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After linebackerVontaze Burfictwas ejected from last Sunday’s game for delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit to Colts tight endJack Doylewhile Doyle was on one knee after a catch, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden called it a tough decision and seemed upset that “nobody on the field in our stadium or in this zip code made the call to eject him. ”
That call came from NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron from the league office and so did the decision to suspend Burfict for the rest of the regular season. NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan made that call and Gruden said from London on Wednesday that he’s aired his grievances with that decision over the last couple of days.
“I’m not reallygoing to say anything, ”Gruden said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “I’ve talked to Runyan in the league office, he knows how I feel. It hurts our team really bad. And I’m anxious to see what the appeal says. I’m not happy about it. At all. And I don’t want to say anything else about it. I’m obviously upset about it. ”
Burfict had a previous five-game suspension for illegal hits knocked down to three games on appeal, so the Raiders may get him back at some point this season. They won’t have him against the Bears this weekend, however, and it’s clear that doesn’t sit right with Gruden.
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