Nasty Steelers-Bengals game shows need for changes: Your Say

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was suspended Monday without pay for three games after an illegal hit against Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown in Saturday night's playoff game. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Burfict should be charged with assault for that unwarranted hit, and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis should be fired for not keeping him on a leash.

— Jerry Suttles

You get hit hard. This behavior was enjoyed in years past, and now there is a culture of being critical of it. Burfict’s hit was with his shoulder, not with his helmet. Hits with helmets are illegal. Why can’t some offensive players move their heads out the way, too, if defensive players are so bad? This isn’t a dainty sport. The same way you enlist in the military, you enlist in football. Stop crying, folks.

— Darryl Baker

The Bengals have gotten a lot of criticism, and they deserve it.

However, why are so few people talking about the dirty hit of Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier? Shazier led with the crown of his helmet and appeared to knock Bengals running back Giovani Bernard unconscious.

To make matters worse, the Steelers showed their complete lack of class and human decency by celebrating on the sidelines.

— Bill Jones

The hit on Bernard was legal — he wasn’t considered a defenseless player — which means the rules need to be changed. That type of hit shouldn’t be allowed. However, I didn’t take it that the Steelers were celebrating knocking out a Bengals player. They were celebrating a turnover, something that every team does.

— Doris Brinson