There's no end in sight period, so there's really no point in making any kind of stand. The Bengals really aren't anything especially bad since Marvin was hired anyway, they're a pretty standard below average NFL team playing in one of the harder divisions. They don't deserve any kind of benefit of the doubt because of the totality of the last 20 years, I'm just saying the NFL isn't going to do anything based on the last 8.
Playing devil's advocate here a little, but the Bengals have been in contention more than the Reds since Marvin Lewis was hired.