Photo Credit: USA Today Images
Preseason games have no merit on actual season games, so why do people take them so seriously? Most notably the recent game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens in which the Eagles defeated the Ravens, 40-17.
However, the score wasn’t the biggest storyline, instead Terrell Suggs is what everyone remembers from the game.  In case you missed what happened, the Ravens linebacker sacked Eagles QB Sam Bradford around the knees. Bradford is coming off season-ending knee surgery.  At first, it looked like Bradford was going to call a run play with a read-option and Bradford could have easily been the runner. However, the game’s referee Jerome Boger threw a flag on Suggs for “roughing the passer” which lead to the Eagles, including head coach Chip Kelly, making comments about the play leading to John Harbaugh and Suggs responding to those comments.
Since the play, Eagles LT Jason Peters has made comments, “I think he’s [Suggs] that type of player – dirty, takes shots on the quarterback…” .  Along with Bradford who was upset about the hit and thought it was intentional. Along with those two players, HC Chip Kelly shared his disappointment at the NFL’s ruling that the hit was legal and tried to defend the play that his team had called.
Obviously, there’re two sides to every story and the Ravens have released statements. Suggs does not regret his actions no matter what either side has to say, “If you want to run the read option with your starting quarterback that’s had two knee surgeries, that’s on you. That’s not my responsibility to update you on the rules, you see what I’m saying? I could have hit him harder than that. I didn’t. I eased up.” Suggs does have a point in running the read option and that the Eagles should know the consequences.
The Ravens HC John Harbaugh has responded to the Eagles comments especially those targeting Suggs’ reputation: “When you start popping off about somebody’s character, you cross the line… That’s not really something that we would respect. But most of their guys over there understood the play and understood was playing hard and trying to get stops.” Harbaugh doesn’t see all of the fuss over what happened with Suggs and it does seem like it’s been blown out of proportion slightly. Since the game is the only preseason, it’s basically an argument over a game that has nothing to do with actual regular season football.
Here’s a question that I have for you, though. Do you think the hit was clean or do you think that Suggs went after Bradford intentionally?
