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Vontaze Burfict: 'I have to change' my style of play


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Vontaze Burfict: 'I have to change' my style of play

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  • By Kevin Patra
  • Around the NFL writer
  • Published: Feb. 23, 2016 at 07:38 a.m.
  • Updated: Feb. 23, 2016 at 08:07 a.m.
 
 
 

Vontaze Burfict knows his style of play needs to change.

The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker is suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season, following multiple violations of the player-safety policy. The latest incident came in the AFC Wild Card round on a high hit to the head that resulted in a concussion to Pittsburgh Stealers wide receiver

Burfict told ESPN's Josina Anderson on Monday that he understands his style of play must change.

"Like I told coach (Marvin Lewis), I wish I could take that play back because I probably would've hit him low," Burfict said. "I don't like hitting low, but I have to change because it's getting flags because I hit him high or hit him in the helmet, and it's so hard to determine where to hit the offender because they're gonna tuck their body, and you have to pretty much tuck with them."

Added Burfict: "I tried to pull up at the last second, but it was obviously too late -- it's a bang-bang play."

The 25-year-old believes refs are singling him out due to his reputation.

"I play hard. Sometimes it gets me in trouble," he said. "My style of play is aggressive, and (the game has) changed, and I have to change with it, and that play right there, I think if I wasn't number 55, I wouldn't have got flagged."

That reputation Burfict believes he's being picked on for was built on multiple infractions of the player-safety policy, including being fined for twisting the ankles of both Cam Newton and Greg Olsenafter the play in 2014. Burfict entered the NFL with red flags that dropped an early-round talent completely out of the draft in 2012.

Perhaps after multiple fines and suspensions, the lessons will finally stick.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000637756/article/vontaze-burfict-i-have-to-change-my-style-of-play?campaign=Twitter_atn

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Vontaze Burfict: 'I have to change' with game

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1:54 AM ET
  • ESPN.com news services

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict told ESPN's Josina Anderson in an interview Monday that he needs to change his style of play, but he probably would not have been flagged for his hit to the head of Pittsburgh Stealers wide receiver Antonio Brown in the wild-card round if his reputation hadn't preceded him.

"Like I told coach [Marvin Lewis], I wish I could take that play back because I probably would've hit him low," Burfict said in his first public comments about the incident. "I don't like hitting low, but I have to change because it's getting flags because I hit him high or hit him in the helmet, and it's so hard to determine where to hit the offender because they're gonna tuck their body, and you have to pretty much tuck with them."

"I think if I wasn't number 55, I wouldn't have got flagged," Vontaze Burfict said of the unnecessary roughness penalty he received for his hit on Antonio Brown. AP Photo/Gary Landers

Burfict was suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season for repeated violations of player-safety rules, with the league citing his hit on Brown as the tipping point. Burfict hit Brown after Brown couldn't catch a high pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 22 seconds remaining in an AFC wild-card game. Burfict received an unnecessary roughness penalty, and Brown suffered a concussion on the play. Brown did not play the following week in Pittsburgh's AFC divisional-round loss to the Denver Broncos.

The suspension was upheld earlier this month following an appeal, sources told ESPN.

Burfict told Anderson that he takes responsibility for the hit, which was part of the ugly ending that resulted in Cincinnati's exit from the playoffs.

"I tried to pull up at the last second, but it was obviously too late -- it's a bang-bang play," Burfict said.

Schedule Of Fines

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This is Vontaze Burfict's first suspension, but he has a past littered with fines:

* 2015 Week 17: $50K for unnecessary contact of an opponent who was out of play vs. Ravens
* 2015 Week 14: A total of $69,454 for roughing the passer, face mask and unnecessary roughness penalties
* 2014 Week 6: $25K for twisting the ankles of Cam Newton and Greg Olsen
* 2013 Week 8: $21K for hitting Stephen Hill with the crown of his helmet
* 2013 Week 6: $7,875 for a face mask penalty vs. the Bills' Fred Jackson
* 2013 Week 3: A total of $31K for a hit on a defenseless player and striking an opponent in the groin

-- ESPN Stats & Information

The linebacker acknowledged that he has developed a negative reputation around the league, and he said that has an effect on how penalties are called.

