Burfict: I'm Being Singled Out, I'll Have To Change

[BFritz21]

Per PFT, Burfict says that he would go low if he could do it over again:

Quote:“Like I told coach [Marvin Lewis], I wish I could take that play back because I probably would’ve hit him low,” Burfict said. “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.”

So Burfict either has to go low and risk blowing up AB's knees, possibly crippling him, or just letting him make the catch, but that's the NFL today.

He also realizes that he's being singled-out, so he has to be even more careful than the average player:

Quote:“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.”

If he wasn't 55 or if he just wasn't a Bengal against the Steelers.

Maybe now he'll start playing like he knows he's being singled out, which playing with more control will make him even better, so let's hope so.

[fredtoast]

Burfict still doesn't get it. Brown was not going to catch the ball. Burfict does not have to light him up at all. Burfict dipped his shoulder in to hit Brown even though it was clear the play was over.

[BFritz21]

(02-23-2016, 10:09 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Burfict still doesn't get it.  Brown was not going to catch the ball.  Burfict does not have to light him up at all.  Burfict dipped his shoulder in to hit Brown even though it was clear the play was over.

1  Antonio Brown's head was not aligned with his body, so kind of hard to judge where to hit him.

2  Play was clearly over?  Burfict lowered his shoulder while Brown was in the air and going for the ball, which it ricocheted off of his hands only a second before Burfict got there.

3  How would Burfict have known he wasn't going to catch the ball in the split-second it went off his hands and Burfict's head was already lowered?

4  Of course Burfict lowered his shoulder.  That's one of the first things you're taught to do in football.  How else could he have made the tackle?  Stood straight-up and let Brown plow into his chest?

Bad post.

[*ochocincos*]

(02-23-2016, 10:02 AM)BFritz21 Wrote: Per PFT, Burfict says that he would go low if he could do it over again:


So Burfict either has to go low and risk blowing up AB's knees, possibly crippling him, or just letting him make the catch, but that's the NFL today.

He also realizes that he's being singled-out, so he has to be even more careful than the average player:


If he wasn't 55 or if he just wasn't a Bengal against the Steelers.  

Maybe now he'll start playing like he knows he's being singled out, which playing with more control will make him even better, so let's hope so.

Sounds like James Harrison really rubbed off on Burfict from his time here in 2014.
Harrison said very similar things back in 2012 after hitting guys high - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000114506/article/pittsburgh-steelers-james-harrison-aiming-low-on-hits

I do think that Burfict was playing the man and was preparing to hit/tackle AB. Not fully incidental contact, but things happen. The only thing I think would have prevented the hit is if Burfict instead would have tried to play the ball, looking at the QB instead, which could have caused him to contact AB incidentally and wouldn't have been nearly as severe nor flagged.

Hopefully this causes Burfict to play a little smarter and he can still keep his edge. Would hate to see a timid Burfict out there.

[spazz70]

(02-23-2016, 10:09 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Burfict still doesn't get it.  Brown was not going to catch the ball.  Burfict does not have to light him up at all.  Burfict dipped his shoulder in to hit Brown even though it was clear the play was over.

You always state that you played football..Did you play in some slow motion league?  

There is no possible way that Burfict knew that AB was not going to catch that ball.  He was already in position to make the hit/tackle.  I also would be willing to bet that if AB catches the ball and the hit/tackle is made that no flag is thrown.  If Burfict was intentionally trying to hurt AB on that play AB would have never left the field.  He could have literally decapitated the guy if he wanted to.  His head was sticking out and could have been taken clean off.  

[fredtoast]

(02-23-2016, 10:56 AM)spazz70 Wrote: You always state that you played football..Did you play in some slow motion league?  

Burfict was outside the has marks when the ball goes over Browns hands.  He then dips his shoulder to take a shot a Browns head.



Burfict had plenty of time to make adjustments and not hit Brown.  Just like if the ball had been arriving Burfict would have had time to adjust and make a play on the ball instead of just lowering his shoulder and hitting Brown.  We see defenders make these adjustments all the time when they decide to go for the ball instead of the hit.  

The ball was so far passed Brown that Buyrfict does not even pretend to make a play on it.

[*ochocincos*]

(02-23-2016, 11:36 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Burfict was outside the has marks when the ball goes over Browns hands.  He then dips his shoulder to take a shot a Browns head.



Burfict had plenty of time to make adjustments and not hit Brown.  Just like if the ball had been arriving Burfict would have had time to adjust and make a play on the ball instead of just lowering his shoulder and hitting Brown.  We see defenders make these adjustments all the time when they decide to go for the ball instead of the hit.  

The ball was so far passed Brown that Buyrfict does not even pretend to make a play on it.

Watching that gif, it shows that when the ball arrived at the point of Brown's hands, Burfict is in full stride and then takes just under two full steps to reach AB. The gif is slow motion, and the time from when the ball is just above Brown's hands to when Burfict hits him is 1 second. Therefore, in full speed, the time between the ball reaching Brown's hands to the time Burfict comes in contact is less than 1 second.

