As the Ravens began preparation for the 49ers last week, Terrell Suggs was uncharacteristically quiet, declining to offer any bulletin-board material for the Super Bowl. Now the Ravens have arrived in New Orleans, and Suggs is being classy and sportsmanlike as he talks about his upcoming opponents.
Specifically, when Suggs was asked to talk about 49ers left tackle Joe Staley, he didn’t discuss the three sacks he had against the 49ers when they met on Thanksgiving last season. Instead, he said Staley was tough for him to handle.
“Solid, very good offensive tackle,” Suggs said of Staley. “I think he’s really underrated, but he was a Pro Bowler this year so I think he finally gets his just due. He came down to Baltimore last year and I had a little bit of a hard time with him.”
The Ravens’ defense didn’t have a hard time with the 49ers, holding them to two field goals in a 16-6 Ravens win, but Suggs insisted that the 49ers gave the Ravens all they could handle. It sounds like Suggs has a lot more respect for the 49ers than he has for the Patriots.