"I play hard. Sometimes it gets me in trouble," he said. "My style of play is aggressive, and [the game has] changed, and I have to change with it, and that play right there, I think if I wasn't number 55, I wouldn't have got flagged."

Burfict has been flagged for personal foul penalties 16 times in the regular season and postseason since he entered the league in 2012. He was the most heavily fined player in the chippy Dec. 13 meeting between the Bengals and Stealers. Seven players from the teams drew fines amounting to nearly $140,000, but Burfict had to pay nearly half that in his three fines for three incidents in the game.

In another incident that drew criticism, Burfict was fined $25,000 for twisting the ankles of Cam Newton and Greg Olsen in 2014.

Sources previously told ESPN that Burfict met earlier this month with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his on-field behavior and steps he could take to avoid disciplinary action in the future. Burfict, his agents and Lewis were at the meeting with Goodell and NFL executive VP Troy Vincent.

Despite his streak of penalties, Burfict remains one of Cincinnati's top defensive players. He recorded 74 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in 10 games the past season.

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14828063/vontaze-burfict-cincinnati-bengals-says-change-style-play

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Refreshing to hear Vontaze Burfict admit his style of play must change

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7:25 AM ET
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    Coley HarveyESPN Staff Writer

CINCINNATI -- Anytime a person can take ownership of their actions and publicly admit when they may have been wrong, they should be applauded.

Vontaze Burfict deserves a few hand claps this week.

It was refreshing to finally hear the Cincinnati Bengals linebacker go on record late Monday and discuss the chaotic, penalty-filled play that led in part to his team's collapse in the final seconds of last month's playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Stealers. A hit with his shoulder to the helmet of Stealers receiver Antonio Brown drew a personal foul penalty and gave Brown a concussion that kept him out of Pittsburgh's next playoff game the following week in Denver.

It was while Brown was being helped off the field by trainers when Bengals cornerback Adam Jones drew his own 15-yard flag for making contact with an official while trying to go after Stealers assistant Joey Porter. The 30 yards of penalties pushed Pittsburgh into range for a short winning field goal. The elusive postseason victory the Bengals have chased the past 25 years was virtually within grasp.

Since that loss, Burfict has thought often about his actions. He told ESPN's Josina Anderson in Monday's interview that he wished he could take back the hit on Brown "because I probably would've hit him low."

What he said next was most significant.

"I don't like hitting low, but I have to change, because it's getting flags because I hit him high or hit him in the helmet," Burfict added. He also pointed out that in bang-bang scenarios like the hit on Brown -- which came a split-second after a high pass sailed incomplete over Brown's head -- it can be hard for defenders to determine where legally to hit an offensive player because of how they sometimes tuck their bodies, like what happened in this incident.

Still, Burfict recognizes, much like the league has recognized, that changes to the way he plays must come. In 50 regular-season and postseason games since entering the league in 2012, Burfict has drawn 16 personal foul penalties. Clearly his style of play has adversely affected his team. Cincinnati will be without its star linebacker for three games at the start of next season because he was suspended. The NFL had already been paying closer attention to Burfict before the hit on Brown in a nationally televised game.

When Burfict's suspension was originally announced last month, he was essentially being told, "clean up or else."

"I play hard. Sometimes it gets me in trouble," Burfict told Anderson. "My style of play is aggressive, and [the game has] changed, and I have to change with it."

Pause it right there. Again, he used the word "change." And again, he says change must come from him.

Stealers linebacker James Harrison recognized he needed to change his style of play after drawing fines and suspensions a few years ago, and Burfict stands at a similar crossroads.

When Burfict returns in late September, he will finally be able to show the changes he has made. For now, though, give him credit for recognizing they must come.

 

(Video in the link) http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/21592/refreshing-to-hear-vontaze-burfict-admit-his-style-of-play-must-change

 

 

 

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I would give a big shout out to Burfict's agent for getting him that interview.  Strong move.

Still, I don't buy in to two things.  1.  He didn't have time to pull up.  I think he did.  He could have easily not hit him.  He slowed down and lowered his shoulder.  2.  He doesn't mention how he needs to calm down.  Uncontrolled emotions are what have been hurting him since his time at ASU.  He seemed to have developed some humility after not getting drafted, but now that he is big time his emotions are ruling him again.  Refs definitely make more calls on guys who are always causing problems with scrums and endless trash talking.  He has earned his reputation with the things he has done over the years.  I hope he does make changes.  He's too talented to become a side show.

