2016 NFL Wild Card Round: Steelers @ Bengals

[Kel Varnsen]

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This reminds me of the Seinfeld clip where Kramer laughingly says, "Oh, she knew what she was doing!"

 

[babedimancheff]

So now they get Landry Jones?

lol Roeth is playing. Didnt look injured to me out there at the end

 

[SO91]

lol Roeth is playing. Didnt look injured to me out there at the end

What?!?! He looked like he couldn't throw it 10 yds.

 

[nashman]

Of course the refs had a huge part phraz you don't think the game entirely changed after the blatant helmet to helmet no call then awarding Pitt the ball there too? From then on it was a total **** show! It got out of hand because the idiot refs let it get out of hand by screwing the bengals, you think they were all pissed off for no reason? You keep talking about the late burfict hit which was not nearly as bad as the spearing a guy right in the face. The whole game was chippy but after the non call on maybe the dirtiest hit of the game it spiraled because of the refs. So hell yeah I think the refs played a huge part in deciding the game! Burfict is a scumbag but he did nothing worse than Pitt was doing and gets flagged and they don't? I mean I'm not sure what you were watching but Pitt not only taking cheap shots and lots of after the play over stuff as well, yet the continue to get away with it as they have for years. I could care less about the bengals but as a long time cards fan I feel for their fans as their team gets screwed for an NFL darling!

 

[babedimancheff]

What?!?! He looked like he couldn't throw it 10 yds.

did he throw two passes? i'm pretty sure he did.
him and the WR and RB will all start next week.

 

[Bert]

Went to ASU when burfict played there, not at all surprised. He's a *******, but a very talented ******* at that. Even with a coach like BA who would more than happy to chew his ass out every day, I'm not sure you can keep his hot headedness in check once the flip is switched in his brain.

Yeah you can clearly see that with him out there on the field. It's obvious. The coaches and other guys can say whatever they want to him and he will nod his head,,, then the ball snaps and so does Vontaze. The guy genuinely seems like he has like violent, rage issues he needs to deal with.

And yes that is my expert medical opinion, lol.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yes, I'll agree with you on Burfict on those other plays, but we're talking about this one specific play dude. One play. And I'm fine with it. You're biased based on his whole body of "work", while I'm merely talking about one play. Do I like the dude? No. But that play wasn't dirty, I don't believe he meant to inure him, because had he wanted to, as you say, with an athlete's reflexes and agility, he could have put him in the hospital long term if he wanted. I think you need to look at the play from different angles quite honestly. It's one play, and that one wasn't his worst, nor did he mean to injure him (on that play). IMO that's a football play that deserved to be penalized perhaps, but isn't dirty. These offensive guys have all the advantages, and sometimes, especially over the middle, you need to put a hurt on some dudes to stop it. That doesn't mean injuring them, but hurting them for trying. That's football. I really don't have a problem with it, even though I hate that I'm defending a player like Burfict.

See, that "body of work" is why I cannot view this as anything but an obvious attempt to hurt someone. He makes a clear, full speed, lunge at the head of Brown, lowing his upper body to make it as brutal as he could. Even the local radio guys were saying this week that the Bengals should consider pulling Vonteze once the game is in hand because with all the stuff that happened this season he will be out there trying to hurt someone. Obviously... the game was not in hand so the Bengals were not going to pull him, but IMO the intent there was clear. That his was really really ugly and really avoidable. As I said, he is an agile dude, he could have stayed high, pulled up and tried to go to his left, IMO it likely would have avoided contact entirely or at the worst made for a glancing hit, but he accelerated, lunged low, to his right and went directly for Brown's ear hole.

I agree that there are situations where guys are out there to "hurt", but not "injure", IMO this was not one of those situations. The ball was gone and he targeted the opposing player's head. I think the intent to injure in that intense was as obvious as it was when he was sitting on the ground trying to pull Greg Olson's foot off last year.

I think there is some stuff that has been wussified, there was a play a few weeks back... I can't recall who we were against but we were the benefactors of a roughing the passer penalty when Palmer got hit, when I watched that play I didn't know what the defender was supposed to do different in that spot. This one with Vonteze is different, the league can't allow that stuff.

