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CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals have yet to end their 26-year long postseason victory drought, but quite a bit has changed within the team's culture during coach Marvin Lewis' 13-year tenure. In the wake of the embarrassing fourth-quarter collapse in the AFC Wild Card loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lewis' message to the team was simple: "Pound the Rock" -- meaning stay the course.
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"We're going about our business without trauma and drama," Lewis said. "A lot of things that I used to worry about, they no longer exist. That's a relief for everyone. We're able to focus on football and what this is all about."
To maintain that focus, Lewis and his staff are hoping the club's new "Pound the Rock" mantra will hit home.
The slogan can be seen everywhere during training camp, on T-shirts, video boards and elsewhere. Lewis said it's a message that has resonated with players in the weight room and the playing field. And, something they apply to how they conduct themselves off the field as well.
"Once last season ended ... we had to stay the course," Lewis said. "We had to continue to be physical, we had to continue to be relentless."
Despite some changes in the coaching ranks and some turnover at receiver, the overall core of the team was intact at the start of training camp.
But, for all the franchise's regular-season success I recent years, it still translates into a winless record in the playoffs under Lewis' tutelage.
Consistency can be a good thing, as Lewis says, but not stagnation.
"We've developed some really good core values here," he said.
If there's a representative in the Bengals locker room for pounding the rock, it is quarterback Andy Dalton, who finally silenced his critics with the finest season of his career in 2015, passing for more than 3,200 yards before undergoing season-ending thumb injury.
Dalton entered camp fully healthy and poised for a repeat of last year's performance. When asked what "Pound the Rock" meant to him, the veteran quarterback said, "It's about all the work you put in. It's a good way to put it."
Despite a myriad of playoff disappointments, the Bengals insist the Pittsburgh loss is behind him. Training camp began at Paul Brown Stadium with all eyes looking forward.
"We don't want to go backwards," Lewis said. "Press on."
NOTES: CB William Jackson, the Bengals' top draft pick this year, suffered a torn pectoral muscle that could be season-ending, according to a Pro Football Talk report. He left practice early on Monday but did not speak with reporters. Cornerback is among the Bengals' deepest positions, but they were hoping to bring Jackson into the fold quickly under the guidance of veterans Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick. ... H-back Ryan Hewitt on Tuesday signed a three-year contract extension through 2019. Hewitt, in his third NFL season as a physical run blocker and pass protector, has played in 31 games including 23 starts. "Ryan came to us undrafted and quickly became an integral part of our offense," Lewis said. "He's a strong and physical player. His role of doing the dirty work may go unnoticed sometimes by the public, but it is never unnoticed by his teammates or our opponents. We're excited to have him on board now for well beyond this season." Hewitt has 18 career receptions for 185 yards, a 10.3-yard average. He appeared in 15 games including 12 starts last season. WR James Wright on Monday was cleared to practice after passing his preseason physical. Wright had spent nearly two years rehabbing a knee injury suffered in November of 2014. ... CB Darqueze Dennard was cleared to practice this week, coming off a season-ending shoulder injury last season. In 37 games the past two seasons, Dennard has 37 tackles with 10 passes defensed and one interception.
