He’s just the perfect example to use when you want to talk about dirty play being praised by tv talking heads.
Plus I’m just out of date. I don’t want and rewatch games closely like I used to, so I’m not as familiar with the dirty habits of current players. Which may mean that they’re a lot cleaner now, I don’t know. But it’s hard for Steelers fans to get high and mighty towards Bengals fans about dirty play when it’s clear most of you are blind to your own, whether now or a few years ago.
Which isn’t any defense of the Bengals. This is an easy argument for me: you both suck.
This is not the first time Burfict has tried to hurt Antonio Brown. That’s why Pittsburgh is upset. Here’s a nice one from 2016. He gave Brown a concussion here. Burfict’s gonna Burfict. Be proud Cincy, he’s your best linebacker.
Watch this and explain how it’s a football play, please.
Just to be clear, is this a reference to a dirty hit in the 2015 playoffs*?
*In the same game where Burfict concussed Antonio Brown and then you and others pushed forward the rumor that Brown was somehow faking his concussion? And that Burfict’s hit wasn’t dirty because he used his shoulder instead of his helmet?
Most penalized team in the NFL this year?
Most penalized team in the NFL for Unnecessary Roughness this year?
Most penalized team in the NFL for Unnecessary Roughness in 2017?
Most penalized team in the NFL for Unnecessary Roughness in 2016?
Last time the Steelers were not in the top 15 most penalized team for Unnecessary Roughness?
The Steelers are the most penalized team. Those 12 holding penalties are really hurting them.
The Steelers lead the league with 6. 11 other teams have at least 3. I suspect this will even out over the course of the year.
The Steelers had 13. 11 other teams had at least 8
Again the Steelers had 13. And again at 11 other teams had at least 8.
The answer is perhaps 2013 where they are tied with 2 other teams for 15th. but if you wont accept that one, in 2012 they had only 1 unnecessary roughness penalty.
In the 9 years of 2009-2017, the league average is 5.94 unnecessary roughness penalties per year. Over that same 9 years the Steelers have averaged 7.77. So over 9 years the Steelers have averaged 1.8 unnecessary roughness penalties per year more than the league average. Its almost like you just have an ax to grind against the Steelers more than anything, or you just get really worked up over 1-2 more penalties per year than the league average over a decade.
Though admittedly, in 2016 & 2017 they did lead the league (the only years they lead the league) with unnecessary roughness penalties with less then 1 per game when the league average was a lot closer to 1 every 2 games.
I was bored so I looked up the stats on unnecessary roughness penalties for other teams in the division over the nine year period of 2009-2017 (the website only has info going back to 2009):
Unnecessary Roughness penalties per year for 2009-2017:
Ravens - 8.22
Steelers - 7.77
Bengals - 6.88
League Average - 5.94
Browns - 4.55
Further, in the 9 years 2009-2017, comparing unnecessary roughness penalties against the leave average for that year:
Steelers: less than the league average 4 times (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013).
Bengals: less than the league average 4 times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012).
Ravens: less than the league average 3 times (2010, 2011, 2017)
Browns: less than the league average 8 times (every year but 2010)
Aside from proving that the Browns are indeed purveyors of truth, justice and the American way… stats on unnecessary roughness penalties show that the rest of the division is pretty average over the last 9 years. And for some reason I find this website super fascinating. I mean, how else would I know that Joe Thomas was called for 4 offensive holding penalties in 2014 but that 2 of them were declined.
I keep bringing it up year after year because it’s an issue between these two teams year after year. And it’s pronounced “Futbawl”, not “football”. It helps pronouncing it if you slacken your jaw and adopt the nom de guerre “Cletus”.
Arnold Horshack
“Ooooh, oooh, oooh, I know!”
/Arnold Horshack
And this is the heart of the matter in many respects and in my opinion. There are so many instances where I have seen dirty play by the Steelers and it not be called. You know how Madden used to say “Hey, you could really call holding on every play”? Then think of that and now the fact that the Steelers lead the league in holding penalties…that were actually called. And that’s just holding penalties.
And yes, my team (and ALL NFL teams are guilty of this sometimes) has committed many plays that could be interpreted as dirty. Vontaze Burfict is a dirty player…so was the aforementioned Hines Ward. And Ryan Shazier. And Gay. And Mitchell. And Harrison. Heck, the Steelers had dirty players back when dirty play was allowed.
It’s the same thing said about the Green Bay Packers. And the New England Patriots. And any other team that has tended to dominate their division for significant periods of time. And it’s fed only by confirmation bias and tribalism, not statistics.
I’m not “whatabouting” anything. These are demonstrable actions.
No, it’s pretty much just the Stealers and the Patsies. Fed by confirmation bias? You mean like the factual basis under which opinions are formed that show the Stealers are the most penalized team in the NFL? Again? Hmmmmm,
Wait, so the fact that the Steelers are the most penalized team in the NFL (citation required) proves that refs don’t call penalties on the Steelers?
As for Hamlet’s guessing game, I’d wager he’d have no problem with people labeling the Packers dirty as hell because they lead the league in roughing the passer penalties this year as well? But then, Cincinnati’s second…but hey, it’s not like anyone is cherry-picking specific penalties that support their narrative or anything.
This year? With the issues the NFL has with the rule changes and the inanity of the roughing the passer calls? Yeah, I’d probably have a problem picking that one penalty out as a good indicator of “dirtyness” this year.
I was simply pointing out facts. You can draw your own conclusion from them. If you want to maintain that the Steelers aren’t dirty despite the fact they’ve led the league in unnecessary roughness penalties the last 3 years, have at it.
And Burfict was just fined over $100k for separate hits that should have been unnecessary roughness penalties. Tell me again how the Steelers are dirty.