 

[NJCardFan]

Yeah you can clearly see that with him out there on the field. It's obvious. The coaches and other guys can say whatever they want to him and he will nod his head,,, then the ball snaps and so does Vontaze. The guy genuinely seems like he has like violent, rage issues he needs to deal with.

Not for nothing but his kind is nothing new. Dick Butkus was a lunatic. He admitted that he tried to permanently injure someone on every play.

 

[Bert]

Not for nothing but his kind is nothing new. Dick Butkus was a lunatic. He admitted that he tried to permanently injure someone on every play.

lol that doesn't surprise me. Seems like I've heard Dobbler say that a couple times too. Ahh the good old days. Those guys were freaking hardcore. And playing on the cheap.

 

[NJCardFan]

lol that doesn't surprise me. Seems like I've heard Dobbler say that a couple times too. Ahh the good old days. Those guys were freaking hardcore. And playing on the cheap.

Dobler never wanted to purposely injure someone but he wouldn't have balked at the idea. His deal was provoking the opposition into a penalty.

 

[Darkside]

See, that "body of work" is why I cannot view this as anything but an obvious attempt to hurt someone. He makes a clear, full speed, lunge at the head of Brown, lowing his upper body to make it as brutal as he could. Even the local radio guys were saying this week that the Bengals should consider pulling Vonteze once the game is in hand because with all the stuff that happened this season he will be out there trying to hurt someone. Obviously... the game was not in hand so the Bengals were not going to pull him, but IMO the intent there was clear. That his was really really ugly and really avoidable. As I said, he is an agile dude, he could have stayed high, pulled up and tried to go to his left, IMO it likely would have avoided contact entirely or at the worst made for a glancing hit, but he accelerated, lunged low, to his right and went directly for Brown's ear hole.

I agree that there are situations where guys are out there to "hurt", but not "injure", IMO this was not one of those situations. The ball was gone and he targeted the opposing player's head. I think the intent to injure in that intense was as obvious as it was when he was sitting on the ground trying to pull Greg Olson's foot off last year.

I think there is some stuff that has been wussified, there was a play a few weeks back... I can't recall who we were against but we were the benefactors of a roughing the passer penalty when Palmer got hit, when I watched that play I didn't know what the defender was supposed to do different in that spot. This one with Vonteze is different, the league can't allow that stuff.

I wish we could agree. I've seen the play numerous times and to me it doesn't look intentional or that bad frankly. I've seen a lot of worse hits, perhaps I'm remembering hits from the old rules or how I wish it was or whatever, I don't know.

I also think if you forget who he is, forget his history, and just view it as a play, that you wouldn't have this much venom about the play. To me, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was a stupid play, it basically lost them the game, so in my opinion, if I were his coach, I'd be more concerned with his mental status and ability to play smart. I'd tell him to still play with the same aggressiveness however, I'd tell him to still lay hits on dudes, I'd just tell him to play smarter football and consider the context of the game.

He and Suh have the same problem, they're a victim of their own history. But I'd take Suh on my team any day of the week. People hate the dude, but in the football I grew up with he'd be a beast. Suh could be even better if he were unleashed, but he's so worried about perception and political correctness and "hurting" someone that he holds back. Imagine that, one of the best d-linemen ever holding back, because he doesn't want to hurt opponents. That would never happen in the NFL I grew up with, and before my time, it surely wouldn't have entered anyone's mind, ever.

I love the NFL, but at the same time I'm disgusted with what it's become. We want dudes like Suh, for example (or Burfict) to destroy QB's, but not hit them too hard, don't rough them up too much, then we expect them to come in 5 minutes after the game in a suit and answer questions and be civilized and politically correct. That's a joke.

Has Burfict committed a crime recently? Beat his girl or damaged a child? What about Suh? If I'm building a football team, I'll take any monster on the football field I can get. And I don't want them worrying about how not to hurt someone, I want them to inflict pain. That's their job.

 

[Phrazbit]

Again, there is hurting people as part of a football play, and there is hurting people because you're a piece of crap and you want to hurt someone. Burfict is not a victim of his own history. Burfict has repeatedly done things totally apart from making "a play" and done them entirely with the intent to injure.

