LeGarrette Blount calls out Terrell Suggs for being 'a dirty player'
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t appreciate the way Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs went for the legs of Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount during Pittsburgh's blowout win over its division rivals on Sunday night.
In the third quarter of Pittsburgh’s 43-23 victory over Baltimore, Blount’s forward progress was stopped after a six-yard gain and Suggs came in the pile late, striking Blount’s legs. Blount was not injured on the play, and Suggs was hit with a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.
Immediately after the play, both teams started to push and shove each other. No punches appeared to be thrown during the melee, and the officials had to separate the teams.
Baltimore was flagged 10 times in the game, including three personal foul penalties. Suggs explained what he was trying to do on the play.
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“He was running, he was still up and he was moving the pile,” Suggs said to the Baltimore Sun. “I assessed the play, and that was the only way I could get him down without him gaining more yards. I wasn’t trying to get him hurt. I was just trying to get the big guy down. I think it was traditional Ravens-Steelers, you know what I mean? Sometimes you just play football and some things get a little obsessive, but it happens. We play in a physical sport.”
Blount, who had 10 carries for 23 yards in the game, saw the play a different way.
“I don’t know what [Suggs] was doing,” Blount said. “I don’t know what he was thinking. He’s known to be a dirty player. As long as he does that he’s going to continue to have people come after him and do whatever we did to get in his head.”
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One Pittsburgh player said that Suggs should be fined for the play.
“He should be getting a FedEx in the mail,” Steelers tackle Marcus Gilbert said. “If he doesn’t, I’ll be very surprised and very disappointed. You don’t play football like that, especially when the play is already over. You don’t go back at a guy’s knees.”
Baltimore (5-4) returns home Sunday to take on the Tennessee Titans (2-6) and Pittsburgh (6-3) hits the road to take on the New York Jets (1-7).
- Scooby Axson
