Ndamukong Suh is one of the most emotional players in football. That’s part of the reason he is so good. Despite having been fined and reprimanded many times by the NFL and accused of taunting opponents, Suh has vowed to not change the way he plays the game. After a recent meeting with Roger Goodell to discuss the NFL’s rules and the ways in which Suh has broken them, some people wondered if he would curb his playing style at all. As you can see from the images above, Suh is still letting his emotions get the best of him during game situations.
In the past we argued that Suh plays hard rather than dirty, but his actions on Thanksgiving were tough to defend. After the Lions came up with a big stop on 3rd and goal in the 3rd quarter to hold the Packers to a field goal, Suh was flagged for unnecessary roughness and ejected from the game. Green Bay would have kicked a field goal and only held a 10-0 lead rather than 14-0, but Suh decided to drive the head of Packers lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith into the turf and stomp on his arm. A video of the incident can be seen here.
After the game, Suh insisted he was “removing himself from the situation” and did not intend to kick anyone. He claimed he was pushing Dietrich-Smith’s helmet into the ground because he was being pulled toward the ground. He also said the stomping motion was nothing more than an attempt to gain his balance and walk away. Lame excuses only make the situation worse.
Regardless of what may have happened to inspire Suh to do that, there is no excuse for it. Most importantly, it’s a dirty play that has no place in football. Aside from being a cheap shot, it cost his team in an important game. Given his history, I would be surprised if Suh was not suspended for this latest controversial play — if you even want to call it a play. Late hits and borderline calls are one thing, but players need to be held accountable with more than just a fine if they stomp on an opponent and drive their head into the ground.
