Amid yet another flap over his on-field conduct, Ndamukong Suh is making accusations of his own.
Detroit’s star defensive lineman said Monday that Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan’s brief injury against the Lions was “karma” and hinted that the Falcons have been guilty of dirty play.
Ryan tweaked a knee when teammate Will Svitek stepped on his left ankle, but he came back in the game a short while later and helped lead Atlanta to a 23-16 victory over the Lions on Sunday in Detroit.
“To me it’s karma for all the bad stuff they’ve done in the past,” said Suh, who went to Grant High School in Portland and was the NFL’s No. 2 overall pick in 2010. “Their offensive lineman hurt their own quarterback.”
Falcons players claim Suh and fellow defensive lineman Cliff Avril taunted Ryan while he was down.
“I had respect for Suh before the game,” center Todd McClure said.
“But when Matt was on the ground, the things he was saying and the trash he was talking was definitely uncalled for. There are certain things you don’t do. (He said), ‘Get the cart’ and several other things that I can’t repeat.”
Suh didn’t make specific accusations against the Falcons linemen, but Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch agreed with Suh.
“There’s many, many, many plays that I can go back to on film that I watched all week that their offensive line has done, that they’ve been coached to do, as far as I know,” Suh said. “It’s not anything that’s not been said. It’s not anything that’s new. Those are things that they’re taught to do.”
Falcons receiver Roddy White also criticized Suh.
“Do I need Rodney White’s respect?” said Suh, calling him Rodney instead of Roddy. “No. Leave it at that.”
REDSKINS HURTING
Washington running back Tim Hightower is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and receiver Santana Moss will miss five to seven weeks after surgery for a broken bone in his left hand.
The Redskins have lost five offensive starters to injuries in the past two games.
Washington lost tight end Chris Cooley (broken finger), left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and left guard Kory Lichtensteiger (knee) in the previous week’s loss to Philadelphia.
BURRESS SPEAKS
Jets receiver Plaxico Burress spoke Monday at The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s annual fundraiser in Manhattan.
Burress spent nearly two years in prison after accidentally shooting himself in the leg in 2008.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence initially pressed for Burress to go to prison on a weapon possession charge.
Burress said that as his life as an NFL star was unraveling, he thought: “Let what happened to me serve a higher purpose.”
He later contacted the Brady Center, which was thrilled to welcome him as an ally in trying to teach about the stark consequences of carrying guns.
“If I can save one life, keep one kid from having a firearm, then I think the higher purpose was served,” Burress told the audience, which gave him a hearty ovation at the end of his speech.
A Super Bowl star with the New York Giants, Burress spent nearly two years in prison. He signed with the Jets over the summer after getting out of jail.
Burress said that when he contemplated what he would have done if he found himself needing to use that gun, he realized how foolish it was to carry one.
“Just the thought of that, it just gives you goose bumps to think about it,” he said. “It was a false sense of security because I couldn’t see myself actually pulling the trigger.”
EXTRA POINTS
Broncos leading rusher Willis McGahee is expected to have surgery for a broken finger on his right hand and will not play against Detroit on Sunday. … Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is day-to-day with an injured right ankle. … Raiders running back Darren McFadden has a mid-foot sprain and his status is unknown. … Browns kicker Phil Dawson made field goal of 52 and 53 yards in Cleveland’s 6-3 win over Seattle despite a bruised thigh. … The agent for Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson said the NFL reduced his client’s fine from $40,000 to $25,000 for his hit on Philadelphia’s Jeremy Maclin last month. … Packers rookie running back Alex Green is out for the season with a knee injury.
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