The NFL Referees Association agrees that two officials crossed the line during Sunday's games. It disagrees with how severely the NFL punished them.
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The association announced Tuesday that it will challenge the suspensions of line judge Jeff Seeman and referee Adrian Hill, calling the discipline "excessive and inconsistent with past precedent."
Seeman received a two-game suspension and Hill a one-game suspension for unprofessional conduct toward players, as FanBuzz previously relayed.
In its statement, the officials' association said it also plans to meet with the NFL's officiating department about disciplinary standards and NFL Players Association leadership about growing confrontations on the field.
"NFL officials have a responsibility to conduct themselves professionally on the field, and the actions in these incidents fell short of that standard," NFLRA executive director Scott Green said.
"Accountability matters, but that should not result in discipline that is excessive or inconsistent with established precedent."
Seeman appeared to curse at Cardinals tight end Trey McBride following a play against the Giants. Hill appeared to yell at Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after Wilson accidentally collided with him during Minnesota's game against Miami.
Green said officials routinely face heated exchanges and sometimes verbal abuse from players and coaches. He stressed that those circumstances do not excuse misconduct, but said the league must demand professionalism from everyone involved.
"Holding officials accountable while ignoring or minimizing the conduct directed at them is neither fair nor an effective way to address this issue," Green said.
