Monday night's matchup between the Steelers and the Bengals got ugly between the two rivals, with multiple players engaging in dangerous and illegal hits, and as a result both Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bengals safety George Iloka have each been suspended one game, the NFL announced Tuesday. Later on Tuesday, the NFL announced that Smith-Schuster's suspension has been upheld after an appeal. 

Things between the two AFC North rivals have always been fairly tense, but Smith-Schuster ratcheted up the tension Monday night when he delivered a massive blow to Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, an illegal hit that left a lot of people angry at the wideout. 

Specifically, people were upset about Smith-Schuster standing over top of Burfict, taunting him. NFL VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan specifically cited that in his letter to the wide receiver announcing the suspension.

"You are suspended for the dangerous and unsportsmanlike acts you committed during the fourth quarter of last night's game. Specifically, with 7:10 remaining, on a passing play to a running back, you lined up a defender and delivered a violent and unnecessary blindside shot to his head and neck area," Runyan wrote. "You then 'celebrated' the play by standing over him and taunting him.  The contact you made with your opponent placed the opposing player at risk of serious injury and could have been avoided. Your conduct following the hit fell far below the high standards of sportsmanship expected of an NFL player." 

Burfict was carted off the field and immediately ruled out of the game. He was apparently "livid" about the situation. 

At least one player on the Steelers believes the hit on Burfict was "karma" for a large number of illegal hits previously delivered by the linebacker. 

There was certainly some retribution for the hit later in the game when Iloka delivered a wholly unnecessary helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers wideout Antonio Brown as the receiver reeled in a touchdown from Ben Roethlisbeger. 

Brown had pretty clearly already caught the pass, and hitting him in the head was definitely unnecessary. At the bare minimum, it qualified as striking a defenseless receiver.

"On a play which began with 3:55 left in the game, you violently struck a defenseless receiver in the head and neck area," Runyan wrote in his letter to Iloka. "The Competition Committee has clearly expressed its goal of 'eliminating flagrant hits that have no place in our game' and has encouraged the League office to suspend offenders for egregious violations such as the one you committed last night."

The suspensions came quickly from the NFL and, even though you expect appeals from both players, good luck in getting the punishment reduced.

This was headhunting on national television and it was a terrible look for the NFL.