John Ross Let Bengals, Andy Dalton Down vs. Titans, Says Marvin Lewis

For the second time this week, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was openly critical of one of his players, this time calling out rookie wide receiver John Ross.

Lewis mentioned a play in the second quarter of Cincinnati's 24-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Ross slowed down while running a deep route, and Andy Dalton's pass fell incomplete—ahead of Ross—as a result.     

"For Andy, against that coverage to throw him that football, he should understand how the quarterback feels about him," Lewis said Wednesday, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That he expects him to be where he needs to be. He let his teammates down. He let me down. He let Andy down."

Lewis' comments come two days after he openly questioned why running back Jeremy Hill decided to undergo season-ending surgery on his ankle. Lewis told reporters Monday doctors believed Hill could wait until after the season to have the procedure.

Jeremy Rauch of Fox 19 in Cincinnati thought Lewis' criticism of Ross was more about his general frustration with the first-year wideout than one bad play in the second quarter of a loss:

There's no question Ross has been one of the most disappointing players from the 2017 rookie class. The No. 9 overall pick in the draft has appeared in just three games and failed to register a reception on two targets.

After Lewis essentially threw Hill under the bus, though, his comments on Ross because of a poor passing route come across as a bit excessive and may hint at further discord within the organization.