The Kansas City Chiefs entered Sunday night's matchup against the Detroit Lions in desperate need of a win to reach .500 and regain momentum - and that's exactly what they did, defeating the Lions 30-17 behind star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
However, much of the attention after the game focused on a brawl involving multiple players from both teams, sparked by Lions defensive back Brian Branch.
In a handshake attempt during the final seconds, Branch ducked Mahomes, prompting Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to approach him. Branch then sucker-punched Smith-Schuster in the helmet, igniting a major scuffle that also involved Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Players and coaches from both teams gathered at midfield to break up the fight. Shortly after the teams left the field, a video surfaced showing JuJu Smith-Schuster walking to the locker room with a towel covering his nose. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid later revealed that Smith-Schuster was injured during the altercation.
Reid said there's "pretty good damage on JuJu's nose," adding in his own breakdown of the scuffle: "The guy came up and hit JuJu for what looked like no reason."
Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed the incident during the postgame press conference, calling Brian Branch's actions "inexcusable" and revealing that he apologized to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and the team.
“I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable, and it's not going to be accepted here,” Campbell said. “I apologized to Coach Reid, the Chiefs, and Schuster. That's not okay.”
It's not uncommon for tempers to flare in professional sports, but this incident-especially involving Branch, who has a reputation for being a dirty player -is likely to result in league action.
The NFL has made it a priority to hold players, coaches, and even front-office personnel accountable for their behavior both on and off the field, as seen with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones earlier this week. Players around the league have been receiving weekly fines for unsportsmanlike conduct, player-safety violations, and obscene gestures.
Branch has already been fined three times this season and was fined an astonishing seven times last season.
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