Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow expressed confidence in his offensive line leading up to Super Bowl 56, telling reporters earlier last week that the coaching staff had designed a strong gameplan for them to "go out and execute" against a vaunted Los Angeles Rams defensive front.
Well, that gameplan didn't save Cincinnati. Although they lost Super Bowl 56 in the final minute of the fourth quarter, their offensive line was overwhelmed throughout the game. Burrow was sacked seven times -- which tied a league Super Bowl record -- and his total of 70 sacks this season (including playoffs) ranks third-most in NFL history. The Bengals' line was inferior and a hindrance.
"This is what we knew would ultimately be the deciding factor. And they just couldn't score the ball. They really couldn't," JR said during Monday's edition of the JR SportBrief show. "Outside of Tee Higgins' 75-yard touchdown and Ja'Marr Chase making a couple of big catches, we saw some drops. We saw some instances where Burrow, they just couldn't move the ball... Joe Burrow got his ass kicked -- no surprise there.
"Didn't do enough, didn't have enough help to go out there and win the game. We'll see how the Bengals decide to improve their roster for future seasons. You've got to have Joe Burrow standing upright. Last year, he tore his knee. This year, despite being thrown around like a crash-test dummy, Joe Burrow still had success. If you want to move to that next level, now protect him. You chose Ja'Marr Chase, it paid off. Now, pick up on that line."
JR's complete thoughts on Super Bowl 56 between the Rams and Bengals can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.