Tough to argue with Suh’s production
Ndamukong Suh was fined $420,669 during his five seasons with the Lions. He narrowly avoided another hit to the wallet in his Dolphins debut. By Ira Kaufman | Tribune Staff Published: September 19, 2015NEW ORLEANS — Love him, hate him or fear him, Ndamukong Suh is not going to be ignored.The All-Pro defensive tackle of the Miami Dolphins, drafted by the Lions one spot ahead of Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy in 2010, has emerged as the NFL’s most polarizing player.While few opponents deny his talent, Suh has forged a reputation for repeatedly stepping over the lines of football civility. He’s been fined nine times and suspended once for being overly aggressive, but that didn’t stop the Dolphins from signing Suh to a six-year, $114 million contract as a free agent in March, making him the highest-paid defensive player in league history.“He’s dirty,” said Bucs tackle Demar Dotson, who faced Suh last season in Detroit. “He’s one of those guys who, when you play against him, you know you’ve got to keep your head on a swivel and match his intensity, because he’s going to do something dirty.”Suh, 28, came under scrutiny again in last week’s season opener at Washington when he appeared to brush past Alfred Morris and kick the helmet off the running back as he stood over him.After a review, the NFL came out with a statement on Monday, saying the incident did not merit any sanctions.Suh is taking his act to Jacksonville today, determined to make more of an impact than he did in his Dolphins debut. He was credited with only two tackles in Miami’s 17-10 victory as the Redskins gashed the Dolphins for 161 yards on the ground.“At the end of the day, you want to outdo whatever you did in the past,” Suh said. “That’s how I live my life, just try to do better each and every day.”That’s a noble goal for any player, but Suh’s fondness for ultra-aggressive behavior is now part of the 6-foot-4, 307-pound package he brings onto the field each week.He lost $420,669 in fines and suspensions for on-field misbehavior while with the Lions and was nearly suspended for their playoff game at Dallas last season.If you’re waiting for Suh to apologize, grab a chair. This could take awhile.“I wouldn’t call him a dirty player,” said Jaguars running back Bernard Pierce. ”I would call him a passionate player.”Suh and McCoy, who is one year younger, appear destined to be linked together.Suh posted 36 sacks from 2010-14, eight more than McCoy, whose first two seasons were undermined by biceps injuries. The Lions were 38-42 in that span, making the playoffs twice, while the Bucs won only 27 of 80 games and haven’t qualified for the playoffs since the 2007 season.In sharp contrast to Suh, McCoy’s style of play has been criticized by some Bucs fans as being too respectful toward opponents.Every time McCoy helps a running back to his feet, he evokes memories of the late Lee Roy Selmon, a Hall of Fame defensive end for the Bucs also noted for his class and gentlemanly play. In style, Suh is much more like Bucs Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who set a nasty tone on fall Sundays.“If you want to bend the narrative to Suh being this dirty player, then I’m sure you could say those things are dirty,” Jaguars defensive end Jared Odrick said. ”But I think he’s a guy who plays hard and toes that line of getting people to think whether he’s dirty or not. And I think he does a great job at it.”For Dotson, Suh crosses that line routinely.“You’ve got to keep him off your quarterback because he’s going to hit him late,” Dotson said. “He takes it over the edge. If he’s on your team, in a way you’d like it because you know every Sunday he’s going to give you his best. But I don’t think cheap shots are the way to go.“Ndamukong Suh is too good of a football player. He doesn’t need to do all that other stuff.”[email protected]Twitter: @IKaufmanTBO