Suh is the same thing. And I don't think he is even remotely "holding himself back" in an effort not to hurt someone or to be PC. He also does stuff purely to injure than has nothing to do with the play. Disliking players because they stomp on opponents after the play is over isn't an issue of political correctness, its not hard nosed and it has nothing to do with football. Its just a scumbag move.

A guy gets injured because of a full speed collision and brutal tackle? I don't sit there and bemoan the dirty play. But when guys do what Suh and Burfict do, trying to maim guys after the play and off the ball... its not football, its just thuggery.

There are plenty of guys who play the style you like, who smear people, who make the opponent feel pain, who make the opponent afraid... Watt, Von Miller, Dockett, Cannon, the entire Seattle secondary. Those guys I don't sit here and bemoan them and think they're dirty. Suh and Burfict are not like them, they're both too stupid to understand the difference between being tough and being a coward who takes cheap shots. They're cheap shot taking cowards who would be viewed as such in any era.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Again, there is hurting people as part of a football play, and there is hurting people because you're a piece of crap and you want to hurt someone. Burfict is not a victim of his own history. Burfict has repeatedly done things totally apart from making "a play" and done them entirely with the intent to injure.

Suh is the same thing. And I don't think he is even remotely "holding himself back" in an effort not to hurt someone or to be PC. He also does stuff purely to injure than has nothing to do with the play. Disliking players because they stomp on opponents after the play is over isn't an issue of political correctness, its not hard nosed and it has nothing to do with football. Its just a scumbag move.

A guy gets injured because of a full speed collision and brutal tackle? I don't sit there and bemoan the dirty play. But when guys do what Suh and Burfict do, trying to maim guys after the play and off the ball... its not football, its just thuggery.

There are plenty of guys who play the style you like, who smear people, who make the opponent feel pain, who make the opponent afraid... Watt, Von Miller, Dockett, Cannon, the entire Seattle secondary. Those guys I don't sit here and bemoan them and think they're dirty. Suh and Burfict are not like them, they're both too stupid to understand the difference between being tough and being a coward who takes cheap shots. They're cheap shot taking cowards who would be viewed as such in any era.

Darkside must be trolling you at this point. I mean Burfict didn't even lower his shoulder until the ball was well out of the play and you could see his head up looking at the play the whole time. He had an eternity to get out of the way of that hit and he decided instead to lower his shoulder more to make the hit worse.

 

[sunsfan88]

I still don't get why Joey Porter, a LBs coach, was on the field during an injury timeout for the offense. And more importantly, why was he talking smack to Bengals players?

He basically provoked them and the Bengals being the immature emroional players they are, fell for it.

 

[az jam]

I still don't get why Joey Porter, a LBs coach, was on the field during an injury timeout for the offense. And more importantly, why was he talking smack to Bengals players?

He basically provoked them and the Bengals being the immature emroional players they are, fell for it.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Steelers OLB coach Joey Porter will be fined for going on the field in Saturday's Wild Card game against the Bengals.
Porter left the sidelines to check on Antonio Brown after he suffered a concussion on a late hit by Vontaze Burfict. Pacman Jones confronted Porter and was immediately flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Porter incident was just one of many bizarre events to unfold in Saturday's chaotic win.

 

[TJ]

Sounds like Burfict is going to be suspended. Good.

https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/686176101744390144

 

[juza76]

I dont like burfict but he was too close on brown to avoid him
Even brown at full speed was going with his Head on his Chest.
Burfict is a dirty player but in this case is not Clear that he tried a dirty hit,even brown was close catching the ball,and the play was too fast
Then football is a sport where contact is the essence of the game

 

[Absolute Zero]

Just watched the highlights, but didn't see the game.

Burfict was a complete idiot for the unnecessary hit on Brown. A real shame as Brown could have been very seriously injured. It also erased what otherwise looked like a solid game by Burfict with a sack and int.

Burfict said after the game that the Steelers' coach on the field was cussing at them. Rightfully so, but that's not a legitimate purpose for him to be there. There should have been flags flown on both sides for that incident, not sure how that washes out, maybe those two would have offset?

