Dolphins’ Ndamukong Suh gets ‘dirty’
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Three weeks after playing Cincinnati鈥檚 Vontaze Burfict, everyone else is kind of tame in comparison.
Well, maybe not in the case of Miami鈥檚 Ndamukong Suh.
Like Burfict, Suh鈥檚 rap sheet is lengthy. The Dolphins鈥� 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 鈥� a guy who once slugged a college opponent after a game 鈥� labeled Suh a 鈥渄irty鈥� 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鈥� 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.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the best defensive linemen in the game, so you have to be aware of where he is,鈥� Roethlisberger said of the three-time All-Pro. 鈥淏ut I鈥檒l let the boys up front deal with where he鈥檚 going to be. Because that鈥檚 what they do best, blocking guys. So, I鈥檓 excited for that matchup. I know they鈥檙e excited, because they love the challenge. And their defensive line and linebackers present an awesome challenge for our guys up front.鈥�
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鈥� largest lineman, joked how he might handle Suh.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned my lesson last year,鈥� Villanueva said. 鈥淚 think I got knocked out four times during interceptions. Right now, all the coaching I鈥檓 getting from (offensive line) Coach (Mike) Munchak is just get down in the fetal position and wait for the play to be over.鈥�
NOTEWORTHY
鈥� Technically, the Steelers practiced indoors on Thursday but the temperature said otherwise. In preparation for Sunday鈥檚 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 缅北禁地 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. 鈥淲e were told it was 32 (degrees) on the non-wind side and 20 on the others,鈥� said G Ramon Foster. Veteran players said they don鈥檛 recall that happening before under Tomlin, but G Marcus Gilbert relayed that QB Ben Roethlisberger recalled Bill Cowher doing it in the past.
鈥� There鈥檚 been something else different around the Steelers practice facility this week. 鈥淲e try to do a good job of keep it business as usual, but there鈥檚 more cameras in my face today,鈥� said S Mike Mitchell. 鈥淏een a lot more cameras in the building, and that鈥檚 just testament to this playoff football.鈥�
鈥� 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鈥檒l be sporting a knee brace. He said he鈥檚 worn them before, in both college and in the NFL, and that it doesn鈥檛 restrict his movement. 鈥淚t鈥檚 light, it fits, it鈥檚 not flimsy,鈥� Tuitt said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not even joking. It鈥檚 actually really, really nice.鈥�
鈥� Earlier this week, Tomlin called it 鈥渉ypothetical crap.鈥� On Thursday, Todd Haley wasn鈥檛 talking about it. The Steelers offensive coordinator said he鈥檚 not concerned with the rumor mill which has him headed to another team to fill their head coaching vacancy. But, he also didn鈥檛 categorically deny that he might be interested. Just not now. 鈥淚 really believe if you鈥檙e worrying about anything else, you鈥檙e doing a disservice to the other coaches and players that you鈥檙e working with,鈥� he said.
鈥� In what should come as no surprise to anyone who saw the Steelers鈥� last five games, RB Le鈥橵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鈥檚 the first monthly honor in Bell鈥檚 career and first by a Steeler since Antonio Brown last December. It鈥檚 also the first time a Pittsburgh running back has won since Jerome Bettis in October 2001.
鈥� 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鈥檚 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
鈥滻 thought it was legendary play that I hope doesn鈥檛 get lost because of the meaning of the game but, man, what a play.鈥� 鈥� Todd Haley, offensive coordinator, on Darrius Hewyard-Bey鈥檚 TD-saving forced fumble in last week鈥檚 win over Cleveland.