The Eagles have been calling out a well-known dirty player of long standing linebacker Terrell Suggs of the Ravens. On the scale of dirty players there are two currently that set themselves apart from the "Pigpen" crowd safety Brandon Meriweather and Suggs.
Meriweather is well known to lead with his helmet as he launches for the head. He holds the distinction, if that is the right word to use, as the only player to get the best of Eddie Lacy in a one-on-one confrontation knocking him out of the game and the next with a concussion his rookie year when he was with his third team the Redskins (who were and are so bad they'd sign anyone, including Donald Trump if he could play football). Ironically (there is a God), Meriweather was knocked out the game with a concussion of his own when we went for a high hit against James Starks.
Eddie Lacy gets a concussion during the Packers Redskins game
He is currently with his fourth team the New York Giants and he started his controversial career with the Patriots (the acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree) before being released and signing with the Bears (also seems appropriate). Meriweather is totally unapologetic saying he wouldn't change how he plays and would just pay the fines for illegal hits.
In 2014 Suggs was fined $8,268 for intentionally trying to hurt Steelers running back LaGarrette Blount on a hit from behind when his progress had been stopped. He also had several late hits on Ben Roethlisberger during that same game. It was evidently the only time I could find he had been fined, except for wearing a gladiator mask ($5,512) out of the shute, since he's technically stayed within the rules as he did this time.
Suggs has a history of violence, domestic violence. In 2009 he was accused of abusing his future wife (doesn't that sound familiar about another Raven) giving her busted lips, a broken nose, black eyes and bruises. This man is a tool, a dangerous tool however, no charges were ever filed (don't get me started about women staying with their abusers for whatever reason).
What is funny or should I say sad is how the national media has seemed to have forgotten about his past and is now clueless to reading between the lines of what he says. The whole argument that came from Suggs going low after Eagle quarterback Sam Bradford - he of two serious knee surgeries - last week is whether it was a legal hit or not. Sorry, but that is not the real issue. The real issue is whether or not Suggs was trying to hurt Bradford.
Here is his exact quote after the game, ""When you run the read option, you have to know the rules. If you want to run the read option with your starting quarterback that's had two knee surgeries, that's on you. That's not my responsibility to update you on the rule. I could’ve hit him harder on that. I didn’t. I eased up."
When you see the replay it was obvious Suggs went low for the legs and it was only because Bradford stepped aside a bit he didn't take the hit directly on the front of his knees. It wasn't because Suggs pulled off to the side as he and his sycophants (including some talking heads) have said in his defense. It doesn't take much to give Bradford a season-ending knee injury, so any hit directly on his knee could be serious.
Terrell Suggs flagged for hit on Sam Bradford
His comment about hitting within the rules proves, at least to me, he did it on purpose. He sounds just like a politician being careful about his words when he's been caught with his hand in the till or his something in someone else. It seems in the NFL you can try to hurt someone and still be within the rules and then have serious people defend you. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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