A.B., Burfict new Killer B’s?

Pairing could be disastrous for Raiders but fun for the rest of us

The story broke Tuesday morning, the headline jumping off the screen and delivering what I can only describe as a vicious blow to my head. Vontaze Burfict visiting Raiders It made my day.

The better news came Tuesday night when it was reported Burfict signed a contract.

Can you imagine Burfict and Mr. Big Chest in the same locker room?

This will be beyond great fun.

You might remember Burfict, who was released Monday by the Bengals, has a little history with Antonio Brown. His brutal and illegal hit to Brown’s head in a playoff game after the 2015 season knocked Brown out of the postseason with a concussion and earned Burfict a three-game suspension to start the 2016 season. It was nothing less than aggravated assault.

“I feel like guys don’t want to stop me no more,”

Brown told me a few weeks later – after the Steelers were eliminated in a playoff loss in Denver without him – in his first public comments after the Burfict hit. “They want to take me out. They want to kill me. They want to steal my dreams. They want to ruin me. They want to end me.”

Some NFL observers have gone so far as to suggest Brown hasn’t been the same since that Burfict hit. They say it could be the cause of his bizarre behavior on and off the field the past three seasons. Regardless, no one enjoyed Burfict being on the receiving end of a violent hit from JuJu Smith-Schuster during a Steelers-Bengals game in December 2017 more than Brown. Smith-Schuster stood over Burfict and taunted him. Burfict left the field on a cart. Smith-Schuster was suspended for one game.

“Karma!” Brown kept yelling as Smith-Schuster was interviewed after the game.

How can you not love Burfict and Brown sharing the same locker room?

Brown hasn’t been Burfict’s only target on the Steelers. He was fined $112,000 after hitting Brown and James Conner in the head in October during a game in which, according to Ben Roethlisberger, he threatened SmithSchuster by saying, “You’re next.” He was fined $12,154 for kicking Rosie Nix in October 2017 and $69,454 for a late hit on Roethlisberger and for pushing Nix over a pile in December 2015. It’s not a reach to suggest he is one of the dirtiest players in NFL history. He has been fined or suspended 13 times, losing 10 games and $4.12 million, according to USA Today. That same story pointed out Burfict would have saved $1.55 million if he had not played against the Steelers.

I’m guessing Brown will tell you Burfict’s fines weren’t nearly enough.

There are three reasons why the Raiders signed Burfict. One, they had a glaring need at linebacker. Two, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther coached Burfict in Cincinnati, knows him well and probably thinks he can control him. And, three, most important of all, head coach Jon Gruden is on record saying he loves Burfict’s style. As a broadcaster on “Monday Night Football” for that December 2017 Steelers-Bengals game, Gruden said he gladly would buy a season ticket to watch Burfict play. He also was critical of SmithSchuster for his hit on Burfict.

Gruden and the Raiders deserve Burfict.

I suppose Brown and Burfict could kiss and make up. We see it happen all the time with hockey players, who try to gouge each other’s eyes out one season and then are teammates the next. I think of Arron Asham and Matt Cooke co-existing just fine with the Penguins after Asham had accused Cooke of biting him during a scrum.

But even if Brown and Burfict can somehow play nice, I’m convinced the Raiders will lose big with them. Each is a poison to a team in his own way. The Steelers and Bengals will be better off without them, despite how talented they are.

And Steelers-Bengals games won’t ever be the same.