The Bengals linebacker dove for the Steelers quarterback’s ankles after Roethlisberger released the ball during the first half of Pittsburgh’s 33-20 win over Cincinnati. Burfict wasn’t flagged on the play, but could receive a fine from the league.
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“He said, ‘I got pushed into you, my bad.’ and the official just kind of nodded like, ‘Yeah, OK.’ So, I just went about my day, didn’t think anything of it,” Roethlisberger told 93.7 The Fan Tuesday. “And since then, I have seen the clip, and I don’t buy that he was pushed. You know, I think that he definitely was diving in low and going for my legs. It’s tough. I’m just glad I didn’t get hurt.”
Roethlisberger believes AFC North rivalries provide heated matchups and having fun is important, but the games should always be controlled.
“There’s got to be a level of professionalism when you play guys … It trickles into the fans too,” Roethlisberger said. “I understand you want to win a football game, but you never want guys to get hurt. We’re out here for the entertainment and to play a game, not to try and injure each other.
“At some point, you have to do something. Whether it’s a flag or an ejection, whatever it is, you’re the only one that can do something because players can’t do anything. It’s called retaliation and then you get a penalty or something. So, I do feel that the officials have to kind of put their foot down at some point and stop that.”
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The controversial hit wasn’t the only trouble involving Burfict on Sunday. A pregame scuffle took place at midfield prior to kickoff when Burfict confronted Vince Williams about a threatening tweet the Steelers linebacker had directed at him following Pittsburgh’s Week 8 loss to Cincinnati. Williams was unhappy that Burfict celebrated a tackle on Le’Veon Bell that ultimately ended the star running back’s season.
