Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Terrell Suggs pays tribute to Haloti Ngata

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs has grown accustomed to playing alongside defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

Since 2006, Suggs has lined up in 129 games and Ngata has been there for 126 of them. So, Suggs wanted to make sure that Ngata knew he wasn't forgotten Sunday, when the Pro Bowl defensive lineman served the first game of his suspension.

After sacking Ryan Tannehill on the second play of the second quarter, Suggs did his version of a Tongan war dance called the Haka to honor Ngata. You can see Suggs' celebratory tribute by clicking here.

"I did it for him because it’s the first time I’ve ever lined up without him," said Suggs, who planned on calling Ngata after the game. "I wanted to salute him and let him know that I miss him and we’re going to hold it down until he comes back."

Ngata was suspended last Thursday by the NFL for four games after violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He is eligible to play in the playoffs if the Ravens reach the postseason.

In the Ravens' first game without Ngata, they gave up a 15-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. After that, the Ravens held the Dolphins to 48 yards rushing on 15 carries (a 3.2-yard average).

Suggs wasn't the only one who publicly supported Ngata after the game.

"He's the big guy. His presence is definitely missed," linebacker Elvis Dumervil said. "We're fighting for him to give him an opportunity to come back in the playoffs. We definitely want to see our guy back out there."

This shows how popular Ngata is in the Ravens' locker room. But it can be argued that this support is misplaced considering Ngata's poor judgment put the Ravens in a tough spot in the final month of the regular season.

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