In a match marked by tension, the Detroit Lions faced the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, culminating in an incident that marred the outcome of the game. Lions safety Brian Branch was involved in an altercation with Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, sparking a brief fight between both teams. After the Chiefs’ victory with a score of 30-17 on Sunday night, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted a handshake gesture with Branch, but the latter ignored him. Smith-Schuster reacted to the action, approaching Branch and speaking some words to him. Branch’s response was a hit to Smith-Schuster’s face mask, sending him to the ground. “It was something childish, but I’m tired of people doing things between plays and the referees not seeing it,” Branch declared. “They were trying to intimidate me. I should never have done it. It was childish.” Smith-Schuster got up and chased Branch, who had played despite an ankle injury. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco tried to intervene, but Branch managed to remove Smith-Schuster’s helmet, causing several players from both teams to get involved in the fight.
Branch explained that Smith-Schuster blocked him from behind near the end of the game without the referees reacting. “I could have gotten hurt on that play,” Branch said. “Either way, I shouldn’t have done it.” When asked what he thought had provoked Branch’s reaction, Smith-Schuster replied: “I was just blocking him.” “I’m just doing my job,” Smith-Schuster added. “I play between the whistles.” Coaches and players finally separated the parties and left the field. Branch could face a considerable fine, and even a suspension, given that he was already sanctioned with a previous fine.He’s a great player and he’s very important to his team. After the game, I was hoping to shake his hand and say, ‘Good game.’ But he threw a punch.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster suffered a nosebleed. “The guy came up and hit JuJu for no apparent reason,” Reid said. “That’s tough, and it did quite a bit of damage to JuJu’s nose.” The veteran Lions defensive lineman, DJ Reader, plans to speak with Branch once Sunday’s emotions have calmed down. The loss snapped Detroit’s four-game winning streak, which was looking to win back-to-back games at Arrowhead Stadium. The Lions allowed 355 total offensive yards and failed to make the necessary stops in the final quarter. Jared Goff finished with 203 passing yards, with touchdowns to Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. Amon-Ra St. Brown was limited to 45 receiving yards, and Jahmyr Gibbs needed 17 carries for 65 yards.I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable and will not be accepted here. It’s not what we do. It’s not who we are. I apologized to Coach Reid and the Chiefs, and to Smith-Schuster. That’s not right. That’s not what we do here. It’s not going to be okay. He knows it. Our team knows it. That’s not what we do.
Dan Campbell, Lions coach
That’s a physical team, and they have a mindset that they come to play with, and we’re going to match that mindset. We’re not afraid to go up against anybody. That’s the mindset that Coach Reid brings every day, and we’re going to match the intensity of whoever steps on that field.
Patrick Mahomes
