By now you’ve seen the Vontaze Burfict hit on Martellus Bennett that’s making the rounds and creating new hot takes on Burfict being a dirty player. HE WENT AFTER BENNETT’S KNEE! HE TRIED TO TAKE BENNETT OUT OF THE LEAGUE WITH THAT HIT! KICK HIM OUT OF THE LEAGUE! THAT SHOULDN’T BE A SUSPENSION, BUT IT SHOULD BE A HUGE FINE!
Folks, let’s pump the breaks a little bit here and look at all the video we have to analyze.
First, the video that has caused the flaming hot takes:
[protected-iframe id=”4a83742d3420c941909268ddc983de67-22577676-23105199″ info=”https://vine.co/v/5HD7Yx2XW0T/embed/simple” width=”600″ height=”600″ frameborder=”0″]
Now the video of Tom Brady pump faking to Bennett, drawing in Pac Man and Burfict:
Video: On Vontaze Burfict low hit on Martellus Bennett, Tom Brady pump faked to Bennett. (Via CBS broadcast) pic.twitter.com/Nbyyz2xb14
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 17, 2016
Now let’s go back to 2013 when D.J. Swearinger hit Dustin Keller around the knee, tearing three ligaments during a preseason game. Keller’s career was over.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OI1wjiRNFo]
And 2013 when T.J. Ward hit Gronk low. Ward went on record saying he likely would’ve been fined if he hit Gronk in the head.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmNuY11vaxs]
So will the NFL find a way to fine Burfict for a hit on a pump fake or will they follow the rules they’ve created where it’s OK to go after a guy’s knees? Of course the NFL and Burfict have a history here. They fined Burfict for a low hit on Roethlisberger’s ankles in 2015.
