Dirty hits in rivalry spur discipline

CINCINNATI» Two players carted off, two others suspended, many fines to follow. One of the NFL’s nastiest rivalries set new lows in prime time, forcing fans to avert their eyes.

What’s to be done about this long-running animosity between the Steelers and Bengals? Do the teams encourage the mayhem by downplaying it? Do the NFL and the networks promote it by showing it in prime time every season?

Those questions were raised in the aftermath of Monday night’s game, where Pittsburgh rallied for a 23-20 victory at Paul Brown Stadium for its sixth straight win over the Bengals.

What it’ll be remembered for, though, is how it felt more like a street brawl at times. The NFL responded by suspending Steelers receiver JuJu Schuster-Smith and Bengals safety George Iloka for one game each on Tuesday, and fines for other players are expected later in the week.

“I’ll acknowledge there were some unfortunate things in that game that we don’t need in our game — by both sides,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.

It’s been going on for years, with grudges deepening.

Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict — a focal point for much of the animosity — left the field on a cart with a concussion after Schuster-Smith leveled him with a hit. The receiver then stood over the fallen linebacker.

As Schuster-Smith apologized for taunting after the game, receiver Antonio Brown yelled: “Karma! It’s called karma!”

The NFL’s letter to Schuster-Smith informing him of the suspension said the egregious hit and the taunting “fell far below the high standards of sportsmanship expected of an NFL player.”

Iloka hit Brown in the head after his touchdown catch tied the game in the fourth quarter. Brown wasn’t hurt, but the NFL suspended the Bengals safety for the type of flagrant hit that has “no place in our game.”

Those moments have defined the rivalry since 2015, when Burfict made a twisting tackle on Le’Veon Bell that left the Steelers running back with a torn knee. Burfict celebrated — the Bengals say he was just happy to make a big play — but Bell and the Steelers took umbrage.

Players went back-andforth on social media, and they got into a skirmish on the field during pregame warmups in the rematch in Cincinnati. They met again in the playoffs that season at Paul Brown Stadium, and Burfict’s hit to Brown’s head in the final seconds moved the Steelers in range for a field goal and an 18-16 win.

In response, the NFL suspended Burfict for three games. Burfict went at it with some of the Steelers on social media. The raw feelings grew deeper.

This year’s unpleasantries began with Burfict refusing to shake Steelers’ hands at the coin toss on Oct. 22 at Heinz Field. During the game, Burfict kicked Steelers running back Roosevelt Nix in the chest and was fined $12,154.

The teams went their ways — but didn’t forget.

After Bengals receiver A.J. Green was ejected from a game at Jacksonville for wrapping his arm around Jalen Ramsey’s neck, taking him down and punching him, Bell and SchusterSmith had fun at Green’s expense in the Steelers’ next game at Indianapolis. They re-enacted Green’s takedown of Ramsey as part of their touchdown celebration.

Back together in Cincinnati on Monday night, they wasted no time going at it again.

On the game’s sixth play, Bell and Burfict went faceto-face during an interception return. Bell grabbed the linebacker’s facemask and shoved him to the ground, drawing a foul for unnecessary roughness, part of a combined 20 penalties totaling 239 yards. Cincinnati was penalized 13 times for a club-record 173 yards.

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier will remain in a Cincinnati hospital until at least Wednesday to undergo further testing on a spinal injury suffered in the first quarter Monday.

Shazier left Paul Brown Stadium on a stretcher less than four minutes into the game following a tackle that left the 25-year-old writhing on the turf, his legs motionless. He underwent extensive testing overnight, with the team saying Shazier’s injury did not require surgery “at this time.”

He will remain at University of Cincinnati Medical Center under the care of neurosurgeons. Shazier is expected to be transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital later in the week.