How do you create a winning culture?

[Johnny Nix]

Specifically, the Bengals under Zac Taylor are now 1-12-1 the last two seasons in one score games. The Bengals have been pretty competitive, but haven’t been able to make the winning play. Does this make Taylor a bad coach? Do the Bengals just need a little bit more talent to get over the hump? In your opinion what needs to happen for the Bengals, or even another struggling franchise to take the next step?

[TitanSlim]

Since I’m a Titans fan and I’ve been where you are, I’ll use them as an example. Prior to 2016, the team really had no sense of direction and was in a bad spot. Things they did to turn the tide between then and now was....

-Amy Adams Strunk became the majority owner. Helped stabilize a shaky ownership situation. This is the biggest thing.

-Jon Robinson became the GM

-Bought in some valuable free agents (Ben Jones, Rishard Matthews, Logan Ryan) to go along with the veterans leaders already on the team (Delanie Walker, Brian Orakpo).

-Made some big time trades that really helped in Demarco Murray in 2016 and Ryan Tannehill in 2019

-Drafted well. There’s some misses there (Kevin Dodd, Austin Johnson, Corey Davis at #5) but had some huge hits (Kevin Byard, Derrick Henry, Jack Conklin, Jonnu Smith, AJ Brown, Jeffery Simmons just to name a few).

-Hired a HC in Mike Mularkey(who I wasn’t a fan of) who helped motivate the team and mold a team identity. As much as I didn’t like him, the players seem to love playing for him.

-Made the tough decision of firing Mularkey to bring in Vrabel, who they felt would take them to the next step.

It truly starts at the top with ownership. Amy Adams Strunk has done everything you hope from a owner. She’s allowed Jon Robinson and the team to work without meddling, she’s provided the finances needed to improve and remodel the team facility and has complete changed the outlook of the team. Her one flaw was she decided to keep Mularkey in 2016, instead of doing a legit coaching search. Even with that mistake, Mularkey led us to a playoff appearance and win, and she allowed Jon Robinson to correct that mistake by picking his own personal choice at HC with Vrabel.

So what it boils down to is having a involved (but not meddling) owner, who hires a quality GM. That GM being tied hip to hip with the head coach and everyone within the front office. GM/HC identifying how they want the the team identity to be and bringing in players who fit it, not just from a playing aspect but also a mental/personality aspect. Having the players buy into what you’re building. Pretty much the whole organization being in sync as one.
 

This post has been far longer than I intended but I hope it helps a bit.

[candyman93]

You have Joe Burrow, you will start winning soon. Browns went 1-15 and 0-16, but they’re now competing for the playoffs.
 

To answer your question: Establish a young base of talent and add some vets who know what they’re doing.

 

Drafting Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, and Denzel Ward obviously helped. However, Jarvis Landry changed everything in the Browns locker room. Kareem Hunt even brings energy too.

Edited November 1, 2020 by candyman93

[Hunter2_1]

Things that stuck out early in BB's NE tenure was the ability and willingness to make tough decisions. Shipping Lawyer Milloy stands out - the players hated it, by all accounts, but worked out after a while. Sticking with TB and not going back to Bledsoe was another one. If the players were in any doubt that a) he was the boss, and b) your job isn't safe ...they weren't for long. 

[patriotsheatyan]

Win games and have people retroactively claim you made a winning culture.

[m haynes]

Easy,  never allow a player talk to the GM  or a owner. Have problem go to the coach.  I'm a expert, Pats fan 50+ years. Before BB it was brutal.

[WheatieMan]

I am smelling a 2006 Romo Parcells type of run for the Cowboys, DiNucci giving me the Tony vibes. Remember how well Romo played on a SNF versus Delhomme and Co. in Carolina? That's what's gonna happen tonight.

Edited November 1, 2020 by WheatieMan

[11sanchez11]

Get good players and coaching 

[JMG5]

Win

[Split the Sticks]

Here is my opinion,,, 

If you get that one key Alpha male with a can-do, never-say-die attitude that has high expectations
of himself and consequently, on his mates, that will go along way in establishing a winning culture. 

I've seen it repeated many times where a loser organization takes in such a player and within two or three
seasons, the team has started to win those close games and to play at playoff level and start to win championships.

A bunch of physical talent won't get the job done. They'll trip on themselves somewhere along the way, like 1st round of the playoffs.

 

[Kip Smithers]

Win games.

[Kip Smithers]

2 hours ago, patriotsheatyan said:

Win games and have people retroactively claim you made a winning culture.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. 

[rocky_rams]

Do what Brian Flores has done in Miami

[DontTazeMeBro]

2 hours ago, patriotsheatyan said:

Win games and have people retroactively claim you made a winning culture.

Pretty much. I think you do need to avoid players who are soft and/or lazy. But other than that its pretty much talent and scheme. More talent than scheme.

[Soko]

Was going to come in and say “wins games, duh”, but it’s more than that. You look at a team like Pittsburgh or Baltimore - there were seasons where for one reason or another, they weren’t making the playoffs. But their locker rooms were always disciplined (which is saying a lot considering one team had a radioactive warhead in their midst - props to you, Tomlin), played with effort, played above their talent level, and maintained their culture despite the postseason absences. So it’s not just winning. 

I think you absolutely need a disciplined coach that instills a certain mindset in the team and the right players that won’t cause problems (at first). I look at what Flores is doing in Miami as that. It also helps if you have a GM that works well with the coach and a good owner that backs that.