Buoyed by the NFL's clearance of Terrell Suggs' below-the-hip shot on Sam Bradford Saturday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh came out in defense of his maligned pass rusher.
"When you start popping off about somebody's character, you cross the line," Harbaugh said Monday, via ESPN.com. "That's not really something that we would respect. But most of their guys over there understood the play and understood (Suggs) was playing hard and trying to get stops."
Of course Bradford, who has taken more than his fair share of shots, didn't feel that way. Just because the NFL ruled the hit clean doesn't mean he has lost his right to have an opinion on the matter. Both Bradford and left tackle Jason Peters were outspoken about the intent behind the hit.
While we're not suggesting Suggs' hit was dirty, we are saying that there are more than a few people who believe it was. Does Harbaugh saying Bradford 'crossed the line' really help the situation?
It's important for a coach to defend his players, but why question the opinion of the guy taking hits? Bradford isn't exactly a boat-rocker with a history of wild, false accusations.
This had the look of a no-win situation from the moment a flag was inappropriately thrown on Suggs. Now? We wait for regular-season football.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Jordy Nelson's knee injury and gives its winners and losers from Week 2 of the preseason.
