This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CHICAGO — Despite video evidence that says otherwise, Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola denied intentionally stomping on the right ankle of Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson during the Lions’ 20-14 over the Bears Sunday.

“I was kind of stumbling,” Raiola claimed. “You know, totally unintentional. I talked to Ego at the end of the game, everything was cool. You know, apologized, hugged it out, whatever you want to call it. I talked to Jared (Allen). Everything was cool. I mean, stumbling. If you watch the whole play, stumbling, unintentional. I mean, I didn’t even see it so, I was in the play.”

Raiola maintained he hadn’t seen the video yet, but it doesn’t exactly support his denial.

Bears players certainly thought it was intentional and let Raiola know it.

“They thought it was intentional,” Raiola said. “I told them right away it was unintentional. Talked to them at the end of the game, unintentional, shook hands, you know, Merry Christmas. And, you know, we move on.”

That’s easy for him to say. Bears players had not moved on after the game.

“Y’all saw the replay. We all saw the play,” Ferguson said after the game. “You can’t take back what happened with that play. That’s the end of that.”

Allen confirmed talking to Raiola about it, but he hadn’t changed his mind about the center’s intentions.

“He apologized to him at the end and the league will take up for it,” Allen said. “There’s no need for it. That’s our guys’ careers here. You can break someone’s ankles.”

Fortunately, Ferguson was able to return to the field and finish the game, but it certainly could have been worse.

And that’s why the league probably won’t let it go. Raiola can expect a fine and a suspension will almost certainly be on the table, especially considering the center was fined $10,000 last month for striking New England Patriots defensive lineman Zach Moore in the back of the head. In that same game, he also dove at Moore’s knees on a kneel-down play.

“I don’t know what they see,” Raiola said when asked if he was worried about punishment from the league. “I can tell you, I was in the play. I know what my intentions were and I was trying to get out the way. I had no intentions of, you know, stepping on anybody. There’s no room for that, especially in the heat of the game. I mean, there’s no room for that for sure.”

Now Raiola just has to hope the NFL still thinks there’s room for him on the field next week as the Lions and Packers play for the NFC North title.

Adam Hoge covers the Bears for 87.7 The Game and TheGameChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.