Arkansas Bengal Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Bengals should be concerned about Burfict September, 19, 2014 Sep 19 5:00 PM ET By Coley Harvey | ESPN.com CINCINNATI -- Vontaze Burfict should not play Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Tennessee Titans at Paul Brown Stadium. There. It's been said. Because the third-year Pro Bowl player was listed as doubtful on the Bengals' injury report released Friday, chances already were strong that he wasn't going to suit up. Still, since he wasn't declared as "out" for the game, the possibility that he could play one week after suffering his second concussion of the two-week-old season exists. It shouldn't. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told reporters Friday that Burfict was still under concussion protocol and that he would continue to get evaluated over the weekend. Although Burfict didn't practice at all this week, he could end up playing as long as he clears the protocol. He's one of those rare players who the Bengals would let play even if he didn't practice in the few days leading up to a game. The fact Burfict wasn't allowed to take a step on the Bengals' practice fields seems to suggest he won't come off the protocol by 1 p.m. ET Sunday. But you never know. It's one thing to have concussions. They are part of football. They are going to happen. But it's altogether when concussions come seven days apart. On Monday, during his news conference following the Bengals' 24-10 win against Atlanta, Lewis said he couldn't be concerned with Burfict's status. At the time, it was still believed Burfict had a simple stinger. He left in the third quarter of last Sunday's game after his head collided with teammate Emmanuel Lamur's knee. Specifically, Lewis was referring to how the team had to put more focus on preparing for life without the intimidating tackler instead of dwelling on his injury. "We have to play with what we've got," Lewis said Monday. "Vontaze will have to overcome whatever he has, and we'll keep moving on. It's football." But here's why there should be some concern about Burfict. Concussion science is far from exact, but at this stage it's better to err on the side of caution given how close together his concussions happened. With the heightened focus the NFL has placed on its concussion policy, it just seems odd that a player on concussion protocol would even be able to entertain thoughts of playing the week after suffering a concussion. The following is from a lengthy conversation about head injuries Friday with ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell. "When you suffer that type of injury a second time so closely after the first time," Bell said, "it raises the level of concern." That makes sense. So does this in response to a question regarding the benefit of resting Burfict this week ahead of next week's bye. "No doubt the bye week is beneficial, but it does not guarantee that he will suddenly be back in Week 5," Bell said. "These things evolve at their own rate and each one is unique. Even the same name of injury to the same athlete can have a very different presentation that second time." Meaning, just because Burfict had a concussion in one spot of his brain at Baltimore in Week 1, it doesn't mean he suffered one in the exact same spot last week against Atlanta. It also means he's far from a lock to play Week 5 at New England. Bell's best advice for us all, Burfict included? "To sit back and see how it evolves." If the Bengals care about having a comparatively healthy Burfict by the end of the season, they won't play him this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble In the Jungle Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 I am very concerned. Did you guys see him after that hit against Atlanta. He looked real WOOZY! I mean real bad. Not sure about this and I am no Doctor but the dude shouldn't play for at least 4-5 games to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungletiger Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Hell be on the sideline if Marvin is smart and I think he's smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_dish Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 He should be on the sideline for the next game. The shitty thing is, is that as a fan of all cincinnati sports, is basically a given that when your team (NCAA,MLB, NFL) is on the cusp of greatness, the gods make sure to take away our best players. Here's to hoping he shakes this off by the bye and is healthy (along with other top players) the rest of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|schotzee| Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Lewis probably already very well knows he won't play him no matter what. That doesn't mean he should give Tennessee an earlier heads up than they need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalBacker Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Lewis probably already very well knows he won't play him no matter what. That doesn't mean he should give Tennessee an earlier heads up than they need. Absolutely. No way in Hell he's playing this week, and no way in Hell Marvin's going to come out and say that until he has to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Hell be on the sideline if Marvin is smart and I think he's smart. I think everyone agrees he's out until at least after the bye. But Marvin watched him stagger off the field after hitting Ryan and let him back in the game. Just sayin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarkster Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Bottom line: It was a damn stupid move to try and play him last week no matter what the sorry protocols said. Any time a guy is as