Vontaze Burfict won’t face Texans in Week 8 following suspension

The Houston Texans face the Oakland Raiders in Week 8, but they won’t have one of their best defensive players Vontaze Burfict following a season-long suspension.

The Houston Texans are scheduled to face the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 27 in Week 8, and when the two teams face each other in the AFC showdown, the Raiders will be without linebacker Vontaze Burfict as he was suspended by the NFL for the remainder of the season on Monday.

The reason for the suspension was a helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle. Though the hit was brutal and cause for a suspension, the length of the suspension comes from his past suspensions while a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

In an ESPN.com report, they quoted the letter sent to Burfict from NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan:

"“Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game. Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me and each of the jointly-appointed officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures. However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designated to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk.”"

Burfict has been suspended many times throughout his NFL career, but how will this suspension affect the Texans when they play in the final game of October? This season Burfict had 18 tackles and no sacks in what is his first year with the Raiders.

Being a solid NFL linebacker, Burfict has played recklessly for his entire NFL career, and now he’s starting to pay the price with very lengthy suspensions. The Texans not having to face a player like Burfict only helps the offense, and more so, it keeps members of the team just a little safer.

Burfict walks the line on hard play and having illegal hits, and on Sunday against the Colts it was just that. His agent is saying it was a “football play,” but watch the video, and you’ll see how that type of hit has no room in today’s NFL.

The last time the Texans faced Burfict was in 2015 when he totaled seven tackles and two stuffs.

Houston not having to face Burfict is a blessing in some ways, but being that it is a month from now he could appeal and win a decision, though this time it seems like Burfict has finally crossed the line too far and the NFL has handed down one of the stronger suspensions.

What are your thoughts on the Burfict suspension?