Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict didn’t find much support from coach Marvin Lewis when he and others on the team suggested officials were baiting Burfict into penalties, but Lewis does have Burfict’s back when it comes to disagreeing with a penalty that Burfict received in last Sunday’s victory over the Browns.
Burfict was given a personal foul for an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver early in the first quarter for a hit on Corey Coleman on a play that ended with DeShone Kizer scrambling for eight yards. Lewis said Monday that Burfict didn’t hit Coleman in the head and that the play didn’t violate the other protections given to defenseless receivers.
“It’s unfortunate, though,” Lewis said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “The guy is running at four [yards], sees Vontaze and alters to three, Vontaze hits him with shoulder on the shoulder. The quarterback is in the pocket, the quarterback then left the pocket. Whether the guy deemed that, I don’t know. It’s unfortunate to have that penalty because that led to the field position from there.”
That wasn’t the only call against the Bengals that Lewis felt was incorrect. Adam Jones had a 55-yard punt return touchdown nullified by a block in the back penalty against rookie tight end Cethan Carter, but Lewis said he doesn’t “think it’s a block in the back at all.”
Cincinnati kicked a field goal after the Carter penalty on their way to a 30-16 win that makes it a lot easier to deal with calls you feel didn’t go your way.