Terrelle Suggs Unfazed by Latest “Cheap Shot” Allegations

It may have only been a preseason encounter between the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles, but try telling that to Baltimore enforcer Terrelle Suggs.

The emotional Ravens pass rusher became ensnared in yet another “cheap shot” allegation today when he appeared to attack the legs of Eagles’ quarterback Sam Bradford midway through the opening quarter.

Bradford earned the start today after rehabilitating from a well documented ACL tear last season; one that saw him ousted from the team that selected him first overall, the St. Louis Rams, and offered a lifeline by Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.

Despite this, Suggs had no sympathy for the recovering signal caller, telling reporters after the game: “If you want to run the read option with your starting quarterback who’s had two knee surgeries, that’s on you.”

In Suggs’ defense, the hit did in fact come on a read option play out of the shotgun, in which Bradford handed the ball off to his running back. Regardless, the quarterback is deemed a runner and not a “defenseless player” in that scenario, and while the hit wasn’t late, Suggs’ attempt to dive straight for Bradford’s knees aroused suspicion that he may have deliberately attempted to maim a fellow player.

One has to wonder whether the hit would have been quite so focused had Bradford not suffered any injury history leading into the game.

Deserved or not, Suggs has accrued something of a reputation as a “dirty” player in recent seasons, punctuated by his low shot on then-Steelers RB LeGarrette Blount in a game last year, when Blount’s forward progress had been halted in a standing gang tackle before Suggs dove in below the knees to finish him off.

The contentious tackle in today’s game was a low point for Suggs and Baltimore’s first-string defense, who couldn’t stifle the flow of Philly points in the first half, hindered in no small part by Joe Flacco’s two interceptions in his first four passing attempts.

Mr. Suggs would do well to remember that preseason games don’t, in fact, matter. The last thing he needs is a big fat fine to contend with before the season has even officially started.