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 Germaine Pratt Cincinnati Bengals 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 Germaine Pratt Jersey 2019 , 34 against the Dolphins in 2016 after missing three games following an NFL suspension for egregious hits, 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 Color Rush Germaine Pratt Jersey , 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, 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 Cheap Germaine Pratt Jersey , 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. UPDATELooks like it may very well be an offensive-minded coach outside of the organization. Exactly one week after “Black Monday,” the first domino of the NFL hiring circuit fell with the Packers hiring former Titans offensive coordinator Matt Lafleur. Since then, four other teams have filled their head coaching vacancies as well. The Bengals are now just one of three teams without a head coach, but that shouldn’t be the case for too long.Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com is reporting that the team is close to hiring a head coach and they’re done interviewing candidates.Jay Morrison of The Athletic added he thinks the hire could be from an offensive-minded group outside of the organization:Cincinnati has been not as open as other teams in their decision-making process, as we don’t know which specific candidates they’re choosing between. What we do know is that seven of the eight candidates have an offensive background, leaving Vance Joseph as the only one with a defensive pedigree. The official list remains the eight we have covered:Bill Lazor, Bengals offensive coordinatorDarrin Simmons Germaine Pratt Jersey Womens , Bengals special teams coordinatorEric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinatorHue Jackson, Bengals special assistant to head coachShane Waldron, Rams pass game coordinatorTodd Monken, ex-Buccaneers offensive coordinatorVance Joseph, ex-Broncos head coachZac Taylor, Rams quarterbacks coachIt’s only a matter of time before the Bengals make their first head coaching hire in 16 years Germaine Pratt Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , as the other teams with new hires are currently putting together their new staffs. Who do you predict the Bengals will hire as their next head coach?