Is a 250 lb linebacker running at full speed who is not the most agile LB able to really fully avoid contact with just 1 second between the ball reaching Brown's hands to coming in contact with him? I think a RB, WR, DB or truly fast, athletic LB MIGHT be able to move in time, but a man of Burfict's size and agility needs to be taken into consideration.

[fredtoast]

(02-23-2016, 11:48 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Watching that gif, it shows that when the ball arrived at the point of Brown's hands, Burfict is in full stride and then takes just under two full steps to reach AB. The gif is slow motion, and the time from when the ball is just above Brown's hands to when Burfict hits him is 1 second. Therefore, in full speed, the time between the ball reaching Brown's hands to the time Burfict comes in contact is less than 1 second.

Is a 250 lb linebacker running at full speed who is not the most agile LB able to really fully avoid contact with just 1 second between the ball reaching Brown's hands to coming in contact with him? I think a RB, WR, DB or truly fast, athletic LB MIGHT be able to move in time, but a man of Burfict's size and agility needs to be taken into consideration.

This is ridiculous.

If the ball had been arriving later then Burfict would have had plenty of time to adjust and make a play on the football instead of just taking about Brown  We all see it happen all the time.

To claim that a LB is unable to make any adjustments to the movement of his body and can do nothing but fly helplessly through the air defies logic.  We see guys make adjustments like this all the time when the ball is arriving on time.

[jj22]

The comment section smh. I've never seen someone hated like this before. Not Harrison, not Talib, not Suh, not Porter. Something is unnatural/unhealthy with the level of hate thrown at Burfict by fans.

But like I've been saying. Mike Brown let this happen for his complete lack of backbone to defend his organization and players when they were under national fire. That's why when the wildcard game is spoken of now, the blame goes to Burfict and Jones without a mention of the Steelers tactics. They've come out of it (even with the action of their coaches) clean as a whistle. Good work behind the scenes Rooney (and Pat Bowlen for getting Talib a fine of 26K for admitting to purposefully trying to break a guys neck). These are championship winning Owners and their ability to fight for their players reflects that no lose/championship attitude.

The wildcard game was a turning point for this franchise, and time will show if it was a good one or not. The thug and criminal narrative is back, the drafting of poor character guys narrative is back, and the outlook of the team is circa 2007.... With the rebuild underway, it'll be an interesting season.

[Hoofhearted]

He thinks if he's not number 55 he doesn't get flagged says all you need to know. In his own mind, that hit was legit.

[jj22]

Kuechly laid out a defenseless receiver in the Superbowl and was praised on air. If I'm not mistaken the guy left game for good.

[jj22]

(02-23-2016, 11:36 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Burfict was outside the has marks when the ball goes over Browns hands.  He then dips his shoulder to take a shot a Browns head.



Burfict had plenty of time to make adjustments and not hit Brown.  Just like if the ball had been arriving Burfict would have had time to adjust and make a play on the ball instead of just lowering his shoulder and hitting Brown.  We see defenders make these adjustments all the time when they decide to go for the ball instead of the hit.  

The ball was so far passed Brown that Buyrfict does not even pretend to make a play on it.

Always look at the number of steps. Burfict took one step before the ball passed and the hit. Not as much time to change as you say. And he is right. We all watched Mike Mitchell head hunt over the course of the season and last. He's taken out Eifert and Green (and tried to take out MJones) in last two seasons. Yet nothing, no outcry, no outrage, no fine, no suspension. I guess fans will just like for our players to keep getting beat up, concussed, broken jawed, and IR'd without much of a fight. The league sure does. If Burfict has one last season in the league left, so beit. At least he'll fight back against the bullies before he's banned, and we go back to getting our butts beat without leaving a scratch on a Steeler in return.

You fans will have your day in a couple seasons when Burfict is gone. And when you see the Steelers send our players out on carts broken, battered, and bloodied as they march to champoinships I don't want to hear anything on the boards about it.

[fredtoast]

(02-23-2016, 12:12 PM)jj22 Wrote: But like I've been saying. Mike Brown let this happen for his complete lack of backbone to defend his organization and players when they were under national fire. That's why when the wildcard game is spoken of now, the blame goes to Burfict and Jones without a mention of the Steelers tactics. They've come out of it (even with the action of their coaches) clean as a whistle. Good work behind the scenes Rooney (and Pat Bowlen for getting Talib a fine of 26K for admitting to purposefully trying to break a guys neck). These are championship winning Owners and their ability to fight for their players reflects that no lose/championship attitude.

Owners have ZERO to do with who gets fined and/or suspended.  Rooney could not help Harrison or Ben or any of a long list of Steelers keep getting suspended.  Bowlen could not keep Talib from being suspended earlier this year.

[fredtoast]

(02-23-2016, 12:30 PM)jj22 Wrote: Always look at the number of steps. Burfict took one step before the ball passed and the hit. Not as much time to change as you say. 

So you believe that if the ball had arrived just as Burfict was getting there then Vontaze would not have been able to make any move to makle a play on the ball?  all he could do was fly helplessly through the air toward Brown?


that is not what I see happen every week on the field.  i see guys make a adjustments all the time in orderto make plays on passes instead of just flying helplessly through the air.

