DETROIT – Ndamukong Suh was voted the dirtiest player in the NFL, according to a recent Sporting News poll. He didn’t help that image Thursday.

In front of a national Thanksgiving Day audience, Suh was ejected in the third quarter of a 27-15 Packers win after he was flagged for a personal foul.

Suh was tangled up on the ground with Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith when he rolled over and smashed Dietrich-Smith’s helmet into the turf three times. Packers left guard T.J. Lang pulled Suh off, and the Lions defensive tackle threw in a stomp to Dietrich-Smith’s arm for good measure.

Suh claimed he didn’t do anything wrong afterward.

“I was on top of a guy being pulled down and trying to get up off the ground, that’s why you see me pushing his helmet down, because I’m trying to remove myself from the situation,” Suh said. “I understand in this world, because of the type of player and type of person I am, all eyes are on me.

“So why would I do something to jeopardize myself and jeopardize my team first and foremost? I don’t do bad things and I don’t have no intention to hurt somebody.”

Suh also denied stomping on Dietrich-Smith – saying he was still being held.

“I’m on one leg and I’m trying to get out myself, at the same time being pushed by his teammate,” Suh said. “How am I supposed to do anything else?

“I’m pushing down forcefully to get up and get myself out of the situation.”

Lang saw it differently.

“That’s (expletive),” Lang said. “Because I saw when I was walking over to see what was going on. He clearly had Evan by the face mask, pinned to the ground. His explanation is (wrong). He had both hands gripped on his face mask and he was twisting it. … There’s no doubt he deserved what he got. He was trying to rip Dietrich’s helmet off. You don’t just go for a guy’s head. That could be career-ending stuff.”

The flag negated a third-down incomplete pass that likely would have sent Mason Crosby out for a short field goal attempt. Instead, the Packers were awarded first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. John Kuhn scored two plays later to extend the lead to 14-0.

Linebacker Robert Francois picked off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on the next series, Aaron Rodgers then hit James Jones for a 65-yard touchdown to take a 21-0 lead and the game was virtually over.

“That’s when most of the chippiness comes out,” Lang said. “When a team’s losing and they’re about to be scored on again. That’s when a lot of stuff happens. A lot of guys feel they have to do something to fire up their team.

“There wasn’t really much leading up to it. … I think it was just frustration on his part.”

Dietrich-Smith was surprised Suh snapped. He said the two got locked up and things just escalated.

“I have no idea,” Dietrich-Smith said. “Like I said, we’re just football players out there playing football. Sometimes things happen. I don’t really know what drove him to do what he did. Stuff happens. I can’t really say much else.

“If he takes a shot, he takes a shot. I’m not out there trying to incite extra things or do any extra stuff. Stuff happens out there on the football field and it gets a little intense. That just happened to be the end result.”

Suh has nine personal fouls since he entered the league in 2010. He has been fined several times since he came into the league last season and even met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this year to discuss the penalties and fines.

“I’m composed as I go into every single game,” Suh said. “I play very composed and I can handle anything that you throw at me, as I’ve continued to do.

“You guys are going to create your own storyline, people are going to have their own opinions. That’s fine.”