Burfict ejected after pushing ref

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was ejected in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans after making contact with an official.

Burfict was in on a tackle of Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota who was diving for the end zone. The officials marked Mariota short of the touchdown, and shortly after, Burfict made contact with the official.

The down judge, Jeff Bergman, had a hand out to hold Burfict back from more back-and-forth with a Titans offensive lineman, and Burfict knocked his hand away.

Coach Marvin Lewis said Burfict has to understand that he can’t just push back.

“Sometimes what happens is you push back and you touch an official,” Lewis said. “You can’t do that. He knows better and we pay a price. We pay a price because it hurts us when it’s on the field that way and then he’s not on the field.”

Burfict did not talk to reporters after the game.

Browns

Coach Hue Jackson had two goals in his postgame news conference Sunday. He wasn’t going to let rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer take the blame for Cleveland’s 38-24 loss to the Lions, and he wasn’t going to talk about moral victories. “I came here to turn this franchise around. I didn’t come here for us to play better or to compliment anyone for working hard. I came here to win, and we’re 0-9,” Jackson said. Kizer had his best game as a pro, throwing for 232 yards and a touchdown and also had a rushing score. “He’s not perfect, but this is the best version we’ve seen of him,” Jackson said.

Cowboys

Running back Ezekiel Elliott’s plans to spend time out of the country to clear his head and train during his reinstated six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Elliott hopes to clear his head and train, taking a page out the Tom Brady playbook who spent a week in Italy during his four-game suspension in 2016.