Bengals looking for boost from Burfict
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis knew that linebacker Vontaze Burfict was back when he felt his feet leave the floor.
Burfict, who has been suspended repeatedly in his career, rejoined the team after completing a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers. He made quite an entrance.
“When he came up from behind and picked me up off the floor on Monday, I knew it could only be one person,” Lewis said Wednesday. “I guess it’s time to wrestle with the bear again.”
The Miami Dolphins (3-1) get to wrestle him next.
Burfict practiced on Wednesday and is expected to play on Sunday when the Bengals (3-1) try to get their defense in order with their most notable player back in place. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict rejoined the Bengals after completing a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.
It’s the fourth straight season that Burfict has sat out because of injury or suspension.
Cincinnati is off to its best start since 2015 in spite of a defense that ranks 29th in yards allowed and has given up the 10th-most points in the league.
Atlanta piled up 495 yards — Matt Ryan threw for 419 and three touchdowns — but
the Bengals pulled out a 37-36 win on Andy Dalton’s touchdown pass with 7 seconds left.
The Bengals’ defense is last in the league on third down, allowing opponents to convert 57 percent.
“We need to get a lot better,” linebacker Preston Brown said. “Hopefully Tez can help us make that leap.”
Burfict hasn’t lined up for a snap this year. He had an ankle injury that limited him during training camp, and he sat out all four preseason games before leaving the team for a month to serve his suspension.
Temperatures in the mid-80s are forecast for Paul Brown Stadium, which also will affect Burfict’s stamina.
“He needs to come in and take his time,” cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. “It’s going to be totally different from training (camp). You’re going to burn out faster.”
The Bengals think he’ll improve the defense for however many plays he can manage on Sunday.
“His natural knack for the ball — that’s one of the rare things,” defensive end Carlos Dunlap said. “Everybody doesn’t have that. You can have a bookworm and he still doesn’t have a knack for the ball. That’s one of the things he had coming in.”
LeSean McCoy’s exgirlfriend says in a new court filing that the Buffalo Bills running back physically abused her and orchestrated a home invasion that left her beaten and bloodied.
Delicia Cordon on Tuesday filed an amended lawsuit against McCoy alleging physical abuse during their nearly two-year relationship. She also accuses him of arranging a July 10 attack at a home McCoy owns in Milton, just outside Atlanta, where Cordon lived. The armed intruder demanded specific pieces of jewelry McCoy had given Cordon and repeatedly asked her to return, the lawsuit said.
The amended lawsuit seeks more than $50 million in damages.
Cordon and McCoy began dating in June 2016, but problems began following the 2016 NFL season when he became physically abusive, the amended lawsuit says.
McCoy has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence and did so again when speaking to reporters Wednesday.
Milton police have not arrested anyone in the home invasion.