The Cincinnati Bengals are still angry about the way things unfolded against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night in the AFC Wild Card round, and days later, the coaching staff and players aren't holding back about it.
‘Heartbroken’ Bengals still pointing fingers at Steelers LB coach Joey Porter
Porter was not penalized for his involvement in the altercation that led to a 15-yard penalty on the Bengals.
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Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The Steelers were trailing 16-15 as the fourth quarter neared its end, and with 22 seconds remaining in the game they were on the Cincinnati 47-yard line. Two ill-timed penalties against the Bengals advanced the Steelers 30 yards, giving them a chip shot opportunity to win 18-16.
Vontaze Burfict was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness after a hit on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown. Brown suffered a concussion as a result of the play. As Steelers medical staff attended to Brown on the field, an altercation between Bengals defensive players and Steelers linebackers coach Joey Porter resulted in a 15-yard dead-ball foul on Cincinnati cornerback Adam Jones.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said both Burfict and Jones were “heartbroken” by the outcome on Saturday, adding that he didn’t believe Burfict’s hit on Brown crossed a line.
“It didn’t go over the edge,” Lewis said, via Marc Sessler of NFL.com. “I don’t think it’s over the line, I think it’s part of what football is now. And you have to learn to play within the scope of what football is right now.”
Burfict is facing a suspension for the hit on Brown.
Porter is expected to be fined for his role in the altercation that led to the second Bengals penalty, but what remains unclear is why Porter wasn’t flagged for being on the field. Bengals coaches and players remain displeased with the entire scenario. Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther even exchanged words with Porter before the game, asking him to steer clear of Bengals players and vowing that the Bengals’ staff would do the same.
“Just do me a favor. Don’t talk to our players and we won’t talk to your players,” Guenther said Monday. “Then in the heat of the battle he’s standing in the middle of the field. You tell me why he’s supposed to be out there.”
Guenther continued unloading on Porter:
Guenther callled Porter an embarrassment to the coaching profession. #Bengals
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonCMG) January 11, 2016 Guenther on reports of Joey Porter getting a game ball: It shows what kind of organization they are. #Bengals
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonCMG) January 11, 2016 On Tuesday, however, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin denied that they gave Porter the game ball.
Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth was also unimpressed with Porter's behavior.
“I have a ton of respect for the Steelers,” Whitworth said. “[Mike] Tomlin and I had a big hug at the end of the game apologizing for everything that happened. I got a lot of respect for those guys. Joey Porter is not one of them.”
It wasn’t the only altercation between a Steelers coach and a Bengals player. In the first quarter, Pittsburgh offensive line coach Mike Munchak was penalized for grabbing the hair of Bengals safety Reggie Nelson. Munchak is also expected to be fined.
There's plenty of bad blood between the Steelers and the Bengals. Steelers players believed Burfict celebrated after Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8. There were scuffles between players before the team's Week 14 matchup, and Burfict drew the Steelers' ire again, and a fine from the league, with a low hit on Ben Roethlisberger.
The NFL issued a warning to both teams before Saturday’s game to discourage unsportsmanlike behavior, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference, and the Bengals clearly aren’t quite ready to let it go.
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