Oh, Cincinnati!

[Evil Yoda]

You've learned how to play Cleveland Browns football.

Whatever else is true of the Ravens season, at least they did not lose a game on a blocked kick run back for a touchdown.

And they certainly did not lose a game because two headcases combined to move the football downfield far enough that the winning field goal was a chip shot. They value stability in Cincy - and good franchises have that - but what Burfict and Jones did amounts to an utter failure to coach discipline, and that's on Marvin.

[Evil Yoda]

Burfict should be suspended for six games, which he would then negotiate down to four.

[Deleted]

I don't think Marvin Lewis is in jeopardy, at least not in the immediate future. His playoff failures aside, he has transformed what was a joke of a franchise into a perennial playoff contender.

What could ultimately be Lewis's undoing, however, is that I think he's just too nice of a guy to effectively deal with problem children like Burfict and Pac Man Jones. Burfict was clearly ready to erupt late in Saturday's game, and Lewis probably should have removed him from the game and let him cool off. Instead, he did nothing and we all know what happened.

Burfict signed a four-year, $19 million extension prior to the 2014 season, so moving him isn't an option. Pac Man, however, will become an unrestricted free agent in March, so the Bengals can rid themselves of at least one headache. They'd be wise to do just that.

[Evil Yoda]

At many other clubs I would believe Marvin's job was in jeopardy, but they seem to love him out there. However, that does not change my opinion that the loss is as much his fault as Burfict's and Jones' fault. Discipline has to come from the top. And the front office must accept its portion; there was a reason why Burfict was an undrafted free agent despite his skills, which as we have seen should have qualified him to be a high round pick.

I don't like him, for the same reason I don't like Suh, Harrison, and Ward (who has retired): I dislike a cheap shot artist whose motivation is to hurt other players enough to remove them from the game. That's clearly what Burfict wants to do, every time he's out there. I suppose he's fortunate he has football; he'd be in prison for murder by now if he didn't.

[highmc2]

In today's NFL the Burfict play is going to be called everytime. We will see if Brown was enhancing the injury as Junes stated if he plays this week. My issue is more about Joey Porter taunting while on the field and not getting a penalty. It sure looks like WWE stuff when coaches and managers are out there jawing. Next time Porter might just bring a steel chair out and whack someone over the head while the officials are conveniently looking in another direction.

Finally, I don't believe that Bryant's TD was a legal catch. That ball was moving around and the most he was able to get down was one foot. A beautiful, athletic play, but still not in control until he was out of the endzone.

[Evil Yoda]

Burfict will be suspended three games. This incident also hung a lantern on some of his previous misbehavior, including a hit on Maxx Williams during the Ravens game that Urschel wrote about here. Burfict has now been fined $50,000 for that hit. That's on top of more than $69,000 in fines for a regular season game against the Steelers.

In addition to his hit on Brown in the playoff game, he clearly put a knee into Roethlisburger's shoulder which took him out for a few plays.

I guess his post-football career path will be "leg breaker for a criminal".

[Ravenchamp]

Expected from cinch year to year. Place well and choke when it counts. No shocker