Marvin: Time to Trim Complacency

[HoosierCat]

per bengals.com. Not that he gives s**t what I think, but I'm with him all the way...

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis took the blame for last Friday night’s sloppy 27-17 loss to the Eagles, but on Sunday he warned his players that he sees the last week of the preseason as an “opportunity to kind of trim some of the fat, some of the complacency around here.”

Lewis said a sense of urgency has sprung up around his team after a sluggish effort in all three phases of the game put them into a 27-3 hole at half time.

“We’re not here to be average. We weren’t consistent,” Lewis said. “What you did in 2003 and 2004 really doesn’t matter. It’s 2005. The bar has been raised. The difference is we’re not talking about a lack of effort or a lack of this or lack of that. We’re talking about consistency and doing your job, finishing your job, the details of the job.”

After a tough training camp and what some players thought was an even tougher first week of practice following camp, Lewis said he’ll get tougher because he knows of no other way to get better.

“I’ll push harder. I didn’t coach good enough last week,” Lewis said. “I’m going to coach harder this week. I told them after the game. I don’t know any other way to do it, but to coach harder and to coach better.

“It’s my fault, so I’ll take responsibility and we’ll coach harder,” Lewis said. “We’ll improve it, and we’ll do a better job and we’ll play better football, or else we’ll keep getting new guys, better guys. We’ll find a way.”

This isn't the first preseason Lewis has tried to hammer home to his players that their AFC North hasn't stood idle between seasons.

"Nobody's worried about us. What have we done?" Lewis asked. "We've done nothing. We've been 8-8. We haven't done anything. Why should they worry about us?"

[redsfan2]

per bengals.com. Not that he gives s**t what I think, but I'm with him all the way...

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis took the blame for last Friday night’s sloppy 27-17 loss to the Eagles, but on Sunday he warned his players that he sees the last week of the preseason as an “opportunity to kind of trim some of the fat, some of the complacency around here.”

Lewis said a sense of urgency has sprung up around his team after a sluggish effort in all three phases of the game put them into a 27-3 hole at half time.

“We’re not here to be average. We weren’t consistent,” Lewis said. “What you did in 2003 and 2004 really doesn’t matter. It’s 2005. The bar has been raised. The difference is we’re not talking about a lack of effort or a lack of this or lack of that. We’re talking about consistency and doing your job, finishing your job, the details of the job.”

After a tough training camp and what some players thought was an even tougher first week of practice following camp, Lewis said he’ll get tougher because he knows of no other way to get better.

“I’ll push harder. I didn’t coach good enough last week,” Lewis said. “I’m going to coach harder this week. I told them after the game. I don’t know any other way to do it, but to coach harder and to coach better.

“It’s my fault, so I’ll take responsibility and we’ll coach harder,” Lewis said. “We’ll improve it, and we’ll do a better job and we’ll play better football, or else we’ll keep getting new guys, better guys. We’ll find a way.”

This isn't the first preseason Lewis has tried to hammer home to his players that their AFC North hasn't stood idle between seasons.

"Nobody's worried about us. What have we done?" Lewis asked. "We've done nothing. We've been 8-8. We haven't done anything. Why should they worry about us?"

This is the side of the coach that I"ve kind've been waiting to see ..... and I like it. ( he don't listen to me either Joisey ).

He cracks me up when he goes straight from that easy talkin' " Aw shucks ma'am " routine to the Jason character where he chops heads left and right.

" We'll play better or we'll keep getting new guys " Now ... it's just my opinion , but I don't think you have to read between the lines here. I think he means just what he says ..... I believe it ... Leslie Frazier believes it .... so does Spikes .. Dillon ..... and many MANY others.

[HoosierCat]

He cracks me up when he goes straight from that easy talkin' " Aw shucks ma'am " routine to the Jason character where he chops heads left and right.

Yup. And ya gotta love it.

I just look at it from his perspective. Two years ago, he convinced Mikey (or at least Katie) to spend a large sum of money to make him head coach of the bengals.

Then he advises Mikey & Co. to dump no small number of players on whom they have spent millions and gotten nothing. At the same time, he advises, and generally gets, Mikey to spend tens of millions of dollars on FAs and rookie draft picks.

He spends two seasons building a team. Approaching the third season, the one everyone expects to be the breakout year, he challenges the team to start fast. And not only does he challenge them, he himself restructures training camp to help ensure a fresher team.

And when it finally comes to the 3rd preseason game, the dress rehersal, what does he get?

A team that drops passes, misses tackles, and just generally doesn't show up.

Jason? Oh, yeah, if there had been an ax nearby Friday night there would have been dead bodies all over Lincoln Financial Field. As it is...if I'm a Bengals player...the thought of Marvin "coaching harder" can't be good...

[walshfan]

I dont like the Hayes brothers.. I care much for Paul Alexander... Im not crazy about Bratkowski..

Hue Jackson and Ricky Hunley are not noted as being elite coaches in the NFL.

for all this talk about our coaching staff its seems they arent getting this team prepared properly or cant motivate them beyond complacency...

Ever watch someof these guys onthe sidelines.. the ole tap on the rump and its bac to watching the game.. how bout getting into some faces when they mess up !!!!!!!

[redsfan2]

Jason? Oh, yeah, if there had been an ax nearby Friday night there would have been dead bodies all over Lincoln Financial Field. As it is...if I'm a Bengals player...the thought of Marvin "coaching harder" can't be good...

No ... it's not going to be fun for the players ...... but you have to admit ... it's going to be fun to watch from the sidelines.

Have to do like they do at a Gallagher show tho and take ponchos and plastic bags .. so we don't get sprayed from the carnage.

[skyline]

As a Bengals fan, how could you not like this guy?

[membengal]

Well, that's certainly the reaction we all were hoping for from ML.

Here's hoping there is no more whining this week from the players are about how hard the practices are. Here's an idea for them, actually, you know, accept the instruction and hard work and get better. Just a thought.

[jjakq27]

I believe our guys have been reading their press clippings too much this preseason. They are not the type of team that can just show up and turn it on when they want to.

I get the feeling there are some distractions going on that we are not hearing about. Perhaps the PDub thing needs to be settled or there is some other issue out there.

I really thought we would be beyond this point now but until we break through and make the playoffs this is what we will get. One good game, one bad....and that equals another 8-8 season.

[walshfan]

I think Marvin needs to coach his coaches harder...

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I think Marvin needs to coach his coaches harder...

I agree. And I'm not really interested in rah rah talk or promises, just results on game days.

[alleycat]

per bengals.com

LEVI RESPONDS: LT Levi Jones confirmed Monday that he was struggling physically during Friday night’s 27-17 loss in Philadelphia with sore knees. Jones spent the first part of last season trying to recover from 2003 arthroscopic knee surgery, and had appeared to be fine this preseason until Friday night. Jones said his knees should be fine once he gets some rest. He bristled when told Lewis said he needs to play better after a game in which he got beat for a sack by backup right end N.D. Kalu.

“Just grind out your left tackle, and then put him in there, and tell him he needs to play better after that,” Jones said.

WAH,WAH,WAH... Doesn't look like this guy took any pointers/learned a damn thing from Willie last year. This screams a punching the clock, minimal effort, whoah is me attitude that I've been trying very hard to forget. If he wasn't healthy enough to play, keep your a$$ of the field. If you play, we're going to expect you to perform. But don't play then whine about it when you suck up the joint.

Time for them to start developing Stacey for the LT spot. I think I just decided who I want to keep and who I want to lose for next seasons FA resignings/extentions.