The Bengals will fire offensive coordinator Ken Zampese, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bengals have not scored a touchdown in the first two games of the season and they are hoping a sideline shakeup will give them a jump start. For now, quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor will assume offensive coordinator responsibilities, the team announced.
Head coach Marvin Lewis didn’t exactly offer up support for Zampese after Thursday night’s loss to the Texans.
“We have to get better but I’m never going to come in here and tell you anything we’re going to do with one another,” Lewis said when asked about potential staff changes (via Cincinnati.com). “What we do is private to us.”
Zampese was promoted to offensive coordinator last year after Hue Jackson left for the Browns’ head coaching job. Last year, the Bengals finished 13th in total offense under his guidance, but 24th in scoring. His offense left the red zone without a touchdown on nearly half of its red zone tries in 2016 and this year has been even worse. The Bengals are 0-for-6 for TDs in the red zone thus far and that’s a big reason for their 0-2 start.
On paper, the Bengals were poised to have one of the better offenses in the NFL with a competent QB in Andy Dalton, a megastar receiver in A.J. Green, a quality tight end in Tyler Eifert, and an intriguing mix of backfield weapons including Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, and rookie Joe Mixon. The Bengals hope that another OC will be able to get the most out of what they have.
If the former Dolphins OC can’t get the offense going, then Zampese might not be the only coach bounced in Cincinnati this season. After 15 years at the helm, this just might be Marvin Lewis‘ last stand.
Someone has to take the fall. Hopefully Lewis is next
Realistically I can’t see Lewis being the coach past the Steelers game I see them going 0-3 next week, winning week 4 against Browns then losing weeks 5, and 6 to the Bills and Steelers 1-5 record horrible offense no playoff wins doesn’t play young players making it so it makes 0 sense to make any draft picks they end up being so low on the depth chart in my opinion easily worst head coach in the NFL
He wont be back next year for sure now he’ll be lucky to finish the season although with how loyal lewis has been i dont see them cutting him loose during the season
first two games of the season? They have only played one.
what are u talking about
Why do the Bengals keep paying Marvin Lewis money to coach this team? What a horrible organization.
You’ve got that right.
Lose your two best offensive lineman and expect to be better on offense? Sorry but this was expected of the Bungals
Bye bye Marvin.
Fire Lewis and release Dalton and start McCarron and suddenly this team won’t be trash
Nahhhh trace him to the Browns are the jets lol
The people who think Lewis is getting fired don’t know how this team works. If anything, they’ll just promote him to the front office and give the job to Guenther next. Also, Zampese was terrible last year with the 2 offensive linemen who left in the off-season. It’s probably why they left. Furthermore, I would hope a 35-year-old guy whose replacement was drafted a couple of years ago and a guard don’t send you into a tailspin anyway.
Zampese wasn’t missing wide open receivers.
No SH!T
The Bengals have been highly overrated for years. They have exactly 1 superstar on O and 1 on D. There a cast of ok to decent NFL guys and it seems as if it’s finally caught up to them. And to automatically assume they beat the browns is living in last year. Kizer is a legit NFL QB. Gunna b along year for the bengals fans.