Referees must be more willing to issue ejections for illegal hits

With all eyes fixated on a prime-time game, NFL officials failed yet again to protect a player who could not protect himself.

As Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was attempting to slide for a first down, Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso chased him down and delivered an ugly, ill-timed hit to the passer's head.

While Flacco was immediately dazed and later diagnosed with a concussion, Alonso received a 15-yard penalty, but was allowed to continue playing.

This was the second time this season that officials failed to issue an ejection to a player who crossed the line.

In Week 3, Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams endured a direct and unnecessarily vicious headshot from Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan. While the defender was eventually given a one-game suspension, he too was allowed to continue despite the score being out of reach at the time.

If the NFL is serious about cleaning up the game and making it safer, officials cannot allow hits like the ones from Alonso and Trevathan to go unpunished - even if they don't believe the hits to be malicious.

Any player hurting someone on a borderline play should get the boot. Little progress will be made as long as players have the ability to argue "I didn't mean to hit him like that."

Alonso may not have intended to smash Flacco's helmet off as the quarterback went in for the slide. But the hit still happened, and that's the problem.

Players need to know that their actions will carry immediate consequences. If the league is going to allow players, particularly quarterbacks, to be knocked into oblivion with an illegal hit on national television without any real ramifications, they're sending the message to everyone that this is fine.

With the speed at which the game is played, it's difficult for officials to make the big decisions that can greatly impact a contest. If the answer is allowing officials to review hits like NCAA referees do with targeting calls, let them do it.

The process of correcting illegal hits with fines or suspensions after the fact doesn't send a strong enough message when those methods of punishment are still valid on top of an ejection.

No one wants to talk about how the physicality of football is some fans' favorite aspect of the sport, but also the most detrimental to its present and future. The NFL needs to recognize this and stop tolerating so many dangerous plays.