CINCINNATI BENGALS Coach simmers down, but still unhappy the day after

His players are still shocked by Marvin Lewis' postgame rant.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- This is a side of Marvin Lewis that his players didn't know.
Angered by his team's inability to get it right for an entire game, the Cincinnati Bengals coach erupted in the locker room following a 19-14 loss to Pittsburgh.
He screamed so loud that his voice carried through massive closed doors and walls. He poured out his frustrations for the first time in a tirade that took some of his players by surprise.
"I've never seen him like that," receiver Chad Johnson said.
No bright side
A day later, Lewis had toned down his anger but not his impatience. The second-year coach who prefers to accentuate the positive was in no mood to look for silver linings.
"They know my point," Lewis said Monday. "We've got to do better. We're not going to settle for playing close. We can do better and we will do better."
Asked if his anger had subsided, Lewis forced a broad smile and a chuckle to mask his feelings, then waited five full seconds before answering.
"We'll see," he said.
What brought his anger to a boil? A loss that was vintage Bengals, one that effectively scuttled any hope of making the playoffs. A victory over the Steelers would have moved them back to .500; instead, they fell by the wayside at 4-6.
Somber players
The mood was grim Monday at Paul Brown Stadium, where players filed out of meetings quietly and headed home. Lewis' harangue had hit home.
"Marvin's absolutely right," said quarterback Carson Palmer. "We're a better team than we showed. We're a better team than 4-6."
Only in spurts. And that's what has Lewis so steamed.
The Bengals outplayed the Steelers (9-1) at the outset, taking a 14-10 lead into halftime. It could have been even better -- Pittsburgh's only touchdown came when Palmer's interception was returned by linebacker James Farrior for a touchdown.
Even though Palmer is in his first season as a starter, he's far enough along in his development that he should have known better.
"I've played 10 games now and got the rust off and seen a lot of different coverages and a number of good defenses," Palmer said. "I'm still going to grow and learn, but there's no excuse for throwing an interception for six points."
Terrible after halftime
And there's no explanation for how the entire team melted down in the second half -- seven penalties for 75 yards, only two first downs and 42 total yards.
That's what set Lewis off. His players once again lost their poise with a game on the line and wound up frittering it away.
In the past, a close loss would have been cause for optimism that things were turning around. Until Sunday, Lewis had remained upbeat even in the toughest times.
All of that has changed. Lewis is no longer in the mood to look on the bright side.
"We lost the football game," he said Monday. "There is nothing that I'm satisfied about. We lost."