Marvin Lewis Says Joe Mixon 'Should Show Maturity' amid Complaints on Usage

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has responded to rookie running back Joe Mixon's complaints about not getting the ball enough. 

Per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Lewis said Mixon needs to start showing "maturity" to play an integral role in the offense: 

“Everybody wants to be out there all the time. But we’re not going to create a run when we are down by 12 or 15 (points). We’re not going to create it. I saw a ball go on the ground when he received two balls thrown to him, which are the same situation. We got to handle it all the time the correct way, and be strong enough to not be led into questions after the game, which unfortunately he doesn’t know enough about.”

After the Bengals' 29-14 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7, Mixon was not happy with his limited role. 

“Yeah, that’s frustrating,” Mixon said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I felt like (Le'Veon) Bell got the ball 35 times. I get it seven. All in the first half then don’t touch the ball again. Jeremy got one touch in the second half. It was frustrating to us running backs. We are in the room and feel like we are a part of the offense. If it worked in the first half why not do it in the second?”

Mixon was the Bengals' leading rusher against the Steelers with 48 yards, but the team only ran the ball 17 times. The offense gained a total of 179 yards and committed two turnovers, allowing Pittsburgh to hold the ball for 35 minutes. 

For the season, Mixon leads the Bengals with 74 carries and 235 yards. His 3.2 yards per attempt ranks 43rd out of 49 running backs who qualify for the NFL's rushing title.