Ndamukong Suh might be at it again. During the Detroit Lions game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Ndamukong Suh stepped on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers twice during the same play. While the defensive lineman clearly did the stomping in a way that makes it look like an accident, some are saying that once again Ndamukong Suh stomped on somebody on purpose.
The problem for Ndamukong Suh is that the star defensive player has gained a bit of a reputation as someone who goes out of his way to do these kinds of dirty plays. Last season, Ndamukong Suh was fined $100,000 for a dirty play in one game and had another game against the Packers in 2011 where he was clearly shown stomping on an offensive lineman who was laying on the ground.
As the Washington Post points out, the problem is really the complete and total lack of reaction from Ndamukong Suh as the play is unfolding. He takes one step back, onto Rodgers leg and then very slowly takes yet another step, also grinding his cleats into the fallen quarterback. The paper points out that it would seem as if the defensive player would realize he wasn’t taking steps on flat ground, but that there was clearly something else underfoot.
Yahoo! Sports reports that Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy didn’t see the play, but he’s not giving Ndamukong Suh the benefit of the doubt either.
“I didn’t see it live, I didn’t see it on the Jumbotron, but from what I’m told, I’m told it was ridiculous,” a clearly agitated McCarthy said . “There’s no place for that, so that’s where I’m at with it. I don’t understand it, frankly.”
For his part, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to agree with the official reasoning as to why Ndamukong Suh wasn’t flagged for taking two steps on the quarterback. The Green Bay passer said that head referee Walt Anderson claimed the defensive player was being blocked backwards and that’s when this new stomping incident occurred.
As you can see in the Vine video taken of the incident, there doesn’t appear to be an accidental step backwards. There also doesn’t appear to be any sense from the player doing the stomping that he actually is stomping on someone. To the credit of Ndamukong Suh there also isn’t any sort of obvious intent to do any damage and that might be enough to save the player from another fine or a suspension.
