Brian Branch
Sam Hodde/Getty
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 13: Brian Branch #32 of the Detroit Lions returns an interception in the fourth quarter of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 13, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
After a disappointing performance on the road in Week 1 against the Packers, the Detroit Lions had a lot to prove entering Week 2. They got another shot at a division opponent in the Bears, but this time they got to host them in Detroit, with a chance to make a statement.
They did just that, blitzing Chicago 52-21, and running up the score a bit at the end just for good measure. The Bears have a new head coach this year, a familiar face for the Lions — former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The top prize on the coaching carousel for several years, Johnson is considered one of the best offensive minds in the league and was behind Detroit’s famously explosive and creative offensive attack over the last three season.
Lions S Brian Branch had some thoughts on what it meant to go against Johnson after the game. “Very motivated,” he said on the players’ mindset going in. “We knew coming into this game that this is personal. Really all these game are personal, but this one was just — we felt like we’d been betrayed, from the staff to the players. And, you know, we love Ben, we still love Ben, he’s a great coach and a great mastermind. But yeah, it was time to get out there.”
Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell on Brian Branch’s Impact on the Defense
Brian Branch
Nic Antaya/GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 18: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders scrambles with the ball as Brian Branch #32 of the Detroit Lions dives to apply pressure during the third quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
“Well look, it makes our job a lot easier, that’s for sure,” Campbell said on what Branch offers the Lions defense schematically. “Because he does have so much versatility. I bring it up all the time, he’s a safety that has the cover ability like a corner. He can blitz like a linebacker. And tackling, filling the gaps, run gaps. There’s so many different things he can do. I mean, the guy’s a major asset for us.”
Branch was stellar in this game, notching six tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss, and a pass defensed against the Bears. He stuffed the stat sheet in practically every category, proving once again to be one of the best safeties in the NFL. The Lions needed a better performance from their defense, and Branch stepped up in a big way.
The Detroit Lions Looked Like a Wagon on Sunday
If you wanted to see something more from the Detroit Lions after a lackluster Week 1 performance, you got everything you asked for and then some in Week 2. The offense looked unstoppable, putting up 52 points with 511 total yards, but the defense did their part too.
While it wasn’t quite as stellar as the offense, Detroit’s defense came up with some key turnovers and high-leverage plays to turn the tide of the game. Branch is the linchpin of that defense in the secondary, and he did his part. Now the Lions travel to the Ravens, a team that will stress the Detroit defense in more ways than one.