Ndamukong Suh Suspended; Vikings Won’t Face Him Week 14

The NFL has suspended Ndamukong Suh for two games as punishment for his little stomping incident on Thanksgiving against the Packers. That may seem harsh – it’s not like anyone got kicked in the groin – but clearly this suspension is about more than just one incident, it’s about a whole perceived pattern of behavior with Suh who in two short seasons has developed a reputation as a dirty player.

Thanks to the NFL’s possible over-reaction to Suh’s actions, the Vikings now won’t have to face the Lions’ all-world defensive tackle when the two teams square off December 11th at Ford Field (aka the Vikings’ home away from home). Not only is Christian Ponder happy about this, but so are all Vikings offensive linemen who now won’t have to worry about protecting their limbs while they’re on the ground.

I have mixed feelings about this development. On the one hand I’m glad that Ponder won’t have to worry about getting his head ripped off by that crazy man Suh, but on the other hand, I sort of enjoy watching crazy men like Suh play football even when there’s a risk of my team’s quarterback getting his head ripped from his body and tossed into the front row.

Yes Suh is kind of a dirty player, but let’s be honest, many of the great defensive players of all-time have been kind of dirty. Dirtiness helps them be great. The league would do well to just let Suh be Suh, but obviously they have this whole safety thing that they’re on plus they have their image to think about, so I guess Suh will have to learn to dial it back even if it means diminishing himself as a player. That’s life in Roger Goodell’s NFL.

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