Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict and the Steelers weren’t likely to be exchanging best wishes for the holiday season heading into last Sunday’s game and there’s no way that they’ll be going that route now.
Burfict got in a scuffle with Steelers players before the game over comments that Steelers linebacker Vince Williams made about going after Burfict if he saw him off the field after a hit by Burfict led to running back Le’Veon Bell’s season-ending injury. During the game, things remained chippy and Burfict raised more ire from the Steelers for hitting Ben Roethlisberger low just after Roethlisberger threw a pass.
No flag was called and Roethlisberger said Tuesday that Burfict told him on the field “my bad” and that he had been pushed into Roethlisberger’s legs after Roethlisberger asked an official about who hit him low. Roethlisberger said a “friend and former teammate” sent him a video -- former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch posted one on Twitter -- of the play after the game and said that he doesn’t buy Burfict’s explanation.
“I don’t buy that he was pushed,” Roethlisberger said on KDKA, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “He definitely was diving in low and going for my legs. It’s tough. I am just glad I didn’t get hurt.”
Based on a look at the All-22 film of the play, if Burfict was pushed it was by his teammate Carlos Dunlap but it does look like Burfict was already low and preparing to dive at Roethlisberger if the contact hadn’t occurred. No penalty was called on the play.
On Monday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he spoke to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin about the pregame scuffle and other extracurricular activities during the game.
“Well, its disappointing for us as a football team,” Lewis said. I think neither side wants that. That’s not the way it should be. I know our team understands it. I talked to Mike today, and his team understands it. I think we both feel good about things. It’s unfortunate that it happened. Mike’s addressed it, and we’ve addressed it.”
Depending on how both teams fare in the next three weeks, the Steelers and Bengals could meet again in the playoffs in a matchup with even more on the line than there was last Sunday.