three first round picks(all defensive selections) but missing on Thurman and Pollack really hurt.

[quote]
- Could have no desire to take a demotion as an assistant after having been a head coach
[/quote]

This is a possibility but having listened to him on the radio and read a recent article by him([url="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-preston-ravens-1231-20101230,0,7238790.column"]link[/url]), Mike Preston believes Lewis doesn't have a huge ego and would be willing to return as an assistant.

[Sizzle]

I would but not for defensive coordinator.

[Ravens Lover]

hmmmm.... I wonder... this is only the coach who created one of the greatest defences of all time HECK YEA!!!

[Bltravens]

I think to properly assess Marvin to bring back is kind of a loaded question. Marvin holds a spot in all of our hearts for being the architect and play caller (which has as much importance in a coordinators job as anything) of the best single season defense ever. However we also have to keep in mind the type of players we have now, many of them are of a hybrid variance and some are limited in their positioning. Marvin is a 4-3 only defensive coach and the foundation of our defense is a 3-4, Ray as much as I love, cant play in a 4-3 anymore and benefits from the splitting of responsibilities by another LB. We dont have powerful tackling corners for the cov 2 Marvin LOVES to play and has played since he was in Baltimore. Even still how does Ozzie fire Mattison after 2 consecutive years of top 5 defenses, and if he does like it or not that would strain the relationship with Harbaugh whom an extension is in the works for and a coach that Bischotti can only be happy with as what Bischotti wants in a HC both in terms of winning and public perception. If the defense was total swiss cheese Harbaugh could understand the release of Mattison for another DC but how do you tell Harbaugh to get rid of Mattison after he has done a good job, I cant see that going over well with Harbaugh given the personal ties and professional success with Mattison.

[big hits and ball hawks]

I asked my dad the same question a while ago and I was wondering when this question would pop up. I'm not opposed to it at all so I chose 'yes'.

However, Bltravens brought up a good point about how there isn't really a real reason to let Mattison go. As much as fans can become/are upset or whatever with Mattison, we're still a winning football team and the defense, in my opinion, has improved quite a bit since Mattison first took over. This is also why we probably won't let Cameron go either. If we keep winning then what's the problem? Even if the fans question calls and would rather have other Coordinators, I don't see it happening unless it gets really messy and we start losing.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='big hits and ball hawks' timestamp='1293827877' post='588994']
I asked my dad the same question a while ago and I was wondering when this question would pop up. I'm not opposed to it at all so I chose 'yes'.

However, Bltravens brought up a good point about how there isn't really a real reason to let Mattison go. As much as fans can become/are upset or whatever with Mattison, we're still a winning football team and the defense, in my opinion, has improved quite a bit since Mattison first took over. This is also why we probably won't let Cameron go either. If we keep winning then what's the problem? Even if the fans question calls and would rather have other Coordinators, I don't see it happening unless it gets really messy and we start losing.
[/quote]

There's no reason Marvin couldn't be signed as an assistant, especially if no team is willing to offer him another head coaching position.

As for Cam, if the offense continues to sputter into the post-season and the Ravens don't win it all, he'll probably be let go.

[Ngata92NT]

Mattison and Lewis are both very good D-Coordinators and I'd be happy with either. But people seem to forget that consistency is extremely important, players need time to adapt to the scheme (maybe not guys like Ray and Ed but younger players would). We'd be taking a step backwards IMO our defense is still elite and I think that replacing Mattison would cause us to regress. Even though Mattison's conservatism drives me crazy sometimes he's an excellent coordinator and deserves another year at least.

And also, the Raven's can't afford to be sentimental about Lewis, he did orchestrate the greatest defense of all time but he didn't do it alone. We don't have the same personnel that we had back then and defensive/offensive schemes have evolved since then. Just because Lewis did great things in the past is no guarantee he could replicate that feat (he certainly didn't do it in Cinci).

[big hits and ball hawks]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1293828138' post='588996']
There's no reason Marvin couldn't be signed as an assistant, especially if no team is willing to offer him another head coaching position.

As for Cam, if the offense continues to sputter into the post-season and the Ravens don't win it all, he'll probably be let go.
[/quote]


That's all possible too. I wouldn't mind seeing him back with us in some way or another.

