Dec 14, 2016 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – When the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals met earlier this season at Heinz Field, there was none of the extracurricular activity that marred their three games last season.

Both teams insisted they wanted to put all of the bad blood – punctuated by what occurred in Pittsburgh’s 18-16 playoff win at Cincinnati – behind them.

But that was easy with the player who was at the center of the controversies, Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict, sitting out the Steelers’ 24-16 win on Sept. 18 because of an NFL-mandated suspension.

Burfict sat out the first three games of the season after a series of illegal plays last season that culminated with him hitting Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in the head with his shoulder, drawing a 15-yard penalty that helped set up Pittsburgh’s game-winning field goal in the AFC playoff game.

It also left Brown with a concussion and kept him out of the Steelers’ next playoff game, a loss at Denver.

Brown said he and Burfict ran into each other in Miami during the offseason and the linebacker apologized for the hit.

“It’s a football game. It’s not personal,” Brown said as the Steelers (8-5) prepare to return to Cincinnati (5-7-1) Sunday for the first time that playoff meeting.

“Guys aren’t going out there and saying, ‘I’m going to hurt this guy.’ Teams are always going to try to stop me, diffuse me to try to take me out of the football game. But I don’t take things personal. We play a game that’s violent, aggressive. Sometimes you might get hit in the wrong position. I don’t think he was targeting or trying to take me out. I think some things he does on the football field are a little questionable, but that’s the play of all linebackers. They all play with a reckless abandon.”

Burfict seems to do so more than most players.

Over the course of his career, Burfict has been fined $805,000 and suspended for eight games.

That fine total includes $75,000 this season for unnecessary roughness in a game against the New England Patriots Oct. 16.

The bad blood between he and the Steelers began in a regular-season matchup in Pittsburgh last year when the Steelers believe Burfict celebrated injuring Le’Veon Bell on a play that ended the running back’s season. Bell, who had his 2014 and 2015 seasons end in games against the Bengals – one on a shot to his knee in the open field by safety Reggie Nelson and the other on the tackle by Burfict – isn’t as forgiving as Brown.

“I’m pretty sure they’re going to try to do whatever they gotta do to get me off the field. It is what it us. I understand it,” said Bell. “I’m not going to let it happen a third time. I’m going to be prepared for everything. That has to be my mindset. I have to be smart about it.”

Burfict is a good football player – he was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2013 – and leads the Bengals in tackles with 92 to go along with two sacks and two interceptions.

The game against New England – in which he was not penalized for any of his actions – aside, Burfict has seemingly cleaned up his game. He has just one penalty this season. From 2013 to 2015, he had an NFL-high 12 penalties for unnecessary roughness.

His teammates have seen him change the way he plays.

“I think so,” said Bengals cornerback Adam Jones. “Nobody wants to keep giving their money away. He’s picking and choosing and trying to do it the right way.”

The Steelers will be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. They’ve moved on from what happened last year and hope the Bengals have as well.

“I can’t speak for them,” said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “But we know what’s happened. We know about the injuries, we know about some of the dirty-type things but we don’t concern ourselves with that. We just concern ourselves with trying to win a football game.”

Brown has forgiven Burfict but they’re never going to be best buddies or trade uniforms after Sunday’s game.

“We’re not going that far,” Brown said.

Bell was named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week. Bell rushed for a team record 236 yards and three touchdowns and had 298 total yards Sunday at Buffalo. … Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and safety Shamarko Thomas (concussion) were the only players to sit out practice Wednesday because of injury. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle) was limited. Offensive linemen B.J. Finney (concussion) and Ramon Foster (chest), nose tackle Javon Hargrave (concussion) and running back DeAngelo Williams (knee) were full participants.