The Detroit Lions took down the Green Bay Packers this past weekend 24-14. The win was extra sweet for Detroit, doing in front of Packers fans and solidifying their top spot in the NFC Conference.
However, after the game one starter had something to say to the general public.
“It Won’t Happen Again” Detroit Star Makes Impactful Statement
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
According to Eric Woodyard of ESPN:
As Brian Branch prepared to address reporters inside the Detroit Lions‘ locker room after Wednesday’s walk-through practice, one of his teammates shouted, “throw them up, BB,” while passing by.
But Branch, the second-year Lions defensive back, didn’t see his recent actions as a laughing matter.
He was ejected during Detroit’s 24-14 win Sunday versus Green Bay after delivering a late hit on Packers receiver Bo Melton at 6:18 in the second quarter with the Lions leading 7-3 at Lambeau Field. Then before exiting the field, Branch flipped off the crowd in apparent frustration and was flagged for another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Branch apologized for flipping double birds to the Green Bay crowd and said he agreed with the referee’s call.
“That’s not something I wanted to show or want people to notice me as that,” Branch said. “That was just the heat of the moment for me, and I apologize to everyone who seen that and that won’t happen again.”
After watching a replay of the hit, Lions defensive assistant Jim O’Neil called it hard to find a teaching point from that situation. The coaching staff’s immediate answer was to encourage Branch to lower his target, but nobody thought he had malicious intent in the moment to hurt anyone. Branch expressed that as well.
Here is a look at Branch’s stats this season:
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Opp | Result | Int | Yds | IntTD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | FRTD | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sfty | |
| 2024-11-03 | DET | @ | GNB | W 24-14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-10-27 | DET | TEN | W 52-14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2024-10-20 | DET | @ | MIN | W 31-29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-10-13 | DET | @ | DAL | W 47-9 | 2 | 47 | 0 | 47 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2024-09-22 | DET | @ | ARI | W 20-13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024-09-15 | DET | TAM | L 16-20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-09-08 | DET | LAR | W 26-20 (OT) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
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