Burfict facing suspension

[*ochocincos*]

(08-28-2017, 12:40 AM)Bengalholic Wrote: Here's the hit...

Because of this hit the #NFL is suspending Vontaze Burfict (55 in black) for 5 games. #Bengals (? @MySportsUpdate) pic.twitter.com/chv0JCbbpL

— RealClearSports (@RealClearSports) August 28, 2017

I've watched this video from multiple angles over and over.

First, Burfict makes contact practically at the LOS and the ball just almost reaches the LOS when the hit occurs, so it wasn't late or beyond 5 yards (just stating this fact, not that anyone is disputing that).
Second, Burfict comes in contact with the front of the receiver. It appears that Burfict's shoulder hits the receiver's chest, but the blow was hard enough that it made the receiver's head snap back. We've seen plenty of times where if a player is hit hard in the shoulder/chest, the head will snap back, so the refs make a call on a split-second action that looks like contact to neck/head when in reality it often is not.
Third, there was no flag thrown, which means either the refs didn't see it (how can you not?) or they felt it was not deserving of a penalty.

The saying for a long time has been to always keep your head on a swivel.
To quote O'Callahan from Miracle - "Tell your boy to keep his head up and he won't have to worry about it."
However, I believe that with all the concussion studies that have come out since Goodell became commissioner and all the rule changes in favor of safety and health, this "old" philosophy is simply going to go away.

It seems the NFL wants players to be more heads-up (clearly Burfict wasn't looking at the ball but focusing solely on the receiver) and make a play on the ball rather than hit the receiver to cause an incompletion.

Burfict seemed to have already made up his mind for what he was going to do, and that likely (based on evidence provided in the videos) was he was hoping for a bang-bang play as soon as the ball got to the receiver. Unfortunately the ball was thrown way over the receiver's head and about 40 yards downfield, so if Burfict had been paying more attention to the ball than the receiver, the hit likely would not have happened (in that manner anyway).