Brown normally does not talk on record to the media.

Brown terms the season a "massive disappointment from the very beginning. We feel it. We're unhappy down here. We understand why the fans are unhappy; they should be. But we're in the morass and just have to work through it. It won't be until next year that we get the chance to re-establish ourselves, and we know that, too."

Because of the team's struggles, Brown refused to give coach Marvin Lewis a vote of confidence.

"You cannot answer that question and not undercut somebody," Brown said. "If someone in my chair gives an endorsement, it's the kiss of death the moment you say it. ...

"I'm not going to say anything, other than they (Lewis and his coaching staff) are the same people who have been here for years now," Brown said. "They've had good years and years that weren't so good. But they're the same. They coach the same. They are teachers. They do their jobs as teachers the same as they did before this year. I won't criticize them for how they teach, and I'm going to stop at that."

Brown acknowledged that injuries have played a large role in sinking the Bengals' season, pointing in particular to the absence of quarterback Carson Palmer and a number of ailments among the linebacker corps.

"It is hard to have success in this league when you lose your key players," Brown said. "We're playing with literally less than half of the players we thought would be our starters when we began the season. That's mainly due to injury."