OWINGS MILLS, Md.—Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs(notes) isn't shy with his opinions, and he took the opportunity of a conference call with Pittsburgh reporers today to criticize the NFL for allegedly affording special treatment to star quarterbacks Tom Brady(notes) and Peyton Manning(notes).
"The league has their favorites,” Suggs said. “One being in Indy and one being with that other team up north. Besides those two, everybody is fair game. Some quarterbacks are getting the calls right away. Some quarterbacks they don’t care.
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“Like I always said, Carson Palmer(notes) got hit in his knee in 2005 but there was no rule made. Then Tom Brady got hit in his knee and all of a sudden there is a rule and possible suspensions, excessive fines. It’s just getting ridiculous.”
Suggs defended oft-fined Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison(notes), saying he's under unfair scrutiny from officials.
Harrison has been fined $125,000 this season.
“Your guy over there, 92, I think he is red-flagged,” Suggs said. “The referees are kind of looking for him. Even if he breathes on a quarterback wrong, he might get a flag.
“I think they are looking at him more closely than they are everybody else in the league. In the referee world, they kind of red-flagged him.”
Earlier today at the Ravens' training complex, Suggs couldn’t resist taking a shot at New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Suggs thinks that Brady is pampered by the league.
When asked about the fight between Andre Johnson(notes) and Cortland Finnegan(notes), Suggs said: “Maybe I throw some punches at a quarterback with a bad hairdo, I’d get thrown out of the league.”
In the middle of a resurgent season and named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month on Wednesday, Suggs had a humorous answer for why he's improved this season.
"I quit doing cocaine," said Suggs, causing reporters crowded around his locker to break into laughter.
Of course, Suggs was just kidding.
"I'm just playing, I'm just playing," Suggs said. "I've never taken cocaine. My mom's going to kill me. I'm just playing, I'm just joking."
Suggs went on to say that he's having fun on the field this year.
Suggs leads the Ravens with 7 1/2 sacks after recording a career-low 3 1/2 sacks last season.
"I just felt the love for the game," Suggs said. "I started having fun again. I think we threw an interception last week and I just smiled the whole series. I'm having a great time out here.
"I was just having fun. It's just the love for the game. I just needed to get away and I think I was able to do that this past offseason and get back to being Sizzle."
Suggs recorded four sacks in November, notching 14 tackles.
“He’s been rushing the passer really well all the way through,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Sometimes, you come up with some sacks. We didn’t get the sacks in the last game and yet we got a lot of pressure, and he was a big part of that as far as getting Josh Freeman(notes) off the spot and making him move around and throw the ball. So, I’m hoping more of those come. Sometimes, it’s just being in the right place at the right time.”
Suggs has developed into a strong all-around defensive player, emerging as more than just a pass rusher.
“When I first got here that’s all I wanted was sacks,” Suggs said. “And then a certain defensive coordinator and a couple of guys were like, ‘No, you don’t want to just be labeled as a pass rusher. You want to do everything.
“You want to stop the run. You want to drop. You want to have all that on your résumé.’ So, I guess that’s a fair assessment that I can do all things. I guess I sound like a Bible verse"
Subject: Terrell Suggs accuses NFL of favoring Tom Brady and Peyton Manning 
Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:53 am