Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch had an early exit from Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers, getting ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on receiver Bo Melton in the second quarter.
Officials had already flagged Branch for the hit when the league’s officiating command center in New York instructed them to eject Branch from the game. The decision drew a strong reaction, with many speaking out against the decision including former NFL great turned commentator Tom Brady.
“I don’t love that call at all,” said Brady, who was part of the announcing crew during Sunday’s game. “I mean, obviously, it’s a penalty, but, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
Though the Lions were able to overcome the setback and earn a 24-14 victory, the ejection continued to generate controversy with many speaking out against the league’s decision.
Anger Building Over NFL’s Decision
Brady was not the only one incredulous at the decision to eject Branch. Others thought it went too far for the league office to kick the safety out of the game rather than just flagging him for unnecessary roughness.
NFL refs just completely changed the game by foolishly ejecting Brian Branch. Just give the 15 yarder and move on. 🤷🏻♂️
“The @nfl needs to look into the ejection of Brian Branch,” posted former Lions wide receiver Herman Moore in a post on X. “Something’s not right with that call. This is the equivalent of Goff getting ejected.“
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg also shared his displeasure with the call.
“I need to get a Thesaurus so I can find more words to describe how much I hate the ejection of Brian Branch in Green Bay,” he shared in a post on X.
Dan Campbell Not Sure Why Brian Branch Was Ejected
Speaking to reporters after the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he never got a complete explanation of why Branch was ejected, noting that the call came down from the league office rather than the officials on the field.
“The only explanation I got — those guys did a great job, (referee) Clete (Blakeman) and them, I got a lot of respect for what they do — they just said it came from (the league office in) New York. That’s all l’ve got on it,” Campbell said, via Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News. “That’s the first time l’ve ever been a part of something like that, since l’ve been a head coach, that somebody got ejected. So I didn’t see it. I don’t know.”
The Lions were able to hang on for a gritty win, withstanding the wet and sloppy conditions to earn a key victory over a divisional opponent. After the game, Campbell said the win was a testament to the team’s toughness.
“We’re built for this, man,” Campbell said. “Just because we play indoors, it doesn’t matter. We can play anywhere. We can play in the snow. We can play in the rain. We can play in the mud. That’s just us. We’re built to win.”
The win moved the Lions to 7-1, putting them atop the NFC North and into the top spot in the conference.
