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Coach doesn’t think he has any quitters Marvin Lewis wanted to set the record straight. The Cincinnati Bengals defense didn’t quit Sunday. It just stunk. As if the sour taste of surrendering 42 points in the second half of a stunning 49-41 loss to San Diego wasn’t enough, safety Dexter Jackson threw some more lemons into the mix in the postgame locker room by accusing some of his teammates of quitting.
"It’s time for guys to do some soulsearching," Jackson said. "It’s a matter of want-to. How much do you want to win? How bad do you want to play with your teammates and leave it on the field for them? "That’s what we need. We need to find some guys who love the game — don’t just play the game, but love it." Jackson indicated the problem is as much Monday through Saturday as it is on Sunday. "I don’t think some other people make that same commitment to watch extra film or understand the game plan," he said. Lewis disputed the suggestion that some players didn’t give the necessary effort. "This team didn’t quit at all, in any phase," he said. "We’ve got to make plays. Did we not make plays? Yes. But we didn’t quit." Lewis said he wasn’t upset with Jackson’s comments. Suffice to say, though, Lewis would have preferred discretion. Jackson spoke only three words — "We played hard" — as he walked out of the locker room yesterday. "It’s important that when you step to the plate like that, that you be pretty good at what you do, too, and don’t have error, as well," Lewis said. "There’s no one on our team right now that is qualified to make that statement." Everyone associated with the defense is facing the heat. Defensive tackle John Thornton said he went to breakfast with his father, and the waitress ripped the defense without realizing she was serving a player. "I think the city is upset, and we’re all upset, too," Thornton said. So is Lewis. With so many injuries, the coach’s options are limited. He did promise, without elaborating, that he would make "subtle changes" to the lineup. Lewis defended defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan. "At some point, players have to take responsibility to get their job done," Lewis said. Bengals bits Lewis said he took away some of quarterback Carson Palmer’s playcalling authority and gave it back to offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. … Lewis said offensive left tackle Levi Jones, who has been out because of a knee injury since Oct. 15, will probably be listed as questionable. Columbus Disptach http://columbusdispatch.com/bengals/bengals.php?story=dispatch/2006/11/14/20061114-E8-01.html |