[fistfullwales]

I was gonna say, is there a "hell yeah" answer?

[Marc2k6]

Who says he wants to come back?

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Marc2k6' timestamp='1293853707' post='589170']
Who says he wants to come back?
[/quote]

Mike Preston said on the radio today he really likes Baltimore and if he couldn't secure a job elsewhere, I could see him returning.

[bdravens]

I'd bring him back in some capacity, absolutely. But you have to be careful about it. Mattison knows obviously that Lewis was here for a while, so he'd always be mindful that this guy used to be here, and there could be pressure.

[luke]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' timestamp='1293817101' post='588897']
As the poll question reads, would you bring Marvin Lewis back to the Baltimore Ravens? This isn't a question as to whether he would be a defensive coodinator, a defensive assistant, an assistant head coach, or whatever his job title may be. It's a yes or no question: would you bring him back?

Factors to consider:

Pros
- Architect of the record-setting 2000 Ravens defense that won Super Bowl XXXV
- Has 19 years of coaching experience in the NFL
- Maintains close ties to the city of Baltimore
- Has coached in the AFC North his entire NFL career except a one-year stint with the Washington Redskins
- Has posted an 11-5 coaching record against the divisional rival Cleveland Browns since 2003

Cons
- Has been hounded with rumors of having repeatedly lost the locker room since 2005
- Has posted a 4-13 coaching record against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers since 2003, including one playoff loss
- Posted only two playoff seasons during an 8-year stint despite a talent-laden roster
- Fielded a top-ten defense only once during his tenure
- Could have no desire to take a demotion as an assistant after having been a head coach
[/quote]
marvin lewis is a head coach...look for him in carolina

[luke]

[quote name='bpytnjr58' timestamp='1293817920' post='588908']
I would say yes as a Defensive Coordinator...He coached one of the best Ddefensive corps in the history of the NFL. I think Marvin Lewis and Josh McDaniel as OC would make the Ravens the elite team in the league.
[/quote]
marvin lewis had a young ray lewis in 2000...along with much more talent on that team than is on this yrs defense....ray is old, reed is hurt too often...really all there is, is nagta and suggs..marvin lewis is a head coach..carolina would be a nice place for him to relocate

[Nadkins52]

I'd rather have Mike Singeltary be our D-Cordinator than him

[Moderator 3]

I doubt that Marvin would want to "go back" to where he was before. Most professionals prefer to move forward.

[Bullrush]

Well he kinda failed at what he does now, and usually that means going back to what you did before you made the step to become a headcoach. In his case that means going back to coordinating defenses. Singletary is not gonna get another headcoaching job. McDaniels will go back to coordinating offenses.

I think he still has a good shot at landing a HC job somewhere. Maybe in San Fran or Carolina. There are talks that he could coordinate San Frans defense under HC Brian Billick which I think is absurd.

Anyway I wouldn't be against bringing Marvin back as a coordinator. I wouldn't kill for it either. Our defense is doing OK considering we don't have any corners and issues at the safety position with all the injuries.

[D_UP]

I would love too have Lewis back, really good defensive mind.

[PWNEDbyDEANO]

I wouldn't, purely on the basis that I don't think that Mattison deserves to be fired. He has irreputedly fielded defenses which have been top 10 at the very least in back to back seasons, added to this he has done this with the lack of a true number one corner, aging players in some key positions, serious injuries to key players, and sometimes pure inconsistency from the players. I will admit that I'm not always pleased with some of his play calling, but he does more than enough to keep his job at the very least.

I don't want to change the topic, but I would [i]much[/i] rather us part ways with Cam than Mattison.

[Clutch Ravens]

Having Lewis back would also mean our going back to a 4-3 and, with more and more teams switching to the 3-4, would mean we could get a better selection of talent in the draft.

We do, kind of, have the personnel to run a 4-3, assuming we added another piece or two. We have Ngata and Cody to play inside (we could use a one-gap penetration-type DT), Suggs plays with his hand in the dirt half the time anyway and I'm sure that JJ would be a decent 4-3 Left End with his ability against the run. Guys like McClain and Gooden may actually be better as 4-3 OLBs than 3-4 ILBs - Gooden in particular looks like he has the skill set to play outside in a 4-3.

It's all theoretical, but I believe Marvin would, at the very least, give our defense it's identity back instead of being a cofused 3-4, 4-3 hybrid.

[Guest RBates]

In a heart beat. Trying to think of something faster than that......... Nothing comes to mind so, yessssssss sirrrrr

[Bltravens]

[quote name='Clutch Ravens' timestamp='1293907534' post='589396']
Having Lewis back would also mean our going back to a 4-3 and, with more and more teams switching to the 3-4, would mean we could get a better selection of talent in the draft.

We do, kind of, have the personnel to run a 4-3, assuming we added another piece or two. We have Ngata and Cody to play inside (we could use a one-gap penetration-type DT), Suggs plays with his hand in the dirt half the time anyway and I'm sure that JJ would be a decent 4-3 Left End with his ability against the run. Guys like McClain and Gooden may actually be better as 4-3 OLBs than 3-4 ILBs - Gooden in particular looks like he has the skill set to play outside in a 4-3.

It's all theoretical, but I believe Marvin would, at the very least, give our defense it's identity back instead of being a cofused 3-4, 4-3 hybrid.
[/quote]
Gooden definitely has the potential to be a really solid Will in a 4-3. You need to have a legit MLB in a 4-3 though and we have none right now for the future.

Also to the guy who said to bring back Singletary as the DC...Singletary was never our DC he was the LB coach under Mike Nolans reign as DC for us.

As for the topic itself if Marvin wanted to come back as an assistant to the DC type job with us then I'd be for it, Marvin has never been an "in it to advance" kind of guy, he does his job and takes pride in doing it well and if good things happen to him because of it its because he's earned it. He doesnt seem like the guy who would try to usurp the DC job from Mattison.

[reediddy]

Absolutely. You saw the success he had with us in the past, and his defense in Cincy is pretty good as well, though a lot of the credit also has to be given to Mike Zimmer and the passion with which the players play for Zimmer. However, I still think Lewis brought the defensive culture to the Bengals and made them what they are today. Statistically they aren't the greatest but that is in part due to the offensive ineptitude they've faced most of the season.

[PurpleChaos]

People fail to remember Marvin was average at best when he left here for that short tenure in DC. He is only as good as the talent he has around him. Funny how everyone is quick to say bring this guy in and that guy when Mattison hasn't even gotten fired and won't because of the D's stats. Problems with our D? Old , slow, and can't tackle. Coach can't fix that. Why not start a thread speculating who to replace Cam? That is if Harbaugh cans him.

[The Raven]

I'm torn on this. While Matty has called a good game or two, his scheming and playcalling is wildly inconsistent. Marvin Lewis is a defensive genius, although, having the talent we had in 2000 might have just made him look good.
I'm not ready to give up on Matty just yet, but if we lose in the playoffs on defense, I want Lewis. I wouldn't mind seeing him as a defensive assisstant/consultant either. That could really help Matty's development as a coach.

The other thing is Marvin's scheme. He runs a Cover 2 4-3 defense. This is a problem in that: We'd have to adjust to ANOTHER defensive sceme. I'm also not positive we have all the personnel for that. Guys like Suggs, Kruger, Ngata, and even Gooden would fit right in in a Cover 2. But Ray isnt as quick as he used to be, and JJ's not the fastest backer out there. Although, both excel in zone coverage, so it may still operate successfully. I think, that our younger talent may be better off in a 4-3.

Cody might be an odd fit, but I still think he can contribute to a 4-3 defense at the 1 tech. He may have to lose a little more weight, but I think he's capable of playing in a 4-3. In addition, I think Arthur Jones would be a great fit, same with Kruger.

[Jamal]

I'm not a Mattison hater, but if Marvin wants to come back, I see no reason not to do it.

[theFRANCHISE]

[b][size="3"]Keep in mind, the question being posed [u]isn't[/u] whether Marvin should replace Mattison.[/size][/b]

Rather, the question being asked is, would you bring Marvin back in ANY capacity? Not defensive coordinator, not defensive assistant, not head coach, not assistant head coach, not special consultant -- just ANY capacity at all.