Wilfork will be up against Pouncey, who is now finishing up his second season, when their respective teams square off Sunday. (photo: jdn, Flickr)
"It’s rare that you find a center that can pull out into the open field and can block DBs and linebackers, especially up front being able to orchestrate that offensive line and getting everybody in the right position that they need to be in," Wilfork said, via Patriots.com. "... It’s hard to just know that he’s only two years in – that’s the scary thing.
"He has a very bright future ahead of him and I think those guys, they rally around him. He sets the tone for that team, that offensive line and everybody else just works around of him. ... He’s a very, very good football player and smart."
Wilfork, who has been a crucial cog on the Patriots' defensive line for nearly a decade, said preparing for a center like Pouncey is "very different" because of his exceptional pulling ability and the mystery of when he's going to do so.
"You don’t know when he’s moving, so we have to do a really good job against him and just understand that when he moves, we have to be very disciplined and playing good run technique against him because like I said, he down blocks, he pulls, he can face block you," Wilfork said.
"He can do all types of blocks. That’s tough for any opponent. We just have to do a really good job of playing good technique, good fundamentals up front with this guy."
Pouncey has been just as good in pass protection, having given up just one sack, one quarterback hit and two hurries all season, according to Pro Football Focus.
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