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Vontaze Burfict with another cheap shot on Antonio Brown. It was very similar to the penalty he was called for in the playoffs a few years ago. Mindbogglingly the officials missed it. Lets see if the league office gives him the LENGTHY suspension he deserves.
Given that the officials missed the spot on what should have been James Conner’s third TD and the Steelers ended up settling for a field goal, I don’t think the Bengals have any right to be complaining.
I’d say that calling offensive pass interference there technically wouldn’t be wrong, according to the rules, but it would be weak as hell. The defender engaged the receiver as well. The receiver has a right to be there. Actively blocking or not, I don’t think it made a difference. He didn’t affect the play any more than he would have if he’d simply stood in the way. Great play and great no-call by the officials.
You should really be focusing on the Vontaze Burfict cheapshot(s) and speculate as to why he wasn’t flagged.
Hbk314 – Steelers homer much? Did you call for Smith Schuster to get a LENGTHY suspension after a cheap crack back block to concussion burfict? Or a suspension/fine when he and martavis Bryant CELEBRATED another players injury by reenacting that illegal hit a couple weeks later? Or two Steelers admitting they tried to injure bengals after shaziers self inflicted injury. Pot calling kettle black…..
Given Burfict’s history and the fact that this was a clear example of headhunting, a post-appeal suspension of at least five games is clearly warranted. He’s already been suspended twice for three games each time for illegal hits. He clearly hasn’t learned anything. If the NFL were serious about player safety, and not just QB safety, Burfict wouldn’t even be allowed to play anymore. He’s had countless documented instances where he’s intentionally tried to injure players.
Because he had no prior history, Smith-Schuster getting suspended for that block was a joke. Primary contact was to Burfict’s chest. The taunting afterwards was worse than the hit itself. Iloka’s hit on Brown later in the end zone was worse.
Why would someone be suspended for a celebration? Cite a source on Steelers admitting to trying to injure Bengals.
Since the officials “call what they see” perhaps they “saw” the defender engage #11 first?
It’s just odd to see this page actually say that a call cost a team the game when almost every week the response is “it was close” or “hard to defend that call” but THIS one gets the full on “bad/missed call” treatment.
Weird.
https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/11/bud-dupree-admits-he-was-trying-to-get-revenge-for-ryan-shazier-injury-not-knowing-what-happened/ hows that for a source? Also, it was celebrating the injuring of another football player. Celebrating the deliverance of a concussion in a time when the NFL is supposed to be taking a rigid stance to protect the players. As you said, if the nfl was serious about player safety, this would have been taken more seriously. To me, the taunting and the celebration are worse than the hit. In the heat of a play players will do things they probably shouldn’t – play too hard is a common phrase. But taunting and celebrating injury? That’s beyond the whistle and is a problem. So you can claim burfict is dirty@ takes cheap shots, etc. But be a man about it and admit the same failings on members of your own team.
The Glenn – I think it is because he is blocking 5 yards down the field as the ball is thrown. And that it was a last second touchdown that literally won the game for the steelers. There would have been time for a quick play to make for a shorter field goal but the correct call would have put the Steelers on the 41 with 10 seconds left. 59 yard field goal when boswell’s career long is 53. Did it cost the bengals the game? Maybe, but they could have won it before then. They made mistakes too. But this play WON the game for the Steelers when it should have been called back.
Five yards down the field? Try less than two.
As I already said, he wasn’t holding the defender or really doing anything more than getting in the way. He has a right to his position and the defender would have had to magically go through him to be able to make a play on Brown. Plus the defender chose to engage Hunter. That’s likely why it wasn’t called. Letting the players play instead of calling some ticky-tack nonsense.
What about the missed spot right in front of the official on what should have been Conner’s third TD? That would have given the Steelers a 21-14 lead instead of the 17-14 lead they had.
If he was holding the defender that would be holding, not pass interference. Also, anything over 1 is too far by rule. And for reference, the defender was being blocked at the 27.5 yard line when brown caught the ball. 3.5 yards > 1 yard.
You state that a receiver “has a right to his position” – however, that doesnt include blocking downfield on a forward pass. As to the spot of the ball on Connors run, that is reviewable and Tomlin could have challenged it. That he didnt is his fault.
Uh, with a handle like “Pittsburgh Squealers” I’m not sure you are COMPLETELY unbiased…lol.
Anyway, like I said the defender initiated contact.
https://twitter.com/Steelersdepot/status/1051630541957607424
I would agree, the defender may have initiated contact on his way to attempt to get past him to brown. But regardless, it is a downfield block while the ball is in the air.
