The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have a fierce rivalry over the past two decades, with Pittsburgh often comparing Cincinnati to the mid-2000s Ravens. The physicality of these divisional rivalries in the AFC North is a key characteristic.
Pittsburgh fans still harbor a grudge against Bengals linebacker ten years later.
Pittsburgh’s reputation for physical defenses is questioned, as evidenced by a 2016 play where a Pittsburgh player broke a punter’s jaw. After years of dirty hits, Cincinnati sought a physical playmaker to counteract their reputation.Cincinnati drafted Vontaze Burfict in 2012, but he fell to the second round due to perceived character issues. Despite this, Burfict never had issues off the field and never hesitated to deliver violent hits. His biggest moment came in the 2015 wild card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Giovani Bernard was knocked unconscious by linebacker Ryan Shazier.
Cincinnati fans pushed for a dramatic comeback attempt, but it was foiled when Burfict knocked Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown unconscious. The league labeled Burfict as dirty, and after 30 yards in penalties, Pittsburgh scored an easy field goal.Pittsburgh fans reacted negatively to a controversial incident involving Burfict, throwing water bottles at the players, causing a negative perception of the team’s performance, even after JuJu Smith-Schuster’s subsequent performance.Burfict, despite numerous fines and suspensions, claims he never attempted to be a dirty player except during his time playing for Pittsburgh on TikTok.
Burfict, a physical player, was applauded 20 years before his career, but the outrage from fans of a team that inflicted dirty hits for decades is problematic. The 2005 playoff game saw quarterback Carson Palmer injured.
