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Can Cincinnati Bengals' Vontaze Burfict play within NFL's new rules?

 

Paul Daugherty, Enquirer Sports ColumnistPublished 11:14 a.m. ET Oct. 3, 2018 | Updated 11:30 a.m. ET Oct. 3, 2018

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We might find out later today what plans Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has this Sunday for Vontaze Burfict. We know already what plans the NFL has for him.

Burfict is coming off a four-game suspension for PED use. He’ll return to a league that would like to legislate guys like him out of professional existence. From stepping on a head to twisting ankles to diving at Ben R’s legs to decapitating Antonio Brown, Burfict is not the face the NFL wants to include in the new world of what some might call quasi-flag football.

Don’t think the league won’t be looking.

 

I used to think asking Burfict to play with less abandon would lessen his effectiveness. Take the beast out of the man, the man becomes ordinary. I don’t think that anymore.

One, many of Burfict’s egregious plays had nothing to do with his abandon. They were just cheap. Ask Cam Newton, Greg Olsen and LeGarrette Blount, and the Green Bay tight end whose manhood Burfict grabbed.

 

Two, he’s an intelligent player. (Different from smart.) He’s capable of being very good without the shenanigans. He will help the Bengals D as much with his football IQ as with his physical skills, and that’s saying a lot. And he comes with an intimidation factor fans love, or at least appreciate.

Football is not a nice game. Burfict’s outside-the-rules play in some respects allowed the Bengals to square up with the Stealers without flinching.

Only now, he returns to a world that doesn’t behave the way he does. That was apparent before the PED suspension, and it’s even more apparent now. The new rule preventing defenders from landing squarely on a QB after a hit? Burfict’s teammate Preston Brown calls it the “Vontaze Burfict Rule."

 

Even the most-conscientious of players (Carlos Dunlap) have been flagged because of the new rules. It’s fair to wonder if Vontaze Burfict can muster the same self-control.

Missing chunks of seasons for stupid hits or dirty plays is ultimately a selfish act. You’re hurting your team because you can’t control yourself. Burfict has been fined or suspended 11 times in six years.

 

The Bengals have tolerated Burfict. Tolerated? They’ve enabled his antics. He signed a 3-year, $32 mil deal last September, according to Spotrac.com. Marvin Lewis on more than one occasion defended Burfict’s wayward hits.

How much he’ll play Sunday is anyone’s guess. He’s an important player, when he plays. But the NFL is gunning for him, you can take that to the bank. How might he behave?

 

 

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Can we legislate pearl-clutching, shit-stirring hack sportswriter trolls out of existence? Or at least not put them in charge of covering a team they so obviously hate?

 

Also the hit on Brown was a Steve Nash-caliber flop job. The windmilling of the arms gives it away. Compare it to the hit on Gio. People drop like a sack of potatoes when knocked out for real. Brown was also clearly laughing about it on the sideline.

 

 

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9 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

Can we legislate pearl-clutching, shit-stirring hack sportswriter trolls out of existence? Or at least not put them in charge of covering a team they so obviously hate?

 

Also the hit on Brown was a Steve Nash-caliber flop job. The windmilling of the arms gives it away. Compare it to the hit on Gio. People drop like a sack of potatoes when knocked out for real. Brown was also clearly laughing about it on the sideline.

 

 

You mean like the kind of flop that raperburger basically just admitted to as well?

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44 minutes ago, SF2 said:

They should roll him in to the stadium in a cage, surrounded by fake guards with a count down timer ticking down the seconds. When it hits zero, the guards run and the Kraken is released 

I like the way you think.   Make it happen. 

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How badass would that be if the Bengals totally bought into that bad guy image and actively said "Fuck it!" and promoted it?

 

I guess that really wouldn't fit in to that wholesome image those kids singing the "Gonna have a good day" chorus during the "Seize The Dey" song is supposed to project, but...a fella can dream.

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51 minutes ago, Bunghole said:

How badass would that be if the Bengals totally bought into that bad guy image and actively said "Fuck it!" and promoted it?

 

I guess that really wouldn't fit in to that wholesome image those kids singing the "Gonna have a good day" chorus during the "Seize The Dey" song is supposed to project, but...a fella can dream.

I don’t give a shit how they do it, I just want them to win a playoff game.

 

However, it seems to me that playing the game the way you think is badass isn’t all that tenable for long term success in this league. 

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9 hours ago, thezerawkid said:

I don’t give a shit how they do it, I just want them to win a playoff game.

 

However, it seems to me that playing the game the way you think is badass isn’t all that tenable for long term success in this league. 

Well of course man. I was referencing the "Roll Burfict out in a cage with fake guards" comment though.

