After a decade-plus long stretch of futility that covered the 1990s and in-depthearly 2000s, one could forgive Cincinnati fans for simply feeling good about how the last few years have gone. The team has won 30 games in three seasons and made the playoffs four of the last five years.

That said, while Marvin Lewis has become the team’s all-time winningest coach, he has not been able to lead the team to a postseason victory in his 11 seasons on the job. Pressure may be mounting on him to take this team on a deeper run.

Is he capable? And how far is this team from making that kind of jump? Vance Meek, editor and lead writer at Stripe Hype, shares his thoughts here.

Zoneblitz:  Cincy won 11 games in 2013 but got knocked out of the postseason right away. How do you assess 2013?

Meek: The Bengals made the playoffs in 2013, and it’s hard to call any season that results in a trip to the postseason a failure, but it has to be considered disappointing. They had gained experience, were playing a Chargers team they had already beaten once, and should have been primed to finally get a playoff win. Unfortunately, the team came out flat, made mistakes, and lost. It was a good season, but should have been better.

Zoneblitz:  Marvin Lewis has been around a dozen years, producing five playoff appearances but no postseason wins. What are your thoughts on the job he’s done so far and is he the coach to take this team to the next level?

Meek: Lewis has been great for the Bengals. Before he got here, the franchise was awful, and went through a string of bad head coaches. He instilled a new winning attitude, and more importantly, gained the trust of Mike Brown, enabling him to make more roster decisions, and has improved the drafting drastically. There are questions about whether or not he has gone as far as he can, and those are valid. The team is 0 for 5 in the playoffs and has looked pretty bad in most of those losses. They’ve also struggled in nationally televised games during the season, which has led to the wondering if he is unable to motivate the team for big games. I definitely think there’s a point where he has to be held accountable for the inability to take the next step, and it might just be time to move on at some point soon.

Zoneblitz:  What are your thoughts on the development of Andy Dalton? Is he still the QB of the long-term future?

Meek: Dalton has been the lightning rod for the criticism in the playoff losses, and that’s mostly fair. The entire team played poorly, but Dalton is expected to be the leader, and thus takes more blame. He has played poorly in all three of his playoff games, and is going to get flack until he proves people wrong. He has some great qualities, (leadership, intelligence, accuracy overall) but he hasn’t grown in other areas. He still struggles with passes down the field and still makes questionable decisions under duress, resulting in turnovers. I believe the Bengals could upgrade at quarterback, and that if the right passer falls in the draft, they should take a shot.

Zoneblitz:  BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a decent RB, but Giovani Bernard showed signs of being a special player. Will he see an increased role in 2014?

Meek: Bernard is a much more dynamic player, and possesses an ability to change a game with one play, something BJGE can’t do. The team loves Green-Ellis, and believes in keeping guys fresh, so they’ll still split time, but I’d expect Gio to be featured a little more this year, and expected to carry a little more of the load.

Zoneblitz:  The Bengals lost Michael Johnson from the defensive line and Anthony Collins from the offensive line. How big are those losses and who replaces them?

Meek: Johnson and Collins are both talented players and their absence will be noticed, but I don’t think it’s as disastrous as some fans believe. Collins wasn’t going to start next season, and though he’s a valuable backup, it’s questionable whether they should have spent that much money to keep him. Johnson is a bigger loss because the entire Bengals defense is built on their ability to rush the passer. Unfortunately, his successes have earned him a huge paycheck and the Bengals aren’t able to pay everybody. Tanner Hawkinson is an offensive lineman who can play multiple positions and could take over where Collins left off, while a combination of Margus Hunt, Wallace Gilberry, and possibly a rookie will try to replace Johnson.

Zoneblitz:  That defense was fifth in points allowed and third in yards allowed. That’s pretty good – besides losing Johnson, is there room for improvement in any facet of that unit?

Meek: The Bengals have been a great defense over the past few seasons, but there is always room for improvement. Safety play has been an issue. Reggie Nelson is solid, but play at the other safety has been hit and miss. The cornerbacks could also use upgrading. Hall is terrific, but Terence Newman and Adam Jones are on the wrong side of 30 and Dre Kirkpatrick is unproven. They could really use a cornerback early in the upcoming draft. There is also sentiment that they could use a linebacker upgrade, but they have a lot of talented youth that could develop there.

Zoneblitz:  Who on the roster do you see having a breakout season?

Meek: There are several young players that could bust through. LB Emmanuel Lamur is one to watch for. The Bengals coaches were very high on him before last season and he had an unfortunate injury that cost him the whole year. He’s got the tools to make a huge impact. On offense, TE Tyler Eifert could see much more time this year and is a matchup nightmare that could put up really nice numbers as teams focus on stopping AJ Green and Marvin Jones.

Zoneblitz:  How far are the Bengals from making a deeper run and what has to happen to get there?

Meek: The Bengals are close. They could easily get hot at the right time and roll off a string of playoff wins. It’s gonna all be tied to Dalton and the quarterback position. They’ll go as far as he takes them. If he still falters on the biggest stage, the Bengals will watch the Super Bowl from home once again. If he finally takes the next step, they can win it all.

Zoneblitz:  What else would you like to see Bengals do in free agency and then in the draft?

Meek: With free agency all but over, there’s not a lot more to do there. I would like to have seen them make a few bigger moves, and they might have hurt themselves by holding back to try and re-sign Dalton. They certainly have some salary cap room, and could have addressed a position or two there. As far as the draft goes, there are options. If a quarterback like Derek Carr falls, I’d love to see them take him. They need to draft a quarterback in the draft at some point anyway. I also want to add a top flight cornerback, and that’s probably where I’d go in round one. Darqueze Dennard and Kyle Fuller are my favorites. I’d also add to the defensive end position and on the offensive line at some point.

Zoneblitz:  Is there anything else you would like to add?

Meek: I think it’s important to figure the contribution that new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson could have on this team. He’s a terrific coach and brings a toughness that Jay Gruden seemed to lack. The game plan was rightfully criticized in their playoff losses, and Hue could be just what the doctor ordered. He’ll certainly be willing to get in players’ faces and hold them accountable for mistakes. It’s not always mentioned, but might be the most important move this offseason.

Follow Vance Meek on Twitter at: @vancemeek
Follow Stripe Hype on Twitter at: @StripeHype
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