Bevell is a better option than Marvin Lewis
The Detroit Lions must not fall too much in love with the idea of hiring former Cincinnati Bengals head man Marvin Lewis.
The veteran head coach has not run a team in the National Football League since the conclusion of the 2018 regular season.
His hiring would certainly be welcomed with a plethora of skepticism and frustration from a fanbase looking for the muchneeded injection of hope and enthusiasm.
Could a 62-year old Lewis summon the experience needed to resurrect a dormant Lions franchise?
Most certainly, Lewis could get the team back into the postseason at some point.
In his 16 years with the Bengals, he reached the postseason on seven occasions, posting an 0-7 record.
That level of futility in the postseason will raise eyebrows for those looking to find anything to disparage decisions made by the Lions organization.
On the other hand, retaining interim head coach Darrell Bevell would provide
an easier into the future.
Bevell, a widely respected NFL offensive coordinator, took over for the fired Matt Patricia after his disastrous 2.5-year tenure.
In a short period of time, the veteran offensive signalcaller rallied the roster and continued to display what makes him a commodity as a coach.
transition
Detroit’s offense remained highly productive and the team was competitive with a depleted roster.
No coach in the history of the league could have overcome Detroit’s disastrous defense in 2020, which set franchise marks for futility by allowing the most yards and points ever given up in the history of the organization.
It became all too clear that the members of the Lions roster were worn down by former head coach Matt Patricia’s methods.
The lackluster performance on Thanksgiving all but sealed Patricia’s fate along with his friend and colleague Bob Quinn.
With the dark cloud of the “Quintricia” era lifted, it was evident the players on
Detroit’s roster were willing to go to battle for Bevell.
The Lions fought and battled back to earn a road victory over their divisional rival in Chicago.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford explained that the environment Bevell created allowed the team to relax and play fast.
“I think his energy is infectious and guys feed off it and I really appreciate him as a person and just happy that he helped us get the win today,” Stafford said following the victory over the Bears.
“Guys went out there and played fast and free and it wasn’t perfect, you know, there’s plays we want back, but never quit, never really looked at the scoreboard. Just keep playing and let it all kind of figure itself out and it did.”
Retaining Bevell would go a long way in keeping Detroit’s franchise quarterback in Motown for at least the next couple of seasons.
A decision to bring in an outsider could be the final nail in Stafford’s tenure with the sole organization he has played for since he entered the league.
However, only time will tell for sure.