There is no surprise Lions' defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's suspension was upheld upon appeal. I would have been shocked had it been reduced.
The league came down with the initial ruling, and there were no circumstances presented afterward that would have changed that decision. A little more contrition on the part of Suh (a Facebook posting and a call to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell) was about the only factor, and it wasn't much in lieu of his unfortunate statements following the incident that denied culpability for his actions.
The good part for the Lions is they know where they stand. The good part for Suh is that he is being presented with more than a week that will allow for reflection on what he did and, as importantly, how he reacted in the aftermath.
This isn't so much about what he did anymore. It's about he reacts to it. Ditto for the Lions. They were going to be a heavy underdog against the Saints with or without Suh this Sunday, and will be a relatively heavy favorite at home against the Vikings the following week. They need to come out of these two games at least 8-5. If the Lions do that, their playoff hopes will still very much be alive when Suh returns.