Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy recorded his NFL-leading sixth interception on Thursday against the Packers, but that wasn’t the play that had him fired up afterward.
Instead, Levy was angry that he was flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting Packers tight end Ryan Taylor as Taylor was catching a pass. Like many defensive players, Levy thinks the league has gone way too far in its player safety rules.
“It’s a joke, man,” Levy told the Detroit News. “The NFL’s becoming a joke with some of these calls.”
Levy tried to get his helmet to the side and lead with his shoulder on the hit, but he did make contact with Taylor’s helmet. In the NFL in 2013, it’s not surprising that Levy got a penalty. Even if most defensive players would agree with him that those penalties are a joke.