The Detroit Lions' 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs wasn't great, and neither was what transpired post-game with safety Brian Branch and Chiefs receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.
With Patrick Mahomes seen after the game putting out his hand for a handshake to Branch, to which the Lions safety ignored, then came Juju Smith-Schuster, who offered the same, only for Branch to shove the receiver in the face, and that is where things kicked off.
Head coach Dan Campbell stated post-game: “I love Brian Branch but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not gonna be accepted here.”
And as it turns out, the NFL isn't accepting it either, with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport posting on X that Branch has been suspended for one game.
With the Lions now taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they will do so without their star safety, who will be on the sidelines.
Branch suspension adds to Lions misery
The Chiefs were thought to be able to be "got at" by the Lions, who were riding high on a four-game winning streak, but Patrick Mahomes and Co. looked like the old Kansas City, so too did Steve Spagnuolo's defense, keeping Detroit to just 17 points.
At 4-2, it isn't panic stations, but now coming up against a Buccaneers team with Baker Mayfield that puts up points for fun, the Lions' defense is going to be stressed to the max, and that would have been with Branch; now they will be without him.
It was a dirty night at Arrowhead, and the ending with Branch was a sour way to end the game. With the NFL stepping in and suspending Brian, it is clear that sort of action has no place in the game, and now Detroit has to face off against an NFC rival without one of its star players.
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