Quick hits: Lewis won't unlock future; Tez doubtful, Mixon questionable

If Marvin Lewis has made a call, he hasn't told his players and coaches.

Nothing new on the Marvin Lewis front when he met the media Friday one last time before Sunday's season finale (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) in Baltimore.


Lewis hasn't said publicly if his 247th game is his last as head coach of the Bengals and he apparently hasn't told anyone else, either, like his staff and players and it sounds like nothing is going to be said Saturday night or after the game. Lewis is expected to meet the media early Monday afternoon, a few hours after he meets with Bengals president Mike Brown Monday morning. What's not known is what his job status is going to be at that news conference, although published reports have Lewis leaving after 15 seasons.



But it's hard to tell because as he admitted with a laugh, "I guess I'm not sentimental," as reporters peppered him with memories. It was recalled that Mayor Charlie Luken presented Lewis a key to the city of Cincinnati at his first Paul Brown Stadium news conference on Jan. 17, 2003.


Like any guy reportedly nearing retirement age (Lewis turns 60 shortly after next year's opener), he forgot his keys.


"I was wondering where that key came from," Lewis says. "I still have it but I didn't know what it was for."
It just goes to show you how good everyone felt about Lewis' hire, approved by Bengals president Mike Brown and pushed by Brown's daughter, executive vice president Katie Blackburn, and her husband, vice president Troy Blackburn. After getting the key to the city, Lewis basically said Brown had given him the key to change things. The four players who saw that key ceremony, cornerback Artrell Hawkins, linebacker Steve Foley, defensive end Justin Smith and quarterback Jon Kinta, were all in.


"A new era," Kitna said. "All that old stuff is gone. All the old is passed away … I'm not skeptical. It seems like they are changing the way things are done."

Whether we're in for another new era now or not remains to be made official. Lewis has coached the most regular-season games (239) without winning a post-season game and he was asked if not winning one before he retired would be a reason to keep coaching. And he has said he wants to coach no matter what happens.
"If that's how it is, that's how it is," Lewis said. "I've been a part of teams that have won a lot of play-off games and your goal is to win the world's championship. We went in saying we want to win the world's championship. We didn't say let's win a play-off game. That's not the focus."

INJURY UPDATE:  As expected, left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (shoulder) was ruled out of the game and WILL backer Vontaze Burfict (shoulder) was ruled doubtful after being out all week. Running back Joe Mixon (ankle) and cornerback William Jackson (knee) went limited for the second straight day and are questionable. Everyone else went full Friday and looks good.