Meriweather: Ndamukong Suh's 'Tactics' Are Meant To 'Get You Upset'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Former Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather garnered something of a reputation for being a "dirty" player during his NFL career due to a history of questionable hits to opposing players' heads. This week, it's a player on the other side of the field who is making headlines for his own "dirty" reputation.
Ndamukong Suh, whose Miami Dolphins head to Pittsburgh this weekend for an AFC Wild Card game against the Steelers, has earned his own reputation for on-field behavior that, to put it lightly, could be considered dirty. Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount went off on Suh after the Patriots' 35-14 win in Miami on Sunday, becoming just the latest of many to label Suh a "dirty player."
98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich asked Meriweather about Blount's comments on Suh and how he feels about Suh's reputation for playing dirty. While Meriweather doesn't necessarily support what Suh does, he offered a different explanation for it: Suh doesn't do it to hurt you physically, but psychologically.
"[Suh] uses tactics. And I think his tactic is to get you upset," said Meriweather. "And a lot of people don't play good when they're upset. And I think when he's upset, he plays better. So I think that's what he does, I think he tries to get himself and everybody else upset during the game.
"Do I agree with him? No. But do I understand what he's doing? Yeah."
Meriweather was also asked about the incident involving Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib and Raiders wideout Michael Crabtree, who had become known around the league for wearing a gold chain during games. Talib told Crabtree he would grab the chain and snatch it off his neck - and he did.
Meriweather thought it was "hilarious" to see Crabtree have the chain ripped off, despite the "very disrespectful" move by Talib.
"I've been waiting for years for somebody to do that," said Meriweather. "You're watching film and every time you watch [Crabtree], all you see is that chain bouncing around. ... It kind of gets aggravating."
Meriweather also touched upon an amusing story that former Patriot Matt Light told about him from the Pro Bowl, and told stories about the dirty stuff that can happen at the bottom of a pile during football games. Listen to the full podcast below:
