The Bengals on Sunday became the only team in NFL history to lose in the first round of the playoffs in four straight seasons.
Despite a talented roster, Cincinnati's Groundhog Day-like meltdowns in January -- the latest coming with Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Colts -- raises genuine questions about what needs to be fixed inside the organization.
Don't expect the removal of coach Marvin Lewis to be among the tweaks.
"It's my plan (to return)," Lewis said, per The Cincinnati Enquirer. "It's not about me. It's about our football team, wherever our football team is."
Lewis on Sunday joined Jim Mora Sr. as the only two coaches in NFL lore to lose their first six postseason appearances. While Lewis deserves credit for a string of strong regular seasons, his pairing with underwhelming quarterbackAndy Dalton looms as a tough sell on a frustrated fan base.
George Iloka defended his coach -- "He's done a good job," said the safety. "That loss ain't on him." But more than a few Bengals players found themselves searching for answers.
"I wish I knew (how to change it)," said pass rusher Robert Geathers. "We would have had it done by now. Just comes down to, I don't know, I think everyone in the locker room wants it."
Sounding equally mystified, wideout Mohamed Sanu told a patch of scribes: "I don't know, I really don't. We are just going to have to see. It's just frustrating and embarrassing. It's tiring having this feeling, the same talk, the same situation over and over. Something's got to change."
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