[Shepdawg]

(02-23-2016, 11:36 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Burfict was outside the has marks when the ball goes over Browns hands.  He then dips his shoulder to take a shot a Browns head.



Burfict had plenty of time to make adjustments and not hit Brown.  Just like if the ball had been arriving Burfict would have had time to adjust and make a play on the ball instead of just lowering his shoulder and hitting Brown.  We see defenders make these adjustments all the time when they decide to go for the ball instead of the hit.  

The ball was so far passed Brown that Buyrfict does not even pretend to make a play on it.

Fred,  why are trying to argue the exact point you and I already discussed, and it was proven with still shot pics of that same play, that contact with Brown was unavoidable?

http://thebengalsboard.com/Thread-Burfict-suspended-first-3-games-of-2016-season?pid=159610#pid159610

You said.... "Making contact" is totally different than "dipping his shoulder and turning it into Brown".




Here you agree that there was no way that Burfict could avoid making contact, and above you claim he could not hit Brown.  Since contact was unavoidable, how should Burfict have reacted to the inevitable contact?   And please explain how he could have done so in the time he takes 1 1/2 steps, after the ball goes off of Browns fingertips, with Brown also moving towards him.  


I don't think many people are arguing that the play was a penalty.  I think the argument is simply that the play was NOT the butcher job it is being portrayed as.  If almost any other player in the NFL makes that same play, they would draw the flag, but likely not be suspended, and the play would be "dismissed" as being an unfortunate hit and part of the game.  However because it IS Burfict, there is a 3 game suspension, and the media is still talking about the play a month after it happened.  

[*ochocincos*]

(02-23-2016, 11:58 AM)fredtoast Wrote: This is ridiculous.

If the ball had been arriving later then Burfict would have had plenty of time to adjust and make a play on the football instead of just taking about Brown  We all see it happen all the time.

To claim that a LB is unable to make any adjustments to the movement of his body and can do nothing but fly helplessly through the air defies logic.  We see guys make adjustments like this all the time when the ball is arriving on time.

I did not say that Burfict couldn't make ANY adjustment at all, I said that he might not have been able to adjust so much as to completely avoid the contact.
Yes, you see it happen all the time across the league. But not every player is the same. Some are (far) more agile than others.

Burfict clearly made a decision prior to the ball getting to AB that he was going to try to hit/tackle rather than play the ball. But once he made that decision, there MAY not have been enough time for Burfict (who is not the MOST agile LB) to COMPLETELY avoid the hit from the time the ball reached Brown to the time Burfict came in contact with him.

You are trying to generalize something because many other players have shown the ability to do it. It does not mean that EVERY player can do it.

[Millhouse]

My question is why did Burfict not try to make the tackle instead of just going in with his shoulder dipped? Regardless it was still stupid on his part, and anyone in the league would have been called out for that exact same play. If he would have played it smart and clean, he wouldn't have a bullseye on his back next year for the refs and Goodell.

[fredtoast]

(02-23-2016, 12:52 PM)Shepdawg Wrote: Fred,  why are trying to argue the exact point you and I already discussed, and it was proven with still shot pics of that same play, that contact with Brown was unavoidable?

Contact was not unavoidable.  The ball is over Browns hands.  Burfict could tell that from yards away.  It was not even close.

If the ball had been tipped and was fluttering in the air I GUARANTEE that burfict would have been able to make adjustments to attempt to make a play on the ball instead of just dipping his shoulder to hit Brown's head. 

[*rfaulk34*]

(02-23-2016, 11:36 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Burfict was outside the has marks when the ball goes over Browns hands.  He then dips his shoulder to take a shot a Browns head.



Burfict had plenty of time to make adjustments and not hit Brown.  Just like if the ball had been arriving Burfict would have had time to adjust and make a play on the ball instead of just lowering his shoulder and hitting Brown.  We see defenders make these adjustments all the time when they decide to go for the ball instead of the hit.  

The ball was so far passed Brown that Buyrfict does not even pretend to make a play on it.

Correct. Burfict had plenty of time to adjust and miss him. 

I don't blame him for hitting him. If it were me, i'd hit every single steeler that a ball came near. I don't doubt that he didn't mean to make contact with his head. Clipping a dude's midsection when he's exposed can be painful. I'm sure that's what he was going for and Brown ducked into him.

The only thing i disagree with Burfict about is that someone else wouldn't have been flagged. They would have since there's a clear rule about hitting defenseless receivers in the head or neck.

[*rfaulk34*]

(02-23-2016, 01:51 PM)Millhouse Wrote: My question is why did Burfict not try to make the tackle instead of just going in with his shoulder dipped? Regardless it was still stupid on his part, and anyone in the league would have been called out for that exact same play. If he would have played it smart and clean, he wouldn't have a bullseye on his back next year for the refs and Goodell.

No need to try and make a tackle when you know the ball is incomplete. But as a defender, you still want to leave a mark and you are allowed to hit defenseless (or otherwise) receivers. You just can't hit them in the head or neck area.