Detroit Lions coach to address latest big hit from Ndamukong Suh
By Cory Buck
The Detroit Lions need Ndamukong Suh to stay on the field and not commit penalties. Given that the whole league has eye on Suh thanks to a history of questionable hits, coach Jim Caldwell wants to make sure his star lineman is clear on the team’s expectations. Just don’t expect to know what’s said behind closed doors.
More from Detroit Lions
- Dan Campbell lets Lions fans breathe sigh of relief with C.J. Gardner-Johnson update
- Former Eagles safety, Lions star C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffers scary injury
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson sounds off on Eagles fans in NSFW rant
- Lions trade for risky potential Jameson Williams replacement
- NFL Power Rankings: Who is the best quarterback in each division?
“Just like I address everything else,” Caldwell said, per ESPN. “We don’t cut any corners, we don’t pull any punches. We talk about the issue, we talk about what needs to be straightened away, like most families would do. We don’t dance around issues and I think we can get them corrected that way.”
There are plenty of issues to correct for a Lions team is plenty talented enough to challenge for the NFC North crown, but has failed to consistently put together a focused, disciplined effort for a whole 16-game season. The team’s defensive strength lies in its front seven and if Suh keeps making borderline hits, not only will his wallet get lighter, but his team will continue to give up first downs and 15 extra yards to the opposing offense.
“It’s a league issue and I think it’s been handled very well,” Caldwell said of Suh’s desire to address his own tendencies. Suh had ‘reached out to league director of football operations Troy Vincent to discuss his play and how he can play better in the confines of NFL rules.’
“I think they’ve handled it very well,” Caldwell concluded, “I think they’ve talked about it at length and we’ll leave it at that.”