Matt Ryan Injury: Did Ndamukong Suh Cross the Line After Ryan's Injury?

The Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions started their chippy play before the game even started. On more than a few plays they continued it after the whistle.

One play in particular has people in arms, though, and one player, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, is the center of the controversy.

On a 3rd-and-6 from inside his own 20-yard line, Mat Ryan dropped back to throw and was stepped on by his own offensive lineman.

He went down in what appeared to be considerable pain as several Lions players worked their way close to touch him down.

The quarterback continued to roll around, and that is where the controversy began.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes star receiver Roddy White saying:

"

I lost a whole lot of respect for 90 [Suh] today, and also 92 [Cliff Avril]. The [expletive] they were doing when Matt got hurt, that was unacceptable. ...Like 92 was kicking [Ryan's] feet, saying, "Get him off the field." We don't do stuff like that. We don't rally over guys when they get hurt. It was just inappropriate behavior. I mean, "Get the cart"? Are you serious? Come on. When you compete, you never want to see a guy get hurt. 

"

The play in question (seen below) doesn't show the aftermath in detail and neither Suh nor Cliff Avril can be seen close to Ryan at all.

At about the 23-second mark you see Avril come into the picture in the bottom right corner of the screen, but Suh is absent in this replay.

However, the AJC didn't have an accusation from just one player.

Center Todd McClure said:

"

I had respect for Suh before the game, but when Matt was on the ground, the things he was saying and the trash he was talking was definitely uncalled for. There are certain things you don’t do. [He said], "Get the cart" and several other things that I can’t repeat.

"

It certainly would be odd for players on the winning team to concoct a story like this.

Given Suh's checkered past with "dirty play" it is nearly impossible to find a way to defend him.

Avril reportedly defended himself via Twitter:

Suh, who is an extremely active Twitter user himself, hasn't made any comments on the situation as of yet.

There truly is no way to know what was said or what happened without having been down on the field.

Ryan said he heard none of it.

If either Lions player had something to say after Ryan went down, it certainly would be in poor taste. While these players line up against each other with the intention of physically dominating one another, taunting a defenseless and injured player is an inexcusable act.

The players also know each other extremely well. As unfortunate as it is, there may very well be some truth behind this situation.

Ryan returned to the field of play to help the Falcons hold off the Lions and doesn't appear to have any lingering issues.

The same cannot be said of Ndamukong Suh. Whether he likes it or not, this is going to further his "dirty player" reputation.