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Adam Jones: Bengals kicked Steelers' butts in playoffs

Bengals cornerback Adam Jones couldn't fully enjoy his offseason -- not if the team's white-knuckle playoff loss to the Steelers was on tape somewhere near by.

"We kicked they ass the whole game; that's all I can say," Jones said Thursday, via ESPN.com. "And it hurt me to my heart that we let it go like that.

"(But) it's over with. It's in the past."

Jones added: "We're going to be motivated anyway because we want to get out of the first round. So whoever it'll be, when we get there, hopefully we can take out all our frustration and anger on the field, and keep it on the field and win the game. We'll see."

While this won't necessarily be a popular opinion, seeing a player like Jones so driven and committed to bringing the Bengals another round deeper into the playoffs makes us appreciate head coach Marvin Lewis even more. We ask coaches to build a culture and bring along players that other coaches could not or did not, and Jones is a shining example of what Lewis was able to over his time in Cincinnati.

Now Jones will be instrumental in Lewis' next act: Rebuilding the team after losing its No. 2 and 3 wide receivers, offensive coordinator and Pro Bowl safety. There is change every offseason, but the Bengals are approaching the type of hurdle that can bring down even the best of infrastructures.