Bill Belichick urges NFL to change rules after Lions' Brian Branch faced ejection vs Packers
The Detroit Lions' Brian Branch was ejected from the game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday for colliding with wideout Bo Melton in a helmet-to-helmet clash. However, it wasn't the referees on the field who called for the ejection, but executives in the review center in New York.
As if that wasn't enough, he was penalized for showing the middle finger to Packers fans while walking off the field.
On "The Pat McAfee Show," former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick did not comment on whether the call was right or wrong.
However, he did say that the executives in New York had an extensive replay system that allowed them to look at the game from multiple angles. Belichick added that players like Branch make such errors because the rules differ in college and the NFL.
"Football is a pretty complicated game... So I'm for trying to make the college and pro rules as much the same as possible and where they can't be they can't be."
He argued that players who come into the NFL have played according to college rules for 3-5 years and get used to it. When they come to the NFL, they find it difficult to adapt to the new rules.
"For this targeting situatiion, what I would be for is the NFL to adopt the college rules. They learn the rule, they learn what targeting is how it's going to be called... I would be for making it all the same and that would help the progression from college to pro football a lot smoother."
Dan Campbell makes feelings clear on Brian Branch's ejection
While speaking to the media, Lions coach Dan Campbell was asked about his reaction to Brian Branch's ejection.
Campbell said that he always told the locker room they need to get used to heightened scrutiny when playing prime-time games.
"When you play in prime time games, New York’s gonna look at all these," Campbell said. "They don’t care about the 1 o’clock games. They do those prime-time games. So understand the situation.”
Campbell's words may ring true to some extent, considering that Carolina Panthers' Xavier Woods was not ejected for his helmet-to-helmet collision with the New Orleans Saints' Chris Olave. Olave was ruled out of the game due to a concussion.