Ndamukong Suh won't sweat sacks, happy with play

Winston Churchill once called Russia "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." But Churchill was lucky he didn't have to explain something even more confounding, like this season's performance by Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Through five games — nearly one-third of his fifth and possibly final season with the Detroit Lions — Suh has just one sack. That puts him on track to have a career-low three sacks.

"Stats are stats and games are games," Suh said Wednesday. "I don't really have a comment for that."

Pressed for more detail about how he would judge his play so far, Suh expanded. But only slightly.

"I think I've played pretty well," he said. "I haven't really took the time to say, 'Let's see how I've played over the last five weeks, four weeks, whatever it is.' I take week by week, game by game and go from there."

Actually, Suh and every other NFL player is required to examine his own play in excruciating detail each week via hours of film study and practice.

By most accounts, Suh has been extremely effective, even if he doesn't have the stats to prove it. He and linebacker DeAndre Levy are the two best players on a top-ranked defense that has been a godsend for a team with a struggling offense and kicking game.

Suh also has helped those around him pile up the numbers. The Lions are tied for sixth with 12 sacks, a pace for 38 sacks. That would be their most since 41 in 2011.

"I think the stats speak for themselves," Suh said. "I mean, you can make your own opinion off of that if you want to. I don't necessarily focus on those particular things. Winning column. I could have the worst stats and when we're winning — I've said it before — I'm fine with that."