Pacman Jones is going to bat for Marvin Lewis on the heels of his head-scratching contract extension ... telling TMZ Sports he couldn't be happier about the Bengals coach getting 2 more years.
Pacman wasn't kidding -- saying the team's struggles are the players' fault, 100%, and calling Lewis "one of the best coaches that's EVER been in the game."
Jones even claims Marvin "saved my life" ... probably 'cause he gave him a shot when no other NFL teams would touch him.
Pacman also heaped a ton of praise on Joe Mixon and A.J. McCarron ... and generally seemed to be in great spirits even though his season ended early.
New year, new #squadgoals, right??