As to the name, I never claimed to be unbiased. I have not absolved my team of wrongdoing or blamed the loss completely on the officials. But to say that burfict is the only villian in these matchups is ludicrous. Also, this is hardly the first matchup between these two in recent years in which the officiating clearly favored the Steelers. And before my sources are questioned again….. https://700wlw.iheart.com/onair/lance-mcalister-7818/vines-hold-on-a-second-15117710/
How does A Team go completely through an entire game with Zero penalties ? Bias or eyes turned another way ? The deciding play in the NE/KC game D Ford was Tackled by the left tackle and no call ? Look at the replay ? Previously On a catch that Gronk caught earlier the Left tackle was 2 yards down field blocking the guy that was covering Gronk. Last I knew OL can’t block down field unless the throw is behind the line of scrimmage. Tis throw was clearly 10 or more yards down the field. Bias calling has got to stop ! Hard to believe an NFL team in this day and age has ZERO penalties called against them. Sorry no team is that good
Al Riveron, shocklingly, explains this play perfectly. The defender initiates the contact. The receiver doesn’t actually extend his arms to block until after Brown has the ball. Those who disagree with the explanation seem to think a defender can run into a receiver and generate an OPI call. The receiver has a right to be there. If there’s another player in the way, the defender needs to go around, not through, that player. Great no-call that would have destroyed a beautifully executed play for no reason.
As far as your link, where are all the Vines of Bengals players holding Steelers? Or similar plays by only the Bengals being penalized? Your link, as posted, is meaningless. And to suggest the officiating clearly favored the Steelers today is laughable. When did the Bengals have a TD taken away by a bad spot? Which Steelers defender committed a blatant cheap shot in an attempt to injure, yet wasn’t penalized by the officials?
Obviously these two teams don’t like each other, but Burfict is in a league of his own as far as dirty play goes. He’s been suspended three games for on-field his twice. The play today is, from the perspective of Burfict’s actions, the same as the play that got him suspended three games in the playoffs. After his inevitable appeal, anything less than a five game suspension would be laughable, and would prove the league is only out to protect QBs.
Hbk314 – your continued reliance of one missed spot call (WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED) to show refs screwed the Steelers as well is laughable. The play question: if the receiver had attempted, even halfheartedly, to LOOK like he was running route, I would agree. Al riveron is a joke and defends phantom roughing the passer calls with vigor. I dont know what it would take for him to actually admit a mistake by an officiating crew.
The holding calls in the vine are some of the most blatant holds I’ve ever seen – your tight end legitimately tackled the defender in one. Did you actually look at them or are you just preferring to hold firm to the fairy tale story that the refs called this game fairly?
As to Steelers defenders taking cheap shots, there is a laundry list over the years, from Hines ward to juju. garvin, mike Mitchell, etc. And no comment on the link where 2 of your linebackers admitted intentionally trying to hurt bengals players after shazier managed to hurt HIMSELF?
Have your beliefs but dont use childish blinders – your team has had more than its share of dirty hits in this series.
And Riverboat Al, who I have little love for, said exactly what I said and is taking a lot of crap from this site’s owners for his interpretation.
Based on the responses I’m thinking they are non-Steelers fans.
This game was clearly called fairly.
I watched some of them. If you could actually watch them on the page linked without having to go to each one separately, I might have watched more. Of the one’s I did watch, the vast majority were proper no-calls. And, as I’ve already said and you ignored, none of them are relevant without videos of the Bengals doing the same thing and being called for it.
There was no link with two linebackers admitting to intentionally trying to hurt Bengals players. You posted a link where one “wanted revenge” for a small portion of the game. No comparison to Burfict. Hines Ward taking out Keith Rivers? was a football play. No comparison to Burfict. Juju’s play was a football play and primary contact was a shoulder to the chest. No comparison to Burfict. The only one I’d give you at this point is the hit that broke Huber’s jaw. That was obviously unnecessary.
Burfict, on the other hand, has countless examples of attempts to injure players on the field with non-football actions. Twice charging shoulder first for Antonio Brown’s head, his hit on Anthony Sherman which was worse than the Steelers’ hit on Huber, countless other cheap shots and ankle twists. The guy shouldn’t be in the league any more. He’s that bad, and that much worse than anyone else in football.
Try actually responding to the points I make next time.
Did I ever say that burfict was innocent? No, I didnt. I would just like to not hear that he is the only dirty player in this series. Mike Mitchell launched himself routinely at AJ greens head.
And that “egregious” hit on Sherman? It was exactly what you are trying to defend with JuJu. It was a shoulder to the chest. Then it slipped up. It was a legal hit 3 years ago. Quit whining like a baby because someone on the bengals throws steeler football back at you.
Except Smith-Schuster’s play was a football play and Burfict’s hit on Sherman was him lining up an easy target.
And avoid the childish personal attacks. Thanks.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the hit on Sherman was a receiver crossing the middle of the field within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Isnt that a football play? At least until a year or two ago? It used to take guts and courage to be a receiver crossing the middle because you got lined up by linebackers, just as burfict did. However, his hit was too high. Crackback blocks are not a football play and have been penalties for a long time. So, which is more of a football play?
Perhaps saying you were whining was going too far. However, you have to see the hypocrisy in your defense of one illegal play vs another, and not seeing that dirty players dont just wear 55.
No, blocking someone who could potentially make a play on the runner is a football play. Taking out a receiver running a route is not.
Im still confused over Trey Burtons offensive pass interference call in the endzone. How was that PI but the steelers bengals play wasnt? Cost the bears a touchdown and the next play they threw an interception which led to a td for the dolphins.
Mlynch73 – the reason for your confusion is because the refs missed the call in the Bengals/Steelers game and tried to save face vs admitting an error. The bears/dolphins was the correct call.