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You guys have some good points about the Brown hit, but it was a late hit anyway.  No reason to do it.  Just Burfict being Burfict.  You can rationalize the Brown hit all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that he has stepped on people, twisted legs in the pile and grabbed junk.  All out of control foolish crap.  He is a grade A dumbass on the field under pressure.  Hopefully with Pac-Man being gone there is a one less over emotional time bomb in the defensive huddle and that helps Burfict keep his cool.  He is the best linebacker the Bengals have and they need him to play well and ditch the stupid crap.

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41 minutes ago, UncleEarl said:

You guys have some good points about the Brown hit, but it was a late hit anyway.  No reason to do it.  Just Burfict being Burfict.  You can rationalize the Brown hit all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that he has stepped on people, twisted legs in the pile and grabbed junk.  All out of control foolish crap.  He is a grade A dumbass on the field under pressure.  Hopefully with Pac-Man being gone there is a one less over emotional time bomb in the defensive huddle and that helps Burfict keep his cool.  He is the best linebacker the Bengals have and they need him to play well and ditch the stupid crap.

No doubt. In the nfl now though ,he is a man playing a childs game. That shit always happened in years gone by.

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22 minutes ago, schotzee said:

No doubt. In the nfl now though ,he is a man playing a childs game. That shit always happened in years gone by.

It's a new day and many of these new rules are designed specifically to prevent plays that Burfict is known for, aggressive and physical tackles and hits. 

 

Burfict is an enforcer, but the NFL is phasing those guys out of the league with these personal foul rules. I think he will be targeted by officials could be suspended again for a questionable call.

 

If the refs will penalize one of it's biggest stars like Clay Matthews then how will they treat Vontaze?

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Just now, PatternMaster said:

It's a new day and many of these new rules are designed specifically to prevent plays that Burfict is known for, aggressive and physical tackles and hits. 

 

Burfict is an enforcer, but the NFL is phasing those guys out of the league with these personal foul rules.

Exactly man. We now have a "Lambert" type guy that we can't use in a Lambert type way and it sucks.

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1 minute ago, schotzee said:

Exactly man. We now have a "Lambert" type guy that we can't use in a Lambert type way and it sucks.

If Vontaze plays smart football everything will be fine, but he has to realize that he has a gigantic target on his back and no room for error, this guy is on quadruple super secret probation. 

 

 

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1 minute ago, PatternMaster said:

If Vontaze plays smart football everything will be fine, but he has to realize that he has a gigantic target on his back and no room for error, this guy is on quadruple super secret probation. 

 

 

Yeah, they have achieved a very nice record thus far w/o him , but I hope he realizes that the future successes depend on him and he can play under control. This team is totally at another level, especially on defense when he plays.

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41 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

If Vontaze plays smart football everything will be fine, but he has to realize that he has a gigantic target on his back and no room for error, this guy is on quadruple super secret probation. 

 

 

One would hope that Clappy Lewis and The Gang have repeatedly informed Vontaze that he needs to watch the extracurriculars and just play hard, clean football.

 

And now I am imagining Burfict gyrating in a cage in a pink leotard at a Kid Rock concert. Thanks guys.

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1 minute ago, schotzee said:

I hope you're wrong and you probably don't need to be reminded, but his last suspension wasn't for on the field stuff.

Who cares about the why... Dude is a suspension magnet. Considering the NFL's new aggressive approach to "player safety", he might a well play for the Guiltytown Bullseyes and change his last name to "ThrowFlagHere".

Any hope that Burfict is going to figure this out went the way of the Dodo back in season three, and the NFL is changing to his detriment around him.

Good luck buddy! You're going to need it.

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8 minutes ago, LostInDaJungle said:

Who cares about the why... Dude is a suspension magnet. Considering the NFL's new aggressive approach to "player safety", he might a well play for the Guiltytown Bullseyes and change his last name to "ThrowFlagHere".

Any hope that Burfict is going to figure this out went the way of the Dodo back in season three, and the NFL is changing to his detriment around him.

Good luck buddy! You're going to need it.

Yeah true, but the only reason I mentioned it was because if I remember the accussation correctly, it was because he had illegal peds in his system and wasn't aware that what the doc had prescribed was illegal by nfl rules. If true, sure he owns some of that, but imo wasn't a totally bone headed decision.

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41 minutes ago, schotzee said:

Yeah true, but the only reason I mentioned it was because if I remember the accussation correctly, it was because he had illegal peds in his system and wasn't aware that what the doc had prescribed was illegal by nfl rules. If true, sure he owns some of that, but imo wasn't a totally bone headed decision.

He owns all of that.  Burfict is not a stupid man.  There are lists readily available.  He chose not to know what he was taking. 

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