There was also a replay of a big hit on Giovani Bernard earlier in the game that forced a fumble left Bernard laying lifeless on the ground. The Steeler player #50 lowered his helmet and speared Bernard on his facemask. That looked like clear targeting, but no call there.

I didn't see the game, but just wondering whether the refs contributed to this mess by letting the targeting calls slide earlier in the game, and let it get out of hand.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I dont like burfict but he was too close on brown to avoid him
Even brown at full speed was going with his Head on his Chest.
Burfict is a dirty player but in this case is not Clear that he tried a dirty hit,even brown was close catching the ball,and the play was too fast
Then football is a sport where contact is the essence of the game

Not a chance he didn't have enough time. He didn't even start to lower his shoulder until the ball was gone and he had his head up and eyes on the play the whole way. This isn't one of those situations where the player didn't have enough time to change course or pull up. He just didn't want to do that.

 

[crisper57]

That was the most thuggish game, by both teams, I have ever seen. Everyone seemed to be playing with the intent to injure. A Burfict end to a Burfict day.

 

[Finito]

I dont like burfict but he was too close on brown to avoid him
Even brown at full speed was going with his Head on his Chest.
Burfict is a dirty player but in this case is not Clear that he tried a dirty hit,even brown was close catching the ball,and the play was too fast
Then football is a sport where contact is the essence of the game

Exactly. Do people on here who are saying otherwise understand how fast plays like that actually happen. He moved his head to the side and hit him with his shoulder that's TEXT BOOK! If he led with his helmet like Odel Beckham did or like Ryan Shazier did then you can have a legit argument but he didn't he did exactly what the NFL wants you to do. It was a clean hit I'm sorry this is football and sometimes its brutal, are you not entertained.

At this point it's just piling on Burfict.

Ryan Shazier left Giovani Bernard lifeless after a clear spear helmet to helmet hit then danced on the sideline while Bernard layed on the field. Now that was a joke. That was clearly dirty yet no flags on the steelers.

Joey Porter was not attending to Bernard he was on the field and walked into the Bengals huddle talking like Joey Porter does. He had no business there but any flags on Pittsburg?

This whole game was full of thugs both sides were wrong you can't sit here and point a finger at anyone it was just that kind of game.

This ain't ballet people

 

[schutd]

That was the most thuggish game, by both teams, I have ever seen. Everyone seemed to be playing with the intent to injure. A Burfict end to a Burfict day.

Copyright that. Now.

 

[DeAnna]

That was the most thuggish game, by both teams, I have ever seen. Everyone seemed to be playing with the intent to injure. A Burfict end to a Burfict day.

Ugly, but that's how those games go in that division. As Mashall Faulk said:

because that's how the Steelers play. Everyone in that division tries to match their ugliness.

 

[Dude]

Not a chance he didn't have enough time. He didn't even start to lower his shoulder until the ball was gone and he had his head up and eyes on the play the whole way. This isn't one of those situations where the player didn't have enough time to change course or pull up. He just didn't want to do that.

The ball was well past the WR by the time he hit him. I know people can see things deferentially but man this one looks easy. I wont call it the dirtiest hit or anything like that. Still it was clear to me in "today's" rules that was a dumb play and clearly a 15 yard personal foul. To top it off their was no need to hit him at all.

 

[az240zz]

Exactly. Do people on here who are saying otherwise understand how fast plays like that actually happen. He moved his head to the side and hit him with his shoulder that's TEXT BOOK! If he led with his helmet like Odel Beckham did or like Ryan Shazier did then you can have a legit argument but he didn't he did exactly what the NFL wants you to do. It was a clean hit I'm sorry this is football and sometimes its brutal, are you not entertained.

At this point it's just piling on Burfict.

Ryan Shazier left Giovani Bernard lifeless after a clear spear helmet to helmet hit then danced on the sideline while Bernard layed on the field. Now that was a joke. That was clearly dirty yet no flags on the steelers.

Joey Porter was not attending to Bernard he was on the field and walked into the Bengals huddle talking like Joey Porter does. He had no business there but any flags on Pittsburg?

This whole game was full of thugs both sides were wrong you can't sit here and point a finger at anyone it was just that kind of game.

This ain't ballet people

Was there ever an explanation on why Shazier wasn't flagged?