Quick hits: Lewis yet to talk to Brown; Tackles limping

Andre Smith hurt his knee late Sunday.


Marvin Lewis met the media again Monday still disputing a report he's leaving at the end of the season but he didn't exactly throw cold water on the possibility.


Maybe a damp towel as he insisted his future has yet to play out with an impending meeting with Bengals president Mike Brown.


Asked if he wants to return next year he said, "I want to coach football." Asked if he wants to coach here he said, "Sure. Will you make me an offer?"


That's an answer that won't help Lewis' attempt to lobby the media to "just let it die and see what happens," although he apparently told players and coaches that the report is inaccurate.


"We're really wasting time talking about this right now. Just let it die down. Let's go win these football games, and let things happen the way they do," Lewis said. "It's an unfortunate thing, because it causes a lot of people a lot of angst for no reason. It's not going to change anything that occurs. Do you know what I mean? Let's just get to the end and see what happens."


Some players and coaches weren't happy with how the story broke just before Sunday's game, but Lewis' timetable to talk to Brown seems to be Jan. 1, the day after the season.


"We're going to address next year when next year comes," Lewis said. "It's not the pertinent thing right now. The pertinent thing right now is to coach the football team. That's what my job is, and that's what I am supposed to do."


It looks like the Bengals are going to have play the last two games with new starting tackles with left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (shoulder) and Andre Smith (MCL sprain) out and they're one shy.  Veteran Eric Winston came off the bench to play the left side in the second quarter of Sunday's 34-7 loss in Minnesota, but he's more of a right tackle. One option at left tackle is left guard Clint Boling and putting Alex Redmond at left guard or leaving Winston on the left side and going with right guard Trey Hopkins kicking out to tackle with Redmond at right guard.

Quarterback Andy Dalton got pulled for the second straight week in a rout but Lewis reiterated there's nothing afoot with Andy Dalton.
"I just wanted to give AJ an opportunity to play at that point," Lewis said of the 10-minute mark. "We weren't going to win the football game, so we might as well give AJ an opportunity to play."