Lions call Suh’s stomp ‘unacceptable’

Associated Press

DETROIT

For the first season-and-a-half of his young career, Ndamukong Suh could almost brush off talk about his penalties and fines, saying he would keep doing what was needed to help his Detroit Lions.

On Friday, Suh’s team publically chastised the defensive tackle after he was ejected during a Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay for stomping at an opposing player.

“The on-field conduct exhibited by Ndamukong Suh that led to his ejection from yesterday’s game was unacceptable and failed to meet the high level of sportsmanship we expect from our players,” the team said in a statement Friday night. “Ndamukong has made many positive contributions to the Lions on and off the field. We expect his behavior going forward to consistently reflect that high standard of professionalism.”

It could be several days before Suh finds out the true cost of his third-quarter stomp in Detroit’s 27-15 loss to the Packers on Thursday. An NFL spokesman said Friday that plays from Week 12 looked at for potential discipline won’t be reviewed until all games are completed.

Suh was dismissed after tangling with Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. After being pushed off Dietrich-Smith, Suh stepped down hard with his right foot, appearing to make contact with Dietrich-Smith’s right arm.

Suh said he was trying to keep his balance while freeing himself from the brief scuffle. He publically apologized to teammates, coaches and fans for “allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game,” but he insisted he didn’t intentionally step on anyone.

“People are going to have their own opinions — that’s fine,” he said.