Allen Park — Regardless of the validity of NBC analyst and former NFL star Rodney Harrison’s comments that the Lions didn’t appropriately defend quarterback Matthew Stafford after a personal foul along their sideline Sunday, the team’s toughness is now in question.
For the Lions, any response after Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr shoved Stafford along the sideline late in the fourth quarter was a lose-lose predicament.
An overly aggressive response would’ve earned the Lions the dirty label they’ve worked to escape the past few years. A subdued one would receive a characterization like Harrison’s, who said the Lions showed “not a lot” of respect for Stafford.