Bengals running back Joe Mixon is tired of losing.
The Bengals, who opened the season with an impressive 4-1 start, have been in a tailspin since, losing four of five games. While a couple of those were blowout losses to the Saints and Chiefs, Cincinnati lost by a touchdown to the Steelers, and Sunday lost by three to the Ravens. And their only win in that stretch, a 37-34 victory over the struggling Buccaneers, was hardly decisive. Tampa Bay outscored the Bengals 18-3 in the fourth quarter in a comeback that fell just short.
SIGN UP to watch every NFL game and RedZone during the 2018 season on DAZN
Mixon told Elise Jesse of Cincinnati's WLWT the team needs a new mindset.
"I'm tired of playing not to lose, rather than playing to win," Mixon said. "We just got to go out there, and we got to go win. We've just got to do it instead of just keep talking about it. Just go put it out there and go win."
Mixon didn't point the finger at coach Marvin Lewis or teammates for the attitude issue, but he's clearly frustrated.
The Bengals have a good chance to regain some momentum Sunday when they host Cleveland. While the Browns are definitely not the homecoming-game-type opponent they've been the past couple of seasons, they're 3-6-1 and winless (0-4) on the road this season. The Bengals are a 3-point favorite.
Mixon had a rough outing against the Ravens, with 12 carries for 14 yards and a touchdown. But the second-year back has played well this season, with 761 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in eight games.