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"I need to show the NFL that I understand I don't get to play by the same rules as #teamslikethepatriots.  If by some mistake I should be in another playoff game, I will make sure to let the star receiver make the game-winning catch so the sports media doesn't have to call me a sociopath until I apologize on national TV for playing football. Good luck with your lawsuits. "

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I would give a big shout out to Burfict's agent for getting him that interview.  Strong move.

Still, I don't buy in to two things.  1.  He didn't have time to pull up.  I think he did.  He could have easily not hit him.  He slowed down and lowered his shoulder.  2.  He doesn't mention how he needs to calm down.  Uncontrolled emotions are what have been hurting him since his time at ASU.  He seemed to have developed some humility after not getting drafted, but now that he is big time his emotions are ruling him again.  Refs definitely make more calls on guys who are always causing problems with scrums and endless trash talking.  He has earned his reputation with the things he has done over the years.  I hope he does make changes.  He's too talented to become a side show.

He may not have pulled up, but the angle he was coming at him and the free shot he seemingly had, he could have absolutely ended Antonio Brown.  In that regard, I think he did pull up, something Mike Mitchell does not.

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Tez will adapt. It'll take time. Hitting low is not his technique, because just as he's shown in that playoff game. Very few men can bring down Big Ben by themselves up high. Tez is that exception. Now he has to learn to aim low. The NFL may regret that they asked him to do this. He is one hard-hitting son of a bitch so bring on the body bags if he's going for your knees. I hope the hell it bell.

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Tez will adapt. It'll take time. Hitting low is not his technique, because just as he's shown in that playoff game. Very few men can bring down Big Ben by themselves up high. Tez is that exception. Now he has to learn to aim low. The NFL may regret that they asked him to do this. He is one hard-hitting son of a bitch so bring on the body bags if he's going for your knees. I hope the hell it bell.

No...the WWENFL has that covered too--go too low, and you get flagged too. The only way to "tackle" in this farce of a sport, is to aim only for the abdomen. But certainly the competition committee will the say there are too many tummy aches around, and make that area illegal too.

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"I need to show the NFL that I understand I don't get to play by the same rules as #teamslikethepatriots.  If by some mistake I should be in another playoff game, I will make sure to let the star receiver make the game-winning catch so the sports media doesn't have to call me a sociopath until I apologize on national TV for playing football. Good luck with your lawsuits. "

"Thank you, Vontaze. This has been a very insightful interview. ESPN and the NFL have authorized me to pat you on your head and tell you the Chestnut Tree Cafe will be serving you complimentary rounds of Victory Gin at your pleasure."

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Tez: lower targets, high goals

Posted 14 hours ago

hobson60x60.jpgGeoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

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Vontaze Burfict still plans to be Pro Bowl aggressive.

While Vontaze Burfict is conducting one of his first interviews since his three-game suspension and exchanging phone numbers with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he’s keeping an eye on his daughter as she approaches a year old and all kinds of furniture as he relaxes with his family in California.

It sounds like she just barely avoided a corner of the desk with his help. “Watch her, watch her,” says the Bengals defensive traffic cop.

And, yes, she reminds him of somebody.

“You can pretty much say me,” Burfict said Tuesday afternoon. “She loves to run everywhere and she doesn’t know how to stop yet, so she’ll run full speed into the couch.”

Burfict vows he’s also going to keep playing full speed worthy of the NFL’s best linebacker that he thinks he is. While he also says he has to change his style, he’s not looking for a total makeover because he thinks this past season showed why he’s the best after putting up 74 tackles and three interceptions despite missing the first six games coming off micro fracture knee surgery.

“No disrespect to the other linebackers, but the leader had how many tackles?” Burfict asked of NaVorro Bowman’s NFL-best 154. “That’s easy.”

But even before he met with Goodell two weeks ago with head coach Marvin Lewis, Burfict told Lewis he had to adjust after the crushing Wild Card loss to Pittsburgh.

