Five thoughts about Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh’s $100,000 fine for his low block on Vikings’ center John Sullivan on Sunday:

1. Any amount less would not have sent the appropriate message. This is the largest financial penalty — not including pay lost during suspensions — that has ever been handed out by the NFL. It’s really surprising Sullivan wasn’t injured not that it mattered. It also didn’t matter that Suh says he didn’t intend to hit him low.

2. Suh should be happy he wasn’t suspended. Although a two-game suspension would have cost less. His game week pay checks are about $37,000. When he was suspended for two games after stomping Green Bay’s Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving 2011, it cost him $164,000 in missed pay. On Thanksgiving a year later he was fined $30,000 for kicking Matt Schaub in the groin.

3. That play was totally unnecessary. Sullivan was behind the play — he was never going to catch DeAndre Levy who was on his way to the end zone. It might be a little different if Sullivan had been a running back or wide receiver. Suh has to know this. If he didn’t look up-field at the dust created by Levy, he should have.

4. If the Lions had lost by a touchdown, Suh would be blasted by fans. Instead most of them seem to defend him and think the fine is excessive. He is their guy. If he was on another team they would hate him.

5. Suh reportedly apologized to his teammates on Tuesday. Swell, but he should have done it immediately after the game instead of waiting until he was fined. I say too little, too late. He was voted a defensive team captain last week and then called a short team meeting telling his teammates they had to cut back on silly penalties. Just how silly does $100,000 sound?

(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Order her book,  “100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die’’ here. It’s also available at bookstores.)