Bengals coach Marvin Lewis publicly challenged quarterback Andy Dalton and middle linebacker Rey Maualuga on Wednesday to become more forceful leaders on their 3-4 team. ''We're looking for our quarterback and our middle linebacker to take hold of our football team, and I think that's important for us,'' Lewis said. ''I think both guys are such good people, that you've got to be a little bit of a (jerk). You do. ''Andy has a great deal of confidence, self-confidence, internal confidence, confidence in the guys around him. But at some point you step out of your skin and you go. And it's time to go.'' Lewis wants Dalton to start taking a bigger role in making sure everyone on the offense is doing things correctly. ''The natural progression of it,'' Dalton said. ''As a rookie, you come in and you are meeting new people. Now, second year, it is your offense. It is your team. That is how I've got to treat it. ''He just wants some fire out there, making sure we are perfect in practice in everything we are doing. I am not too worried about what he said. It's just he expects a lot out of us.'' The coaching staff talked to him during the bye week about taking on a more prominent role. ''We're looking for Andy to take the next step of being the leader of this football team,'' Lewis said. ''A confident, vocal (leader) if it needs to be, but grab this football team by the back of its neck and let's go. Let's move forward.'' Source: Associated Press
