New England Patriots’ LeGarrette Blount sounds off on “dirty” Ndamukong Suh

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Jan. 1 (UPI) — As time ticked off of the Hard Rock Stadium clock Sunday, one Miami Dolphins player was still getting in his licks.

And he has a reputation for it.

In the fourth quarter of the Dolphins’ 34-14 loss to the New England Patriots, Ndamukong Suh and Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount got into a scuffle. After Blount got up from a short run, Suh snipped at his facemask. Blount retaliated by grabbing and ripping Suh’s helmet off. Blount was called for a penalty.

But the charade went on after the final whistle, when the duo addressed the situation in the locker room.

“Man, it’s a really intense game,” Blount told WBZ. “Obviously, we’re fighting to get home field advantage. Obviously they’re fighting to knock us out of it. There’s not a lot of guys in the league that like that guy. I don’t even know if there’s a lot of guys on that team that like him.”

“Yeah, he’s a dirty player. He has always been a dirty player, he will always be a dirty player. There’s no room in the game for that. At some point in time, guys have to defend themselves when they’re doing the things he does. Hopefully, you know what I’m saying, there’s something to be said about it. But all in all, he got his [expletive] beat, they lost, he ran in the locker room after the game and we’re good.”

The duo could face each other again in the playoffs if the Dolphins can take care of the Pittsburgh Steelers next weekend in the Wild Card round.

“Guys are just children sometimes, but at the end of the day you take care of your business and continue to play, as I did,” Suh said.

While Suh has an extensive history of incidents, resulting in north of $420,000 in fines and a two-game ban, Blount hasn’t gone without a blemish. He is most remembered for his postgame punch on Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in 2009, while he was a member of the Oregon Ducks.

Blount had 14 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown Sunday, while Suh had four tackles. Suh, a three-time First Team All-Pro, had five sacks this season for the Dolphins. Blount, who has never made a Pro Bowl, leads the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns.