Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack knows that there are questions about how his unit will hold up against the Rams in the Super Bowl.
Joe Burrow was sacked 51 times in the regular season and 12 more times in the team’s three postseason games, which isn’t a great backdrop for facing a defense that had 55 sacks in 20 overall outings this year. Pollack can’t change those results, but he did cite a famous coach from another sport when it came to arguing that the team’s blockers have shown up when needed.
John Wooden won 10 NCAA basketball titles while at UCLA and Pollack, who will be leading his unit through practices at the school this week, cited him while backing his players.
“John Wooden had the greatest quote of all-time about the pyramid of success,” Pollack said, via the team’s website. “Atop the pyramid is competitive greatness. And that is defined as being your best when your best is needed. Our guys have been at their best when their best was absolutely needed. At the end of the Tennessee game, in the final drive the pass protection was flawless. In overtime in Kansas City, it was real exciting to see our guys take over the trenches and run the ball. And let Joe Mixon carry the rock downhill and get close for the field goal. That was exciting.”
There’s no better time for players to come up with their best effort than the Super Bowl, so the Bengals will be hoping that their time on Wooden’s campus leads to similar results.
