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Everybody feels better after winning a game, especially after a rough 2-4 start. Even if the win is against a winless team, a win is always a good thing. So what did Marvin Lewis have to offer in the way of comments after the Bengals’ victory over Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns? Let’s take a look and offer our take on his musings.
Lewis opening comments: It’s good to get back to winning football games. The production of the offense was outstanding overall...
Commentary: It’s good to play a home game against the worst team in the league.
More Lewis opening comments: Our guys did a good job to adjusting to what we were seeing, and played better in the second half of the football game...
Commentary: It is interesting that adjustments were lauded, when it took 104 rushing yards and a touchdown by backup quarterback Kevin Hogan before adjustments seemed to go into effect. And of course it is easier to speak of playing better in the second half when you are facing the Browns’ fifth string quarterback, taking the first snaps of his NFL career.
Interview question: You haven’t had a turnover in the last four games ...
Lewis response: We have to continue that. It’s huge...
Commentary: It is impressive that the team hasn’t turned the ball over in a month, but it should be a little discouraging that they are only 2-2 during that stretch. If the NFL game is truly one where the turnover battle has a great impact, only going 0.500 despite a positive turnover margin doesn’t speak well for how the team would be doing if the turnovers weren’t so lopsided in their favor.
Interview question: It looked like Shawn changed hands?
Lewis response: He had already changed hands.
Commentary: So this is one of those awkward moments when you realize that Shawn Williams is actually a relative of Mr Potato Head, able to change body parts on a whim.
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Interview question: Is there such a thing as offensive momentum?
Lewis response: I think you create momentum each day and week. You create momentum from doing things correctly and attacking. It’s about being in the right spots and making good when it’s there. You can’t have negative...
Commentary: Yes, you can create momentum. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, so if you move your mass, you will create momentum. Lewis makes an interesting point about not creating negative momentum, which is interesting, as it is unlikely to find an object with negative mass, and negative velocity could just be positive velocity in another direction.
Interview question: Is Andrew Whitworth still in concussion protocol?
Lewis response: He should be through the protocol by Thursday.
Commentary: Whitworth has said he would never play for a London team, so if he is going to miss a game, this would make sense to be the game to miss. (Editor’s note: He has cleared the concussion protocol and traveled to London.)
Interview question: What did you want to see out of Cedric Ogbuehi and Eric Winston, and did you see it?
Lewis response: We came out of it with what we wanted to see.
Commentary: Well that was an interesting non-answer. Lewis has clearly been watching too many presidential debates.
Interview question: With Ogbuehi, what advantages are there to watching on the sideline as opposed to just watching game film?
Lewis response: Game film is not today. It’s not that particular day, moment, or situation. He can study all the game film he wants, but when you’re in the heat of the moment and you’ve been through it, now you can take a step back and take a deep breath. Then you go back in and finish it out.
Commentary: It’s easier for a coach to chew Ogbuehi out in the heat of battle when he is giving up a sack, than to hammer him a day later.
Interview question: So did you get a call from Hue Jackson at 5 a.m., like you mentioned has happened sometimes in the past?
Lewis response: Nope.
Commentary: Obviously the person doing the interview doesn’t have connections to the NSA, or he could have just looked up Lewis’ phone records for himself. Although if he wants to see Lewis’ emails, without NSA connections, he will probably have to seek the Russians for assistance.