Unhappy Suh plans to appeal $20K NFL fine for hit on Dalton

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh acknowledged Wednesday that he's clearly "not happy" with the $20,000 fine the NFL slapped on him for his hit on Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton in last week's preseason opener.

Suh plans to appeal the punishment -- "Who wouldn't?" he asked rhetorically -- and said this incident won't impact the way he plays football.

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"I'm not going to stop playing hard," Suh said. "I owe it to my fans and to my teammates and coaches. ... There's a reason why football is football."

Suh was fined twice last year for hits on Chicago's Jay Cutler during the regular season and Cleveland's Jake Delhomme in a preseason game.

Suh's checking account can absorb the latest hit. His five-year contract is worth $40 million guaranteed and as much as $68 million, though the NFL has increased the fine each time.

"Twenty grand? For the preseason? They're trying to send a message," Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson told The Associated Press.

Suh was fined $7,500 for what he did to Delhomme, grabbing his face mask, twisting it and slamming him to the ground. He was docked $15,000 for shoving Cutler hard and high in the back from behind during a game last December.

Detroit's second preseason game is Friday at Cleveland. Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas said he and his teammates are mindful of what Suh can do.

"Everybody sees it, and it's the back of your head, but it's not really something you worry about," Thomas told The AP. "Most of our focus and attention is between the whistles, and it seems he's getting a name for himself for what happens after the whistle."

Suh compared his situation to what recently retired NBA star Shaquille O'Neal went through early in his career, enduring lots of foul trouble for being much bigger and stronger than opponents but ultimately persevering.

Earlier on Wednesday, Suh let be known just how angry he was in a post on Twitter.

"$20,000REALLY???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #NFL #BIGFAIL," he wrote.

But the Lions rallied around Suh and came to his defense.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has taken his share of tough hits and suffered more than his share of injuries, said he believes Suh's play is misunderstood.

"He's kind of gotten a bad rap early on here," Stafford said after a spirited practice. "He plays hard, and he plays all the way to the whistle, but he doesn't hit guys late.

"He doesn't hit in the helmet. He always plays hard, and that's the way you're supposed to play football. I'm glad I don't have to go against him. But he's just playing up to the whistle."

Lions coach Jim Schwartz declined to directly comment on the fine, but he was asked about whether or not Suh's unprecedented size and speed lead to his hits perhaps appearing more violent than they are intended to be.

"It does look different when he does it," Schwartz said, "but it is what it is. The league puts it on the defensive player to know when the ball is gone."

Schwartz noted there is a "fine line" between curbing a player's intensity and style of play and going too far in the other direction.

One Lions official said the organization isn't inclined to address the infractions with Suh and isn't overly concerned. The Lions realize what a smart player Suh is, as well as his overall intellect. They believe Suh will figure out "where the line is" for himself.

Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said he had a 40-minute chat with Suh on Wednesday, and it was as enjoyable as any in his 30-year coaching career. Cunningham was adamant that Suh's ability and prowess make him impossible to block and works against him in instances like this.

"No one has ever played like this at defensive tackle," Cunningham said.

"There is no malicious intent on anything," he added.

Follow Jason La Canfora on Twitter @JasonLaCanfora

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rookie QB Dalton on hand as Bengals work out in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI -- Andy Dalton's first practice with the Cincinnati Bengals came on a college field on a hot morning with no helmets, uniforms, pads or even a complete playbook.

Not the best way for a rookie quarterback to break into the NFL.

More than 40 Bengals players participated in their first voluntary, full-squad workout Wednesday at the University of Cincinnati, where a handful of students took a few minutes to stop and watch the franchise's next quarterback start to blend in.

With his red hair, Dalton was easy to spot. His arm got some looks, too.

"He's got a good arm," receiver Jerome Simpson said. "He's very smart. I like him."

The second-round pick from TCU has some daunting days ahead. The Bengals are switching to coordinator Jay Gruden's new offense, one with totally different terminology than the previous offense. Dalton can't get tutoring from the coaches because of the NFL's lockout. Practice is limited to a few voluntary sessions in shorts and T-shirts.

"I don't know," offensive guard Bobbie Williams said, thinking about the obstacles in the rookie's way. "I'll just say: God help the young man. I mean, he's placed in a challenging position, but you know what? In this profession, you're always placed in a challenging position. It's up to you how you (react) to it."

So far, he seems to be doing fine.

Dalton got to Cincinnati a few days early to start looking for a house. He practiced Monday with the offense while the defense worked out at a suburban soccer facility. They got together on Wednesday, giving Dalton a chance to meet most of the defensive players for the first time.

It was the first time the Bengals have worked out without quarterback Carson Palmer, who says he'll retire if he's not traded. Palmer was the team's leader during his seven years as the starter.

Feel strange not having him there?

"Of course, man," Williams said. "That's the voice and the face you miss in the crowd. You miss hearing him, you miss his presence. But this game is an ever-changing game. One day we'll all be retired, and there will be a new group of guys in here at some point."

Palmer's voice is deeper than Dalton's, leading to some teasing by his new teammates.

"Andy's picking up the tempo," Williams said. "Yesterday we kidded around with him, told him he needs to deepen his voice, get some bass in it. But he seemed to have adjusted pretty good to it."

Dalton made tight, on-target throws during a relaxed 7-on-7 session, with players being careful not to get hurt. He barely overthrew a long pass to Simpson, who stretched all-out and dived in the end zone but couldn't quite reach the ball.

That moment was the closest thing to real football.

"Just instinct, because I want to catch every ball, show that quarterback that I want to work for him," Simpson said. "It's kind of a risk coming out here and diving for a ball, but I just couldn't help it."

Dalton is competing with Jordan Palmer, Carson's younger brother, for the starting job. Both are learning a new system. Players got some of the new playbook during the one day that the lockout was lifted in April, and they're trying to learn it on their own.

"It's definitely different in terminology," Palmer said. "I've been very impressed with how fast we're all getting it as a group. We've got 30 to 40 plays in. What percentage of the offense that is, I don't know."

Dalton spent part of the day getting to know his new defensive teammates.

"I didn't know very many of them," Dalton said. "It's been great just to be around everybody and to see everybody working together."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Dalton among 47 Bengals at workouts; Palmer, Ochocinco not

A total of 47 Cincinnati Bengals, including five of the team's eight draft choices, attended the first day of player-organized workouts on Monday at two locations, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Monday night.

Tackle Andrew Whitworth and defensive tackle Domata Peko organized the sessions, which had 25 defensive players working out at Ignition Athletics in Mason, Ohio, and 22 offensive players training at the University of Cincinnati.

"We ran the offense, did some conditioning and got a chance to get our football legs back," Whitworth said. "We got a lot of quality work in."

Second-round pick Andy Dalton was one of three quarterbacks -- none of them named Carson Palmer -- who participated. Palmer has said he will retire if the Bengals don't trade him, something owner Mike Brown vowed won't happen. Wide receiver A.J. Green, the Bengals' first-round pick, is expected to join the workouts later this week.

Fellow wideout Chad Ochocinco, whose Bengals tenure appears tenuous as well, also was a no-show. He is in Montreal filming a cameo appearance for the Spike TV series "Blue Mountain State."

Each unit spent two hours on the field mirroring organized team activities -- stretching, position group work and then running plays together -- before lifting weights for another hour.

Monday's workouts were closed to the media, but Tuesday's defensive session and Wednesday's offensive workout will be open.

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