woozy as he was coming off the field the first week should sit the next week no matter what. There's your mother fucking protocol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble In the Jungle Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 The shitty thing is, is that as a fan of all cincinnati sports, is basically a given that when your team (NCAA,MLB, NFL) is on the cusp of greatness, the gods make sure to take away our best players. Here's to hoping he shakes this off by the bye and is healthy (along with other top players) the rest of the way. I honestly am starting to believe that the football GODS are really starting to like us and are rooting for us. What makes me believe that is early in the season when the schedule came out, almost all of us hated the early By. But guess what? Everything happens for a reason. The football GODS picked that for us so that we can get healthy early and steam roll the rest of the season all the way to the Superbowl! That's my story and I am sticking to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Bottom line: It was a damn stupid move to try and play him last week no matter what the sorry protocols said. Any time a guy is as woozy as he was coming off the field the first week should sit the next week no matter what. There's your mother fucking protocol. :41: The "independent neurologist" is obviously more league bullshit. I might have a little faith in them if the NFLPA was paying for them. If I'm not mistaken the players get their insurance through their union, so the docs might be less encouraged to base their diagnosis on jersey sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble In the Jungle Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgeI3qHfgU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8jRRBLuxZ0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randle P McMurphy Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 He definitely needs to sit until after the bye week and then some. I'd wait until at least week 6 against the Panthers. That would be close to a month (Falcons game Sept. 14th/Panthers Oct. 12th). We'll need him more against the Panthers than we will against the Patriots. At least in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|schotzee| Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 I think everyone agrees he's out until at least after the bye. But Marvin watched him stagger off the field after hitting Ryan and let him back in the game. Just sayin Trainers are paid to do a job too. Its not like they said don't put him back in and Marv overruled them . Just saying.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Trainers are paid to do a job too. Its not like they said don't put him back in and Marv overruled them . Just saying..Marvin is the leader. He has 2 eyes and watched his ass woozy coming off the field. After suffering a concussion the week before. Don't need a trainer to figure that out. Just sayin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The PatternMaster Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 This team needs Vontaze on the field but considering they just invested millions into him for the future they should be smart with their investment. Vinny Rey played well last year when Maualuga got hurt, I expect him to step up now and play well this week when Vontaze is hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvilleBengal Posted September 21, 2014 Report Share Posted September 21, 2014 It's nice to believe that we will do the right thing and sit him down for this game and let him rest up. But reality shows that we are 2-0 and that even though we are this early into the season, we still need to be a close to full strength and stay ahead of the rest of the league.....we drop a game because certain people are out, that may be the reason between watching fhe playoffs from home and actually playing in them. Thankfully we do have people that can play in their place while people are out. It's one of the reasons that I'm very happy to have Vinny Rey on the team as well. While Burfict can rest up, Rey can pick up the slack, and by his performance last year, it definitely is a good reason that we have options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrid Posted September 21, 2014 Report Share Posted September 21, 2014 The thing that makes it tough for everyone involved is you have to rely on what the player is telling you. This isn't like a broken bone where the doctors can take an X-Ray. A huge part of the concussion protocol is based upon what the player is saying to the doctors about whether he has a headache or any of the other symptoms. A player like Burfict is so tough and wants to be out there so bad, I doubt he has been or will be fully honest with the docs. I think this is maybe where some of the reports of a "stinger" came from. Burfict came out and told the doc that is what it was so that he could get back in the game. All in all, I suspect that Burfict will be back by the Pats game. I can't see him holding himself out longer (and he has a lot of power since so much of this is self reported). Vontaze wants to get back. I just hope it is enough time that he isn't at a much higher risk going forward. His agent and friends/family need to be in his ear telling him to be fully honest and don't try to rush things if he is still having symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted September 21, 2014 Report Share Posted September 21, 2014 He won't play. The league has probably already made a call into the front office explaining how they are already out 100s of millions due to not taking concussions seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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