Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is likely to get a hefty fine and is facing a possible suspension for his hit on the defenseless Antonio Brown with less than a minute to go in Saturday night's wild-card game, an NFL source told ESPN.
But was his helmet-to-helmet hit that left the Steelers All-Pro in concussion protocol really that dirty? Hall of Famer and NFL Network commentator Deion Sanders doesn't think so.
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"You got a helmet on, you in full gear on an NFL field," Sanders said on NFL Network after the game. "Nobody’s defenseless in the NFL game. That’s one issue, the second issue is I really feel like Burfict was really trying to avoid this hit because the way he held his shoulder in."
With Cincinnati leading 16-15, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a high pass in the direction of Brown. After Brown failed to come down with the ball, he was crushed by Burfict — who was flagged for unnecessary roughness. But Sanders defends the illegal hit, saying Burfict didn't know that Brown didn't catch the ball. Sanders even went to great lengths with LaDainian Tomlinson on-air to prove his point.
What is even going on? pic.twitter.com/pgukUXPKFe
— Mike Cole (@MikeColeNESN) January 10, 2016 "If Burfict really wanted to clean him up, he could have cleaned him up," Sanders continued in the next segment. "He dips down, if he stands straight up it is definitely a head shot. So he dips down and keeps his elbow in."