“I’m going to change my hitting target. I told Marvin, ‘I have to go lower,’’’ Burfict said. “I don’t want to hit guys low. I told Marvin I’m not that type of player. I don’t want to take guys’ knees out. I’m 250 pounds. Hitting a guy in the knee? I think that’s dirtier than hitting a guy high."

But he knows he'll have to find the middle.

Burfict thought his meeting with “Mr. Goodell,” went “great.” The decision to uphold Burfict’s suspension for repeat offenses of player safety rules had already been made, so this was about two guys getting to measure the other.

It’s a side his teammates and others see. For instance, when the plane boarded for the flight home from the bitter loss to Denver back in late December, Burfict offered his seat to a staffer struggling to breathe in the frozen Mile High air. But the headlines belonged to his unnecessary roughness call that gave life to Denver’s winning field goal in overtime on a play that many in his locker room thought was borderline.

“The commissioner was able to introduce himself to me and I could introduce myself to him,” Burfict said. “To see me away from football. I think it was a good meeting because he got a chance to see Vontaze Burfict out of the helmet, seeing me at the table smiling, and seeing my personality. It’s a different perspective for him to look at me.”

Burfict understands that his reputation precedes him when he goes on the field and that he has to change some things. But he also wanted Goodell to know that he believes officials are waiting for him to retaliate rather than making the original call of the player fouling or baiting him.

“All I want is equal treatment,” Burfict said. “The offensive linemen poking me in the eye and the ref waiting for me to retaliate, you get worn down and frustrated. Hopefully it changes next year.”

There'll be no retaliation on his part, he says. He'll simply report the offenses against him to the league.

 “I’ll start turning plays in. I should have started doing it last year,” he said.

What is not lost on Burfict is how the end of the Wild Card loss obscured how well he played in what was a Defensive Player of the Year effort in the agonizing 18-16 crusher.

He came up with two game-changing plays in the fourth quarter, a goal-line sack of Ben Roethlisberger that drove the Stealers quarterback from the game with a shoulder injury and set a Bengals score, and an all-out diving interception of Landry Jones at the Pittsburgh 24 with 1:32 left that looked to put the Bengals in the AFC Divisional Game.

But Bengals running back Jeremy Hill fumbled on the next snap, Big Ben came off the bench, and when Burfict tried to break up a pass to wide receiver Antonio Brown over the middle he was flagged 15 yards for hitting Brown in the head with his shoulder on the play that gave Pittsburgh enough life for the win.

“I puIled up at the last second. If you look at it really close, you can see Brown pull his head toward my shoulder to make contact,” Burfict said. “I wouldn’t say we lost the game because of me, but I let my teammates down because of that flag.

“But then again, we probably wouldn’t have been in that position without my interception, without the sack on Ben. But you take the good with the bad . . . All of a sudden it was a nightmare and I’m the bad guy.”

So while Burfict says he’ll adjust, he’s also vowing to be better than ever. “And we’re going to come back and go even farther.” It’s wrong for people (and the Pro Bowl ballot) to compare him to the sacks of Denver’s Von Miller, a 3-4 rush linebacker. The better comparison are the tackles and interceptions of Carolina Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly.

His main goal is winning the Super Bowl, he says. A secondary goal is repeating his 2013 Pro Bowl berth. And he thinks he can win a Pro Bowl vote of the players and coaches.

 “They respect me. I just have to change some of the things I do,” Burfict said. “But they respect me. It’s the reason why I’m on this bubble right now because they all respect me and they fear me.”

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Tez-lower-targets-high-goals/24994546-4438-4717-b13a-32773d2ff58a

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I applaud Tez that he himself said that he's trying to change and not be more of a liability,  especially after the Saturday Night fiasco which, I'm pretty sure that we won't let it die anytime soon.

But  I don't like it.   That aggresiveness is what makes him our Ray Lewis.   If you take that away from him, you may as well bring back Brian Simmons or even Keith Rivers back to the Queen City,  That way we can have LBs that just make tackles and otherwise be ineffective.

All the people who cry and fuss about #55 being too physical can kiss my ass...All I see is "people are just used to beat on the proverbial punching bag, and this time the so-called punching bag decided to defend himself and fought back"  and now people can't stand it that they can't bully the dude anymore.   TOO DAMN FUCKING BAD. 

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