Ndamukong Suh suspended one game for stepping on Aaron Rodgers
The Lions won't have Ndamukong Suh for Sunday's wild-card game against the Cowboys.
By
John Breech
•
2 min read
Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been suspended one game for stepping on the ankle of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the NFL announced on Monday.
The suspension means that the Lions won't have Suh when they travel to Dallas for Sunday's wild-card game.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell said on Monday that the team was prepared for a possible suspension, "One of the things, there's an old adage that you prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Caldwell said. "I think you always have to do that in our business."
Now that he's suspended, Suh will not be permitted to attend team meetings and functions; attend or watch practices; appear at the club's facilities for any reason; attend press conferences or appear at the team's January 4 game in Dallas.
Suh has three days to appeal the suspension. If the suspension stands, the Lions defensive tackle will be reinstated on Monday, January 5, which might not matter if the Lions are out of the playoffs.
The suspension is a blow to a Lions defensive line that seemed well-equipped to go toe-to-toe with the Cowboys No. 2 ranked rushing offense. The Lions defense has shut down the run this year, but with Suh out, that's going to make things more difficult.
With Suh in the lineup, Detroit only gave up 69.3 rushing yards per game during the regular season, which was over 10 yards better than the next closest team (Broncos gave up 79.8 rush yards per game).
Suh is an indispensable part of the Lions defense: He plugs up holes in the run game, but it is also able to put pressure on the passer. Suh's 36 regular season sacks since 2010 are the most by any defensive tackle in the NFL.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Merton Hanks wrote a letter to Suh, explaining why he was suspended.
"You did not respond in the manner of someone who had lost his balance and accidentally contacted another player who was lying on the ground," Hanks wrote. "This illegal contact, specifically the second step and push off with your left foot, clearly could have been avoided."
The ankle stomp happened on a third-and-5 pass play in the fourth quarter after Rodgers was knocked to the ground. At that point, Suh stepped back and landed on Rodgers ankle, an action that clearly angered Rodgers.
Here's another angle.
Suh is the second player in Detroit to be suspended in as many weeks. Center Dominic Raiola was suspended for Sunday's game after he stepped on the ankle of a Bears' player in Week 16.
This is the second suspension of Suh's career, he was also suspended two games in 2011 for stomping on the arm of then-Packers center Evan Dietrich-Smith.
