The Detroit Lions are 7-1 and riding a six-game winning streak following their 24-14 win over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. This latest win was very different from Detroit’s previous wins in that their offense only put up 17 points against Green Bay’s improved defense. Prior to this game, the Lions had averaged 38.4 points on offense in each of their past five games.
Instead, it was the defense that made the Packers’ offense ineffective for most of the day. Kerby Joseph returned a Jordan Love interception for a touchdown as well.
To the surprise of many, Detroit’s defense put on an incredible performance despite one of their best players, safety Brian Branch, being ejected for an illegal hit on Green Bay wide receiver Bo Melton.
On Saturday, Branch was handed down a massive fine from the NFL, drawing intense reactions from fans.
Detroit Lions Safety Brian Branch Was Fined Over $20,000 for His Antics Against the Green Bay Packers
Branch was ejected because he lowered his head to hit Melton with his helmet well after the ball had fallen incomplete. The decision was not made by the referees on the field, but by replay officials in New York.
After his ejection, Branch flipped off Packers fans with both hands on his way off the field. This resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty being added on to the personal foul he assessed when he hit Melton.
He has been fined for both penalties:
The NFL fined #Lions DB Brian Branch $20,256 — $10,128 each for the hit that led to his ejection and giving double fingers on his way off the field last week.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2024
There are many Lions fans on social media who do not think Branch should have been fine, much less ejected:
That actually isn’t as bad as I thought. Still shouldn’t have been ejected.
— Regal Sports (@theRegalSports) November 9, 2024
league is soft
— LamarMuse (@LamarMuse8) November 9, 2024
He shouldn’t have been ejected.
— Serhan Dayi (@SerhanOnX) November 9, 2024
Fortunately for the Lions, Branch is just being fined and not suspended. They are already without Aiden Hutchinson, who suffered a gruesome broken leg in Detroit’s blowout victory over the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago.
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