The NFC North has been home to some phenomenal performances thus far in the 2024 NFL season. And, in a Week 9 divisional matchup, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions would offer up the potential for more.
Both Green Bay and Detroit have watched one of their safeties enjoy strong seasons, with Xavier McKinney and Brian Branch being an integral part of each unit. While McKinney is in his first season with the Packers after spending his first four with the New York Giants, Branch entered Year 2 in the NFL this year after being a second-round pick out of Alabama by Detroit last spring.
In Sunday's late afternoon matchup between the Packers and Lions, one of these two stud safeties would find himself amidst a fairly polarizing situation. With about six minutes to go before halftime, Packers quarterback Jordan Love targeted wide receiver Bo Melton.
In coverage, helping out, was Branch. The Lions safety proceeded to lower his helmet in a tackle attempt on Melton, who had already dropped the pass. It was a reckless type of hit, to be quite frank. Regardless of whether you're a Lions or Packers fan, most would agree on that.
Following the play, though, Branch would be ejected. The decision came from New York, rather than the officials on the field.
Why was he ejected? The FOX crew called in Dean Blandino to help offer an explanation.
Lions DB Brian Branch has been ejected from the game after a helmet-to-helmet hit. pic.twitter.com/wgX5m9AOGr
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 3, 2024
"The officials called the foul. They can decide to eject. This happened to late. This had to come from New York.
"They're looking at it. They decided that the hit raised the level of disqualification," Blandino finished.
The Brian Branch ejection vs. the Packers ended up being quite the controversy
Again, putting fan bases aside, this was a hit that didn't belong in the game. However, was it a hit that warranted an ejection? That's up for debate. Lions fans were convinced, immediately after the ejection, that there was some kind of vendetta against Detroit in this one.
Take that for what it's worth, but even commentator and former quarterback, Tom Brady, had an issue with the ejection. The 7-time Super Bowl champion didn't like the hit, and agreed that it was a foul. But, he didn't agree with the ejection.
"I don't love that call at all. I mean obviously it's a penalty. And to me, it has to be serious intent, in a game like this," Brady said.
Looking around social media, the reactions were pretty one-sided unless you were a Packers fan. Now, Green Bay fans won't complain about the ejection, of course. But, whether or not it was justified is a completely different story.