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INDIANAPOLIS –On Wednesday, the NFL levied a $30,000 fine on Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for a kick he happened to deliver to Houston quarterback Matt Schaub last Thursday on national television.
It was the second straight Thanksgiving on-field moment that has made Suh a player who gets lightning rod-type attention, though he avoided a suspension like the two-game fare he incurred last year after stepping on a Green Bay player.
The third-year player is but one talented presence the Colts must prepare for as they try to move to 8-4 in 2012.
"No, I don't think he's a dirty player. I'd love to have him on my team," said interim head coach Bruce Arians. "I like the way he plays. He plays aggressive, hard, fast and physical. I don't think there's anything wrong (with that). That's kind of why they call it football."
The defensive line has 23 of Detroit's 25 sacks. Every lineman who has multiple starts has multiple sacks, while Suh has 4.5. His total matches Nick Fairley's, while Cliff Avril has 7.5 and Kyle Vanden Bosch has 3.5.
It is the second straight week Indianapolis faces a talented defensive front.
"Every D-tackle (tries to make plays). There's not a defensive line coach in the league who says, 'Hey, just take up blocks.' They're going to make plays," said guard Mike McGlynn. "I'm excited about the challenge. They're pretty good on tape. Buffalo was a good front, so we have two good fronts back-to-back.
"I think Buffalo's D-line is very similar to Detroit's, both are penetrating, up-the-field types of guys. It's good (going from Buffalo to Detroit). It's a big challenge for us."
McGlynn and guard Joe Reitz could be the ones most often seeing Suh. McGlynn is a hard-nosed scrapper ready for action.
"Suh's a good player. Besides the reputation and all that, he plays the game hard," said McGlynn. "In the league now, a lot of stuff gets frowned upon. He plays the game hard. That's the nature of the business. Every week is a challenge, but, obviously, he's a good player.
"I don't worry about anything. Football is football. He plays the game rough. They (outsiders) peg him as the dirtiest player in the game, blah, blah, blah. I'm really not worried about it. I really don't even think about it. Us five (linemen), we have a good challenge in front of us this week. We'll see what happens."
Quarterback Drew Stanton joined the Colts this year after playing with Suh in Detroit. Stanton respects his former teammate.
"The rep that he is starting to get or has, I think it's unwarranted," said Stanton. "It's not fair necessarily, because I don't think that's the type of guy he is."
Detroit Head Coach Jim Schwartz says being in the spotlight is a normal deal for Suh and every player.
"When he plays in a game, there's going to be a camera on him every single play. That's just life in the NFL," said Schwartz. "If you can't take public scrutiny, if you have a thin skin, this is not the business for you, whether you're a kicker or a quarterback or a coach or a defensive lineman. That's part of this league."
