Good luck finding a dirtier player than Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who has, just this season, hit a teammate in training camp (when Gio Bernard was coming off a torn ACL) and been suspended for laying into Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman with an illegal hit during the preseason.
That doesn't make it OK to hit Burfict with dirty shots, however, and that's precisely what JuJu Smith-Schuster did on Monday night. As Burfict was sprinting into position to try and tackle Le'Veon Bell on a pass play and he got absolutely leveled by the Steelers' rookie wide receiver.
JuJu lays out Burfict pic.twitter.com/e74GmPNN5a
— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) December 5, 2017
Like, he straight-up smoked Burfict.
Slo-mo look at Schuster hitting Burfict pic.twitter.com/o3RViZ44fZ
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) December 5, 2017
After the play, Smith-Schuster promptly stood over Burfict and taunted him.
It was highly unnecessary and he was flagged for it and ultimately suspended one game Tuesday. Burfict, who suffered what we assume will be called a concussion, was carted off the field and quickly declared out of the game.
INJURY UPDATE: LB Vontaze Burfict reported with head injury.
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 5, 2017
He is declared out.#PITvsCIN #Bengals50
He apparently is OK, however, although not very happy.
Burfict jumped up off the cart and walked into the #Bengals locker room. He's livid.
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) December 5, 2017
People watching the game were not happy with Smith-Schuster's hit on Burfict, even though the Bengals linebacker has a reputation for being an aggressive tackler.
I get that it’s a brutal sport played with emotion. But the taunting by JuJu Smith-Schuster after that vicious hit deserved an ejection.
— Kevin Negandhi (@KNegandhiESPN) December 5, 2017
People defending JuJu are an easy block, so keep it to yourself.
— Chris Towers (@CTowersCBS) December 5, 2017
If Burfict had done that to JuJu they'd have thrown him in Guantanamo Bay
— Nick Kostos (@TheKostos) December 5, 2017
That was a disgusting dirty play
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) December 5, 2017
Ugh. Bad look Juju.
— Heather Brittany (@HeatherBrit) December 5, 2017
And that’s a suspension. Can’t believed he taunted him after that hit.
— Sean Wagner-McGough (@seanjwagner) December 5, 2017
You can’t stand over that man like that.
— Donté Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) December 5, 2017
The NFL, as I wrote in my Sorting the Sunday Pile column this week, badly needs to step up and do something about meting out punishment in the middle of the game. When a game like this gets out of hand, the NFL has the ability to buzz into the officials and tell them to eject someone. Maybe just issue a warning. Do something. Anything -- just let the players know that dirty plays won't simply be punished with flags and potential suspensions. That sort of wrist-slapping doesn't do anything to curb the actions on the field and it makes people question whether they want to watch the game.