We're not sure why anyone would actively seek to make members of the Detroit Lions' defensive line more angry, but insinuating the group plays dirty will do the trick.
Atlanta Falcons players called out Ndamukong Suh and Cliff Avril on Sunday, claiming the pair kicked at Matt Ryan's feet and taunted the quarterback after he injured his ankle in the third quarter of Atlanta's 23-16 win.
Both Suh and Avril vehemently deny the claims and are clearly bothered by the negative way Detroit's defenders -- specifically Suh -- continue to be viewed.
"Nobody's out there trying to tear ACLs, nobody's out there trying to do all the season-ending injuries," Avril told the Lions' official site. "But then you have O-linemen that are taught that and they get away with it and all of a sudden we get the stigma of the name of being 'a dirty group' which is mind-boggling, honestly."
Avril pointed the finger back at the Falcons, accusing their offensive line of engaging in unsavory behavior.
"You watch film of Atlanta's O-line and they're 20, 30 yards down the field cutting guys," Avril said. "You're running toward the pile and they're trying to clean you up. Everybody was protecting themselves.
Suh took it a step further.
"To me it's karma," he told the Detroit Free Press. "For all the bad stuff they've done in the past, their offensive lineman hurt their own QB. So I'll leave it at that."
Suh might leave it there, but we're sure the Falcons won't.
