Brian Branch, the top safety for the Lions, was sent off the field and may be subject to more sanctions. On Sunday, Branch struck Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton in a horrific manner.
For an unwarranted roughness call on a hit against a helpless receiver, Branch was sent off. Branch was then disqualified from the rest of the game because the NFL’s review center in New York deemed the hit to be severe enough.
On his way off the field, Branch received an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty because he was furious at the ruling. Following the game, Senior VP of Officiating Perry Fewell released a statement outlining the grounds for Branch’s dismissal. Fewell said : “We reviewed all the angles, and we clearly felt that he had time and space to make a different choice, as the act was a flagrant foul,”. “And he clearly had the opportunity to avoid the head and neck area.”
Brian Branch’s ejection caused major uproar in media
Branch is unlikely to receive a suspension for the Sunday incident, but he will undoubtedly pay a fine for hitting the defenseless receiver and a larger one for his unsportsmanlike behavior when he was giving the middle finger. Several defenders have spoken out against the NFL for ejecting Branch, despite the fact that the hit was vicious.
During the broadcast, Tom Brady voiced his disapproval of the Lions defender’s dismissal from the game. He claimed that the ejection made him feel as though the Lions had lost their finest player.
Tom stated: “I don’t love that call at all,”. “Obviously it’s a penalty, but to me, there has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
“He does so much for these guys and they’re going to have to adjust the rest of the game losing their best defensive player, who I know they were expecting to have a huge day today,”. “Not an easy guy to replace and Green Bay has great field position now without having to do too much.”
Richard Sherman, a former player, also voiced his thoughts about the ejection on his own podcast. He said : “This league is just getting ridiculously soft!”
Ryan Fitzpatrick, a former NFL quarterback, was completely in favor of the ejection.
