Sunday was unorthodox in many ways for the Cincinanti Bengals.
The team won for the first time in almost a year. Andy Dalton, newly appointed as starter again, gave a game ball to new head coach Zac Taylor and vice versa.
And running back Joe Mixon sought out a New York Jets coach by the name of Frank Pollack to gift him a game ball too as a symbol of his appreciation for how the former Bengals line coach helped change his approach to the game.
Mixon gifted him the ball he scored a touchdown with during the win over the Jets.
“I thought it meant a lot to him,” Mixon said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I could see some tears in his eyes a little bit. I’ve definitely been planning that out.”
It’s no secret Mixon wasn’t a fan of the Bengals letting Pollack get away this past offseason. When Taylor arrived, he encouraged the move while bringing aboard Jim Turner.
If nothing else, this is a small, great note lost amid a bevy of feel-good vibes for a group of players and coaches that deserved to finally win. Count Mixon as a guy who doesn’t just up and forget those who helped him on his way to where he’s going.
