Finally, it seems Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh gets it that his actions were horrific during Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day loss against the Green Bay Packers.
 
Suh, a second-year player out of Nebraska, was clearly seen shoving Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith’s head into the ground and then stomping on him after the whistle had blown. It appeared he lost it for a moment. That was followed by his postgame denial that anything like that had happened, though millions of viewers had just witnessed it on national television.
 
Since then, however, Suh has half-heartedly apologized for the actions that got him ejected from the game and almost certainly will draw a hefty fine and suspension as soon as Tuesday. To head off what is sure to be an attention-grabbing penalty, Suh actually called commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday to apologize, sources told ESPN’s NFL blogger Adam Schefter.
 
But that won’t save Suh. He is already one of the most heavily fined players in the NFL over his nearly two seasons in the league because of his aggressive play. The speculation is that he will receive at least a two-game suspension and could also be required to take anger management because of the frequency of incidents that have earned Suh the reputation of being a dirty player.
 
The Lions are expected to fine Suh $25,000, which the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, because his actions in the third quarter hurt the team. The Lions were trailing the undefeated Packers 7-0 at the time of the outburst that resulted in him being ejected, but they ended up losing 27-15.
 
"My reaction on Thursday was unacceptable," Suh said in a statement on his Facebook page Friday. "I made a mistake, and have learned from it. I hope to direct the focus back to the task at hand — by winning."
 
The statement was in stark contrast to his stance the night before on what took place on the field.
 
"People are going to have their own opinions — that's fine," he said to reporters following the game. "The only (people) that I really care about are my teammates, my true fans and my coaches and their opinions, and that's where it lies. And honestly, the most important person in this whole thing that I have to deal with is the man upstairs."
 
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris.
 

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