Ndamukong Suh Is Green Bay Packers' Public Enemy No. 1 After Ill-Advised Stomp

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was already considered one of the NFL's dirtiest players due to the numerous fines he has incurred this season, but he looks to have ascended to the top spot after stomping on the arm of Green Bay Packers' offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thursday.

Frustration had clearly set in as the Lions were racking up penalties and the Packers were building up a nice second-half lead in what would turn into a 27-15 victory. Suh grabbed a sprawled-out Dietrich-Smith by the helmet following a play and seemed to maliciously step on his arm.

Suh tried to explain his actions following the game by saying he was off balanced and trying to remove himself from the situation, but nobody was buying it, particularly the Packers. In fact, offensive lineman T.J. Lang took particular exception to Suh's account of what happened.

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That’s [expletive], Lang said via Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He clearly had Evan [Dietrich-Smith] by the face mask pinned to the ground. His explanation is crap. There’s no room for that. It’s a dumb penalty. He hurt his own team today.

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It isn't as if the Packers needed a reason to get motivated as they are just five wins away from a perfect regular season at 11-0 and are in pursuit of their second consecutive Super Bowl title. Suh may have gotten Green Bay even more fired up than it already is, though.

While Suh's actions reflect quite badly on the Lions right now, it remains to be seen what type of long-term effect the stomp will have. This is purely speculation, but since Suh is a repeat offender he figures to be suspended for a game or two thanks to his most recent outburst.

When Suh isn't acting like a clown on the field he is one of the most dominant defensive linemen in all of football. Because of that, the Lions' playoff chances could be severely compromised if he is forced to miss any time at all.

In another respect, though, the Suh incident could give Detroit a psychological advantage over the Packers when they meet again in Week 17. While it's quite a while in the future, the Packers could risk blowing their perfect season if revenge is foremost in their minds.

I doubt that Suh's actions were an intimidation tactic or anything of that nature as I believe he was simply upset with the way the Lions were playing. Whatever the case, all eyes are sure to be on Lambeau Field in Week 17, particularly if the Packers are undefeated and the Lions need a win to qualify for the postseason.

When Jan. 1 rolls around, the Packers will likely have two things on their mind. Beating the Lions will be first, but I have a feeling that getting revenge on Suh will be highly important, especially to the likes of Dietrich-Smith and Lang.