Bengals Hoping Stronger, Leaner Cordell Volson Propels Run Game Forward This Season

Cincinnati's rushing attack is expecting to be more physical this season.

Author:
Elise Jesse
Publish date:
Aug 25, 2023 7:15 AM EDT

In this story:

The Cincinnati Bengals' run game struggled for most of last season, especially early in the year. Their success rate on running plays and point per attempt was in the bottom four of the league through the first five weeks.

To be fair, the Bengals offense was forced to adjust after Cover 2 defenses kept them in check early and often through the start of 2022.

Cincinnati refused to completely abandon the run, they kept working at it and the dam broke in Week 9 against Carolina when Joe Mixon and Joe Burrow combined for five rushing touchdowns.

Fast forward to January, the Bengals were in Buffalo for the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs and they managed to rack up 172 rushing yards.

Frank Pollack and Justin Hill worked closely to set up more powerful angles for the offensive line which created space for the backs and allowed the run game to flourish.

“Justin Hill has been fantastic," Pollack said. “I’ll chime in with the backs out of practice. We do meet during the season on Wednesdays. Usually after practice we’ll watch practice and talk about what I expect the looks to be like, what I expect your cut, here’s the practice rep you got, here’s the exact look in the game that we’ve scripted for you. Sometimes the look was perfect, sometimes it wasn’t quite right, here’s what it should look like. Here’s how we are blocking it and here’s what you can expect from us.”

Mixon has been studying the run schemes that coaches have installed. At this point in his career, he has the full understanding that being on the same page with his offensive line will help them get back to the Super Bowl.

“Everybody is taking that initiative and that jump to really want to execute in the run game and the big guys up front, they’re loving it,” Mixon said. “They’re loving the run scheme right now and everybody is buying in. We are getting ready for the big year.”

Pollack has noticed a new energy and approach from Mixon in training camp this year. In fact, he's been so pleased with what he’s been seeing from the run game in training camp that it gives him chills when he talks about it.

“He’s been outstanding at understanding our angles of departure and what we are trying to do from blocking schemes up front to be able to attack where the holes are going to be even faster,” Pollack said. “It actually happens because we leave the first level or the second level fit, he’s already cutting off that second level block and it's been really good and exciting to see. In fact I was talking to Justin the other day and getting goosebumps talking about it. It’s been really well oiled so far in practice and we have to obviously carry that into the season when teams give us different looks.”

Mixon and the offensive line held their own player meetings last year as they tried to get on the same page. Heading into the 2023 season the 27-year old has even stronger bonds with the big guys up front.

“I’m a very big fan of Cordell Volson,” Mixon said. I just love everything about him. He filled in a big void last year and just since day one he’s been a pro. Since day one, he walked in and he always looks to get better. He’s always picking Ted (Karras) and Alex Cappa’s ear and just the relationship that me and him have together is a great thing.”

Future Hall of Famer?

“All praise to Cordell," Mixon continued. "He’s going to be around a long time and I believe that as long as he’s on the right track of doing what he’s doing he’s a potential Hall of Famer.”

Pollack didn't dismiss the idea, he smiled upon hearing it.

“He’s a hall-of-fame person, I know that,” Pollack said. “He’s got the right attitude for it. In his second year that’s a pretty big lofty statement. I wouldn’t be surprised though because that’s how he approaches the game. He’s got huge expectations for himself and that’s quite [a lot of] praise coming from his running back. I would not be surprised if at the end of his long career he were to end up there.”

Volson played every snap at left guard last season after the Bengals took him in the fourth round (136th overall).

The second-year lineman shook his head when he heard the Hall of Fame comments.

“Obviously it’s a huge compliment from someone who has played a lot of football in this league,” Volson said. “I can’t worry about those things, just have to take it one day at a time and the results will take care of themselves and you know hopefully in 10-12 years I can look back and make Joe proud and prove him right but that’s not what I’m focused on right now.”

Volson came into this year’s training camp with a noticeably different body than he had in his first season. At the start of training camp Volson was measured as the leanest player in the offensive line room. The 25-year old put on roughly 10 pounds of pure muscle, while boasting the lowest body fat percentage of any lineman on the roster.

“That wasn’t necessarily my goal,” Volson said. “My goal was just to be in great shape and as strong as I could be and the body fat thing just kind of happened with it.”

Pollack believes that Volson’s 2023 body composition will only elevate his play.

“He came in pretty good his rookie year and he’s even gotten better in his second year," Pollack said. "It just shows you where his mind set is right now and where he wants to take his game.”

Volson will be a big piece of Cincinnati’s success on the ground. The Bengals have been installing more RPO’s into their offense throughout camp.

Pollack wants to also see more physicality when it comes to the ground game in 2023.

"I want to see guys have more of a nastier finish mindset,” he said. “Obviously we don’t want to finish guys down to the ground in practice, but when we get the opportunity in games, we want to do that. Flipping that switch and finishing guys all the way down to the whistle and pushing these guys, keep pushing themselves and each other to do that. The run game at the end of the day a lot of it is want to and attitude and we just need to keep pushing that envelope so that’s the name of the game when you run the rock. That’s the fun stuff.”

There’s been a lot of talk this offseason about Cincinnati having a chip on its shoulder, there have also been a lot of expectations placed on the team to go out and win the Super Bowl this year from Bengals greats like Ken Anderson and Cris Collinsworth. Pollack didn’t seem to agree with the idea that a Super Bowl ring is the biggest stimulus for this squad.

“The greatest motivator you can have in pro football for anyone in the building is what I call peer pressure and not wanting to let the guy next to you down,” Pollack said. “We have that kind of organizational culture and obviously that starts with ownership and the head coach. When you’ve got that, that’s the ultimate motivation and you’ve got a chance to have some good success. I’m motivated by that. I don’t want to be that guy that lets my fellow coach down or any of the players down and I know they’ve got the same approach and mind set so that’s when you’ve got a chance. You’ve got something good when you’re motivated by that and we’ve got that kind of team.”

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