Matthew Stafford plays quarterback, but some think he should also play kicker.
Tampa Bay D-lineman Ndamukong Suh was flagged for taunting in the first quarter of Sunday's Rams-Buccaneers, which isn't all that new or surprising given Suh's history. What is surprising, though, was what may have sparked the trash talking from Suh.
While referee Shawn Hochuli was announcing the penalty, the mic caught Suh questioning the ref, "You see him kick me?," referring to Stafford potentially kicking him after Suh hit him on the prior play.
Ndamukong Suh got called for taunting Matthew Stafford.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 23, 2022
Suh on hot mic: "You see him kicked me?!"pic.twitter.com/jwbozgDE0j
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The replay doesn't show much of anything: Stafford and Suh's legs appear to be tangled after Suh hits him, leading to the quarterback's left leg jutting out just a bit, albeit landing in an … unfortunate area.
Seemed like Suh was upset that Stafford kicked out pic.twitter.com/nc2tbleL9D
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 23, 2022
The contact appeared to be incidental. Breaking it down frame-by-frame doesn't help when there's a 310-pound defensive lineman charging at you.
Suh's displeasure led to some trash talk, when he appeared to voice some dirty words and the taunting flag.
I see a "f***you up" from Suh pic.twitter.com/ENMtIU7yJV
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) January 23, 2022
The Rams would capitalize on the penalty, scoring a touchdown and taking a 10-3 lead.
The play is somewhat ironic: Suh is no stranger to drawing flags for unnecessary roughness, and this time he was on the receiving end of a flag when an argument can be made for his former Lions teammate to draw a penalty.
Viewers were split on the matter: Some felt that Stafford was simply rolled over on the play, while others felt the kick was apparent and egregious:
Yikes. Suh was right.
— John Wawrow (@john_wawrow) January 23, 2022
Stafford did kick at him as they were going down.
Suh drawing an unsportsmanlike against Stafford.... Classic Suh
— Logan Lamorandier (@LLamorandier) January 23, 2022
I saw a little kick by Stafford too 😂
Stafford did kick Suh. Dirty player gets some of his own medicine
— Herb Lawrence (@Ecnerwal23) January 23, 2022
Ndamukong Suh: "You see him kick me?"
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 23, 2022
Weird sequence. Suh flagged for pointing at his ex-teammate Matthew Stafford.
The Rams were putting boots-to-butts early on in the divisional matchup, with a 17-3 score.