The NFL is reviewing the hit Ndamukong Suh made on Jake Delhommee during this past Saturday's game between the Lions and Browns. Suh's hit, which involved him grabbing Delhomme's facemask before throwing him to the ground, drew the ire of many the second it happened. Right away it was clear the NFL would at least take a look at it, as the hit was a little much for the preseason.
Browns head coach Eric Mangini was going to ask the NFL to take a look at the hit if they didn't already plan to, but to him Suh simply made a "poor decision." Mangini, though he sounded upset (naturally) over the play, called Suh a "good kid" and reiterated that the hit was just a bad decision in the heat of the moment rather than something malicious.
Seneca Wallace, the Browns' backup quarterback, was less reserved with his comments, saying that Suh should be suspended.
Wallace said, "He already face-masked him, then he grabs him by the neck, twists it and throws him down. To me, that's something you can get suspended for, I think."
Wallace said the move was "a little over the top as far as a personal foul goes. I understand the face-mask part. But he horse-collared him and threw him down. We laughed about it, but that stuff can get people really hurt."
Interestingly, Delhomme, the victim of Suh's wrath, doesn't seem to care what kind of punishment the rookie defensive tackle receives.
"I'm just glad we got the first down," he said with a smile. He went on to throw a TD pass two plays later.
Suh understands that he can't just go wild on quarterbacks, but he said that a fine will not change the way he plays.
"I was just going after the ball and trying to make a play," he said. "And that's what I will continue to do. I had no clue he let go of the ball. I just know as a defensive lineman, we want the quarterbacks and the offensive linemen to feel our presence."
Although the penalty itself was a bad play because it extended the Browns' drive, you have to at least appreciate Suh's aggressiveness. He's had a tough preseason where double teams have prevented him from getting to the quarterback as much as he'd like, so when he had a chance to take down Delhomme, Suh let out some frustration along the way.