The Detroit Lions got outmanned on Sunday night, when the Kansas City Chiefs won decisively in a 30-17 victory. As if the humbling loss wasn’t bad enough for the Lions, safety Brian Branch made matters worse after the game. As the teams were exchanging handshakes and words after the clock hit zero, Branch threw a jab at Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Clearly, he had taken exception with something Smith-Schuster had said, and after the punch, the Chiefs receiver chased Branch down. The two tied each other up before Branch threw Smith-Schuster down by the facemask.
Thankfully, the scuffle was essentially localized to only those two players and it didn’t become a bigger thing.
That being said, it was a very undisciplined move from Branch, who will almost certainly be subject to punishment from the NFL after the altercation. And given that Branch has a history of fines—and an ejection in Green Bay that happened last season—it certainly seems like a suspension could be on the table for the Lions safety.
“I love Brian Branch, but what he did was inexcusable,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “It’s not going to be accepted here. It’s not what we do. It’s not what we’re about. I apologize to coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs and Schuster. That’s not okay. That’s not what we do here, and it’s not going to be okay. He knows it, our team knows it. That’s not what we do.”
Branch offered this explanation after the game:
“I did a little childish thing, but I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it. They be trying to bully me out there and I don’t even—I shouldn’t have did it. It was childish.”
Branch pointed to a specific play in which Smith-Schuster blocked him in the back, believing it to be a dangerous play that went uncalled. Still, he knows that was not the way to react.
“They do a lot of stuff, but I should’ve showed it between the whistles, not after the game, and I apologize for that.”
Here’s the play in question:
If Branch is suspended, it would be a huge loss for the Lions, seeing as they are already short in their secondary with all of the current injuries. On top of that, the Lions host the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week in a game that could have a big impact on the NFC playoff picture. With Kerby Joseph battling a knee injury of his own that has him barely being able to walk at times, the Lions need as many hands on deck against Baker Mayfield and company.
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