All year, people have debated whether Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player. I have been cautious to state my opinion because I wanted to see if his aggressive actions would continue all season. On Thanksgiving Day, when Suh was ejected from the game, I decided that I do not need to wait any longer to call him a dirty player. I have been convinced that his aggressive actions will continue and that he will continue to attack players after the whistle.
In the Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers, Ndamukong Suh was ejected for his actions after the end of a play in the third quarter. Suh and Packers’ offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith went to the ground together. Then, while on the ground, Suh pushed Dietrich-Smith’s head into the ground three times. As Suh stood up, he stomped on the forearm of Dietrich-Smith. In addition to the ejection, the Lions were penalized fifteen yards and the Packers were given a first and goal in which they went on to score a touchdown. The decision to stomp on Dietrich-Smith’s arm was stupid and out of line. Suh was deliberately looking to hurt the Pakcers’ offensive lineman and his actions have no place in the game.
As most people know, this is not the first time Suh has been involved in controversial plays. In fact, he has been fined over $40,000 after his first year and half in the NFL. During the 2010 season, Suh had a controversial forearm hit to the back of the head of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. This preseason, Suh was fined for slamming Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to the ground and ripping his helmet off in the process. At the beginning of November, Suh even had a meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell in order to get an explanation for the fines and penalties he had received in the early part of the season. Unfortunately, it seems Suh did not learn much from that meeting.
Football is a tenacious sport and defensive players need to have a certain mentality to play at the highest level week in and week out. Personally, I am a fan of players who play hard on every play and finish their hits. However, kicking a player while he is on the ground or throwing a player down after the play is not necessary. Extra contact after the whistle can lead to more injuries in a game that is already full of injuries due to the nature of the sport. The players should go hard until the whistle blows, but once the play is over, the contact should cease.
For Suh specifically, he seems to be involved in too many scrums after the whistle and his most recent ejection is an example of a long line of overly aggressive behavior. Suh should be fined for his actions today and he may even be suspended. The Lions are a team that has been struggling since its hot start to the season and have relied on an intense culture to grind out wins. However, the tough-nose culture that has contributed to the success this season seems to be hurting the team, and Suh, at this point in the season. Suh, as well of the rest of the Lions, need to find the balance between aggressive play and dirty play. Right now, Suh has not found that balance and if he continues play the way he has played, he will hurt the Lions chances of making the playoffs.