Ndamukong Suh is the most talented defensive player in the NFL. In addition, he is emotionally unstable and unwilling to be accountable for his actions. In a postgame press conference, he attempted to explain away why he was slamming an opposing player’s head in to the ground before stomping on him after the completion of a play.
That was almost as appalling as the fans’ reaction to Nickelback being named for the halftime performance. Much like the Jim Schwartz handshake controversy with Jim Harbaugh, this is simply a sideshow that takes away from the fact that the Green Bay Packers destroyed the Lions on the field.
The Lions may also be without the services of Suh for a while due to his past history. He has already met with Commissioner Roger Goodell earlier to discuss his previous fines and penalties. The NFL hierarchy hasn’t been too forgiving with their judgments regarding player misconduct. This was a blatant case of unsportsmanlike conduct and I am quite certain that the ramifications will be swift and harsh.
Ndamukong Suh has thirty tackles and three sacks on the season so far. This may be his totals until midway through December if the hammer comes down on him. Suh is a walking contradiction, because he maintained that he was trying to remove himself from a bad situation where an opposing player was pulling him off the pile. If he didn’t do anything wrong, then why apologize? The defensive tackle must keep his composure for the team going forward in order to have a shot at a wild card opportunity.
On the field, the team took many penalties that killed drives in the first half of play. Every time that they marched to around midfield, it seemed like a holding penalty inevitably impeded further matriculation into Green Bay territory. Receiver Nate Burleson seemed to be overwhelmed in situations and Calvin Johnson was covered like a blanket.
Maurice Morris was the offensive star for the Lions receiving and rushing the ball. He became much more of a focal point after resurgent Kevin Smith was carted off the field. It ruined the feel good Thanksgiving story of a Detroit player coming off of unemployment to stardom. It could have been a metaphor for the entire city, but it ended in disappointment after the Packers put the finishing touches on this chapter of their undefeated season (thus far).
The squad has some concerns to address with the coaching staff. The Lions outgained the Packers by sixty total yards, yet the game was never close. It brings to mind the San Diego Chargers of a season ago. Detroit also committed three turnovers while the Packer offense didn’t have any. It is quite surprising that the Lions lost by double digits to an intra-divisional when the defense essentially stopped the run. James Starks and Ryan Grant were held to under forty yards combined. This is usually a recipe for success in the NFL, but apparently it’s not enough when taking on the elite.
The best news for the Lions could be the injury to Jay Cutler.