Brian Segment was ejected from the Detroit Lions’ Bottom Nine victory over the Green Bay Packers due to a helmet-to-helmet collision. His guardian, Dan Campbell, believes the polarizing decision was partly invented by the Lions’ game on national television, suggesting to reporters at Sunday’s game later that NFL officials have fluid needs.
“He’s got to get used to it,” Campbell said of Segment, regarding the Lions’ game in the Sunday afternoon window. “When you play primetime games, New York is going to look at all of those. They don’t care about the 1 o’clock games. They do those games in primetime. So understand the situation.”
Segment, who has been one of the NFL’s most prolific safeties this season, was first called for unnecessary roughness and then protected a snap to Packers wide receiver Bo Melton along the sidelines. Officials later disqualified the former second-round pick for helmet-to-helmet contact.
NFL senior vice president of officiating Perry Fewell, a former longtime defensive tutor, defended the trip to oust Segment when speaking to reporters who follow the sport.
“We looked at all angles,” Fewell said, via the Associated Press, “and clearly felt he had time and space to make a different decision, as the act was a flagrant foul. And he clearly had the opportunity to avoid the zone. the head and neck.”
Melton, who absorbed the dispel, minimized Segment’s movements.
“I was playing ball,” the receiver said. “I’m fine, so it is what it is. He was playing ball and he hit me when I was in the air. So it is what it is.”
