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Lions' Suh faces suspension for Thanksgiving stomp

2:46 PM on 11/28/2011

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Defensive end Ndamukong Suh #90 of the Detroit Lions argues with referee Terry McAulay #77 after Suh is ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct in the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers during the Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field on November 24, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

DETROIT - The Detroit Lions are in contention to make the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, but they likely have to head into a key stretch of games without all-pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh is facing a possible two-game suspension following his actions on Thanksgiving Day against the Green Bay Packers.

According to ESPN and Associated Press reports, Suh will be fined $25,000 by the Lions - which is the maximum allowable fine under the new CBA for a player being ejected from a game. If or when Suh is suspended, the Lions would have to pay a $50,000 fine because team members will have been fined more than $100,000 for the season.

"I really have to fault the Detroit organization," NBC Sunday Night Football analyst and Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy said on Monday's Dan Patrick radio show. "I think they really could have stopped this. I think they could have made a preemptive strike and said, "Hey, we've got to get this player under control.'"

WATCH NBC SPORTS COVERAGE OF THE SUH SCANDAL:

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Suh was ejected during the third quarter of Thursday's 27-15 loss, the Lions' eighth consecutive Thanksgiving Day loss. On third-and-goal and trailing 7-0, the Lions had appeared to have held Green Bay to a field goal attempt after an incomplete pass.

After the play, Suh got tangled up with Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. Both players went to ground, and after grabbing Smith's head and bouncing it off of the ground three times, Suh stomped on Smith's arm as they were being separated.

After the game, Suh -- who has been hit with nine personal foul penalties and has been fined a total of $42,500 in his first two seasons - defiantly blamed the referees and the media for being ejected. He also insisted that he did nothing wrong.

"First and foremost, I'm only going to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, and my true fans for allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game," Suh said. "What I did was remove myself from the situation in the best way I felt and me being held down in the situation that I was in and for that, my intentions were not to kick anybody, as I did not, removing myself."

Suh insisted that he did not kick Smith, insisting that he was trying to extricate himself from the scrum. The video on Fox and the numerous still photos said otherwise.

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**DETROIT** - The Detroit Lions are in contention to make the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, but they likely have to head into a key stretch of games without all-pro defensive tackle "Ndamukong Suh":http://www.thegrio.com/sports/suh-requests-meeting-with-league-over-rules.php. Suh is facing a possible two-game suspension following his actions on Thanksgiving Day against the Green Bay Packers. According to ESPN and Associated Press "reports":http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7286514/at-least-2-game-ban-likely-ndamukong-suh-detroit-lions-sources-say, Suh will be fined $25,000 by the Lions - which is the maximum allowable fine under the new CBA for a player being ejected from a game. If or when Suh is suspended, the Lions would have to pay a $50,000 fine because team members will have been fined more than $100,000 for the season. "I really have to fault the Detroit organization," NBC _Sunday Night Football_ analyst and Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy "said":http://www.danpatrick.com/2011/11/28/tony-dungy-blames-lions-coaching-staff-for-ndamukong-suh-issues/ on Monday's Dan Patrick radio show. "I think they really could have stopped this. I think they could have made a preemptive strike and said, "Hey, we've got to get this player under control.'" WATCH NBC SPORTS COVERAGE OF THE SUH SCANDAL:

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

The precedent for stomping and kicking incidents was set in Oct. 2006 when then-Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth was suspended five games for intentionally stepping on the head of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode. Haynesworth not only stepped on Gurode's head, but he had also taken off his helmet and missed on his first attempt to step on him. Suh was ejected during the third quarter of Thursday's 27-15 loss, the Lions' eighth consecutive Thanksgiving Day loss. On third-and-goal and trailing 7-0, the Lions had appeared to have held Green Bay to a field goal attempt after an incomplete pass. After the play, Suh got tangled up with Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. Both players went to ground, and after grabbing Smith's head and bouncing it off of the ground three times, Suh stomped on Smith's arm as they were being separated. After the game, Suh -- who has been hit with nine personal foul penalties and has been fined a total of $42,500 in his first two seasons - defiantly blamed the referees and the media for being ejected. He also insisted that he did nothing wrong. "First and foremost, I'm only going to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, and my true fans for allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game," Suh said. "What I did was remove myself from the situation in the best way I felt and me being held down in the situation that I was in and for that, my intentions were not to kick anybody, as I did not, removing myself." Suh insisted that he did not kick Smith, insisting that he was trying to extricate himself from the scrum. The video on Fox and the numerous still photos said otherwise.