Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has seen his name attached to far too many negative headlines during his football career, and he is sick and tired of it. When the 2016 NFL season rolls around, if Burfict holds true to his word, we could see a changed Burfict with his style of play leading to fewer penalties.
In an interview with ESPN, Burfict reflected on the controversial play that saw Burfict take out Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in an AFC Wild Card game. Burfict hit Brown in the head, leading to a suspension for the first three games of the 2016 NFL season from the league office. Burfict is a repeat violator of the player-safety rules, which is why Burfict will sit out the first three games of the next football season after losing an appeal. Things likely would have been different had Burfict gone low on Brown instead.
“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.”
Burfict has always played the game with a high energy level that has led to some bad penalties from his time at Arizona State to the pros. Now, with penalties leading to suspensions and escalating fine totals, Burfict realizes he can change his game to reduce the harm to others without necessarily diminishing his own game. More importantly, he won’t end up hurting his team on the field if he can truly change.
“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.”
Eh, maybe, but probably not. When a player has a track record, they tend to lose the benefit of the doubt. That said, regardless of the player, the hit on Brown was likely to be called on anyone.
Burfict has developed a dirty reputation, and it is merited by his actions. But if he wants to start helping his team win, he has the skills and abilities to be just as lethal on the defensive side of the field as any player without resorting to dirty tactics and play.
[ESPN]
