Vontaze Burfict was a non-factor in Sunday's 28-21 Steelers win at Paul Brown Stadium against the Bengals. But that doesn't mean the Steelers weren't talking about the Bengals' controversial linebacker.
Several Steelers expressed unhappiness with Burfict's hit on Antonio Brown in the third quarter of the game -- a hit that briefly sent Brown to the sideline.
"It’s tough to see AB get hit like that," All-Pro guard David DeCastro said. "There’s all this emphasis on quarterback safety, but what about a guy like AB? He’s a superstar in this league. What he’s getting paid and what he means to this team, a cheap shot like that I thought was unnecessary. It’s not my job to talk about it. They want to talk about making this game safer? Maybe they’ll do something. Maybe they’ll just put a new rule in that nobody calls when it matters. Maybe it’s a PR stunt and it doesn’t really matter. They like to stir the pot and get everyone fired up. Show the highlight tape before the game. Make sure it all happens again."
The hit in question came with 11:19 remaining in the third quarter after Brown caught a 13-yard pass over the middle. As Brown was being tackled by safeties Shawn Williams and Jessie Bates, Burfict comes in and hits Brown in the back of the head with an elbow.
Here it is from another angle.
Burfict throwing an elbow into AB's head, because of course! pic.twitter.com/182OzqxE62
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) October 14, 2018
Not only was Brown injured on the play, but so was Bates. Brown returned a couple of plays later and eventually caught the game-winning touchdown pass.
But it was not the first time Burfict, who has been fined or suspended 11 different times by the NFL, has taken a shot at Brown. He knocked Brown out with a similar play at the end of the Steelers' playoff win in Cincinnati in 2016. Brown suffered a concussion on that play and was unable to play the following week in Denver.
"The NFL has to do something about that," right tackle Marcus Gilbert said. "A guy like that, going out there and intentionally trying to hurt people, there’s no need for that kind of play in this league. It’s sad. Hopefully, one of these days, he’ll grow up."
Brown took the high road after the game when asked about the shot.
“Just you know, a nasty hit. I was able to come back in the game and finish the game,” Brown said. “Any time you come in here, they call it The Jungle, you know, there’s going to be some hard hitting and some things that are going to be challenging for us and the calls. I was grateful to get up and come back in.”
Burfict, who came back just two weeks ago from a suspension for PED use, refused to talk about the play and reportedly yelled at reporters who were asking Cincinnati cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick about it.