Joe Burrow has that 'it' factor, Bengals great says: 'It only comes along every so often'
Ickey Woods says Bengals 'are going to be a really good football team' for 10 to 15 years
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cincinnati Bengals great Ickey Woods had his first interaction with the franchise’s superstar quarterback Joe Burrow after Burrow led the team to a 27-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game nearly two weeks ago.
It was then Woods realized Burrow has that "it" factor. And he’s a huge reason why the Bengals will be playing against the Rams for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
"It only comes along every so often," Woods told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "You see it in the top athletes like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, and Tom Brady. It's a thing that you rarely see, and this guy has it. He has it at a young age. Most guys, it takes them five to seven years to develop it, but he has it coming out the box. He's a great talent, and we love him. For the next 10 to 15 years, the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be a really good football team."
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Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown shakes hands with former player Ickey Woods during an interview with CBS announcer Jim Nantz after the Bengals won the game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
There’s no doubt about it that Burrow and the Bengals are ahead of schedule.
Many NFL experts predicted the Bengals to finish dead last in their division, behind the Browns, Ravens and Steelers, but in just his second year as the team’s starter, Burrow led Cincinnati to its first AFC North title in six years.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, left, and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrate after the AFC championship NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. The Bengals won 27-24 in overtime. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
He also guided the Bengals to their first postseason victory in 31 years when they came away with a 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
RAMS, BENGALS HAVE ENOUGH STARS TO KEEP ATTENTION ON FIELD
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Bengals won their first road postseason game in franchise history one week later when they took down the top-seeded Titans in Tennessee, and after trailing at the half to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship, Burrow engineered a comeback for the ages to pull out the overtime win in Kansas City. Now, the Bengals will be playing in their first Super Bowl since the 1988 season.
Former Cincinnati Bengals Ickey Woods celebrates on the field after the Bengals beat the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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"It just says the guys have a 'never quit' attitude, man," Woods said. "No matter what happens in the game, these guys don't give up. They play all 60 minutes, and at the end of the game when it's over, they come out victorious on three different occasions in games where no one had them winning. It's unbelievable, man.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Especially the Tennessee game. They go down there, the Titans get Derrick Henry back, and we're still able to stop him. And then the next week, we go to the most explosive offense in the NFL, and we shut them down in the second half and hold them to three points. The halftime adjustments that they made and the things that they've been able to do in this postseason are unbelievable."