Dolphins’ Ndamukong Suh gets ‘dirty’
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Three weeks after playing Cincinnati无毛视频檚 Vontaze Burfict, everyone else is kind of tame in comparison.
Well, maybe not in the case of Miami无毛视频檚 Ndamukong Suh.
Like Burfict, Suh无毛视频檚 rap sheet is lengthy. The Dolphins无毛视频� defensive tackle has been fined 10 times for $611,169 for offenses ranging from stepping on the leg of Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers in 2014 to kicking Houston QB Matt Schaub in the nether regions in 2012 to a throat slash gesture in 2013.
Just last week, New England running back LeGarrette Blount 无毛视频� a guy who once slugged a college opponent after a game 无毛视频� labeled Suh a 无毛视频渄irty无毛视频� player. Suh laid on top of Blount on the bottom of a pile, setting off an altercation. And that came after a play where Suh shoved Patriots center David Andrews to the ground after Suh jumped offside.
The Steelers are all-too-familiar with Suh, who leg-whipped Ben Roethlisberger in the Dolphins无毛视频� Week 6 win at Miami. Suh was neither penalized nor fined for that incident but Roethlisberger later required surgery for an unrelated torn meniscus injury that kept him out the following week vs. New England.
Also, like Burfict, Suh is good at his job.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 one of the best defensive linemen in the game, so you have to be aware of where he is,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said of the three-time All-Pro. 无毛视频淏ut I无毛视频檒l let the boys up front deal with where he无毛视频檚 going to be. Because that无毛视频檚 what they do best, blocking guys. So, I无毛视频檓 excited for that matchup. I know they无毛视频檙e excited, because they love the challenge. And their defensive line and linebackers present an awesome challenge for our guys up front.无毛视频�
Lured by a then non-QB-record, six-year, $114.375-million contract, Suh is in his second season with Miami after spending his first five years in Detroit. Suh has a career-high 72 tackles to go along with 5.5 sacks this season, but his reputation has largely overshadowed his accomplishments between the whistle.
Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, the Steelers无毛视频� largest lineman, joked how he might handle Suh.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e learned my lesson last year,无毛视频� Villanueva said. 无毛视频淚 think I got knocked out four times during interceptions. Right now, all the coaching I无毛视频檓 getting from (offensive line) Coach (Mike) Munchak is just get down in the fetal position and wait for the play to be over.无毛视频�
NOTEWORTHY
无毛视频� Technically, the Steelers practiced indoors on Thursday but the temperature said otherwise. In preparation for Sunday无毛视频檚 game at Heinz Field, where temperatures are expected to dip into single digits, the Steelers went through drills in the indoor facility at the UPMC Rooney 无毛视频 Complex and, at the order of coach Mike Tomlin, the garage doors were opened and the fans were turned on to suck in the frigid air from the outside. 无毛视频淲e were told it was 32 (degrees) on the non-wind side and 20 on the others,无毛视频� said G Ramon Foster. Veteran players said they don无毛视频檛 recall that happening before under Tomlin, but G Marcus Gilbert relayed that QB Ben Roethlisberger recalled Bill Cowher doing it in the past.
无毛视频� There无毛视频檚 been something else different around the Steelers practice facility this week. 无毛视频淲e try to do a good job of keep it business as usual, but there无毛视频檚 more cameras in my face today,无毛视频� said S Mike Mitchell. 无毛视频淏een a lot more cameras in the building, and that无毛视频檚 just testament to this playoff football.无毛视频�
无毛视频� Stephon Tuitt is all but certain to return to the lineup after missing the last two games with a right knee injury, and when he does he无毛视频檒l be sporting a knee brace. He said he无毛视频檚 worn them before, in both college and in the NFL, and that it doesn无毛视频檛 restrict his movement. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 light, it fits, it无毛视频檚 not flimsy,无毛视频� Tuitt said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not even joking. It无毛视频檚 actually really, really nice.无毛视频�
无毛视频� Earlier this week, Tomlin called it 无毛视频渉ypothetical crap.无毛视频� On Thursday, Todd Haley wasn无毛视频檛 talking about it. The Steelers offensive coordinator said he无毛视频檚 not concerned with the rumor mill which has him headed to another team to fill their head coaching vacancy. But, he also didn无毛视频檛 categorically deny that he might be interested. Just not now. 无毛视频淚 really believe if you无毛视频檙e worrying about anything else, you无毛视频檙e doing a disservice to the other coaches and players that you无毛视频檙e working with,无毛视频� he said.
无毛视频� In what should come as no surprise to anyone who saw the Steelers无毛视频� last five games, RB Le无毛视频橵eon Bell was named AFC offensive player of the month. Bell led the NFL in rushing (569) and scrimmage (748) yards in Weeks 13-17. It无毛视频檚 the first monthly honor in Bell无毛视频檚 career and first by a Steeler since Antonio Brown last December. It无毛视频檚 also the first time a Pittsburgh running back has won since Jerome Bettis in October 2001.
无毛视频� It was like old times on the South Side on Thursday with Cowher and former running back Jerome Bettis around. Cowher was there to interview his successor, Mike Tomlin, for an interview that will air before Sunday无毛视频檚 game on CBS.
PRACTICE REPORT
Steelers: Did not practice: LB Anthony Chickillo (ankle), DE Ricardo Mathews (ankle), LB Vince Williams (shoulder). Limited: DE Johnny Maxey (ankle), S Robert Golden (ankle); Full: WR Sammie Coates (hamstring), CB Justin Gilbert (shoulder), TE Ladarius Green (concussion), TE Xavier Grimble (ribs), DE Stephon Tuitt (knee).
Dolphins: Did not practice: CB Byron Maxwell (ankle), QB Ryan Tannehill (knee); Limited: LB Jelani Jenkins (knee), S Bacarri Rambo (chest); Full: CB Tony Lippett (thigh), C Kraig Urbik (knee).
BY THE NUMBERS
8/1: Odds that Steelers win Super Bowl 51, per Bovada. They are fourth behind New England (9/5), Dallas (9/2) and Green Bay (7/1).
QUOTEWORTHY
无毛视频滻 thought it was legendary play that I hope doesn无毛视频檛 get lost because of the meaning of the game but, man, what a play.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Todd Haley, offensive coordinator, on Darrius Hewyard-Bey无毛视频檚 TD-saving forced fumble in last week无毛视频檚 win over Cleveland.