NEWS » oments later as the Ravens held off

CINCINNATI (AP) — Linebacker Vontaze Burfict is back on the Cincinnati Bengals‘ active roster after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancer policy.He’s glad to be back Boomer Esiason Jersey , even doing some work with special teams. He watched his teammates pull out a 37-36 win at Atlanta last Sunday on Andy Dalton’s touchdown pass to A.J. Green with 7 seconds left in regulation.“Of course, I missed it,” Burfict said before Friday’s practice. “My daughter came downstairs and said, ‘Daddy, we won.'”Burfict is expected to play Sunday when the Bengals (3-1) host Miami (3-1). Cincinnati is aiming to extend its best start since winning eight straight games in 2015.Burfict’s next snap will be his first of the season. 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.How much he’ll play is unknown, but he has a history of piling up snaps in similar circumstances.He was in for 36 plays against Pittsburgh in his first game in 2015 after missing six following knee surgery, 34 against the Dolphins in 2016 after missing three games following an NFL suspension for egregious hits Anthony Munoz Jersey , and 52 at Cleveland last season in his first game following another three-game NFL suspension for an egregious hit.“When you get out there, you want to be competitive,” said the former Arizona State player, who’s preparing for his seventh NFL season. “You don’t have to play every play. We’ve got enough good linebackers that it gives me a chance to get out for a couple of plays.”The Bengals activated Burfict after Friday’s practice. They hope he can shore up a defense that ranks 29th in the 32-team NFL in yards allowed and last in opponents’ third-down conversions while giving up the 10th-most points in the league.“I think we’ll be all right,” Burfict said. “Every game, there are always two or three plays that get messed up. Last year, the other teams wouldn’t score on those plays. This year, they’re scoring sometimes.”Burfict expects his biggest contribution might be his fiery personality — the same intensity that has led in the past to penalty-causing Preston Brown Jersey , suspension-inducing hits.“I’m a vocal leader,” he said. “I’ll add my little two cents. I think that can help.”Temperatures in the mid-80s are forecast for Paul Brown Stadium, which could affect Burfict’s stamina. But he believes the conditioning he maintained during the suspension will help him stay on the field. He also doesn’t anticipate needing much time to adjust to first-year defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s system.“Football’s football,” he said. “The playbook’s the playbook. Your man is your man. His system is similar, but it’s different. You’ve got to get used to his calling of the game. It’s going to happen. It might take a couple of games.”BERNARD RULED OUT: Running back Giovani Bernard didn’t practice on Friday and was ruled out for Sunday’s game, leaving Joe Mixon with a bigger role in his return. Mixon missed the last two games following arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage chip from his right knee. He returned to practice this week. Receiver John Ross also was ruled out with a groin injury. Tight end Tyler Eifert went on injured reserve with a broken right ankle suffered Sunday at Atlanta. With their 16-13 loss to the Steelers in Week 17, the Bengals’ season is officially over.The 6-10 Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago, but it stings for Joe Mixon just as much now as it did then.“It sucks because you just come up short Cordy Glenn Jersey ,” he said in a post-game interview.Even though the Steelers defeated the Bengals, they still found themselves on the outside looking in moments later as the Ravens held off the Browns and taking the AFC North title. The Steelers’ last hopes rested in the Colts/Titans game ended in a tie. Once the Colts finished the Titans 33-17 on their home field, Pittsburgh’s fate became the same as Cincinnati’s.Even though the Bengals have been eliminated this year, Mixon is looking forward to postseason football following three straight losing seasons. “This is gonna sting for the next seven, eight months,” Mixon said, “but I know one thing. Next year our team is definitely going to the playoffs.” Coming out of college at Oklahoma, Mixon was pretty accustomed to winning. In his two seasons playing for the Sooners Randy Bullock Jersey , he was a part of two 11-2 seasons with major bowl appearances coming at the end of each season. In his two seasons as a professional, Mixon has seen just 13 wins. Losing is as good as any motivator for success, and the AFC rushing leader is determined to make the postseason next year.Mixon took incredible strides this season after a disappointing rookie campaign, but it’s hard for rushing success to translate to team success when only six teams finish with a worse adjusted Yards per attempt. The Bengals still have many problems even after Marvin Lewis’ dismissal from the team, but Mixon isn’t one of them. If they can stay healthy and put together a solid offseason, Mixon’s promises could very well be kept.