Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown Strongly Questions Reasoning Behind NFL Films' Controversial Brian Branch Video
The Detroit Lions are licking their wounds after Sunday night's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium with receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and others in pursuit of better days on offense.
The Lions' defense also struggled giving up 30 points to Andy Reid's team in a losing effort that culminated with a post game brawl involving safety Brian Branch.
Following the game, NFL Films released a controversial video of Branch's struggles on the day which led some to call it a 'hit piece.'
The video was taken down but not before players including St. Brown expressed their disbelief at what they had seen.
St. Brown Recalls 'Crazy' Video Watching Experience
The Lions' star receiver said he watched the Branch video and thought it was a 'trick' or a 'mockery,' indicating that he most likely did not believe it was actually from NFL Films.
Teammates Alim McNeill and Dan Skipper both criticized NFL Films' actions, including Skipper who criticized the organization for 'not standing on business.'
St. Brown was asked if his team uses things like the Branch portrayal as motivation.
"Yeah I thought that video was crazy I don't know why it was released, the reasoning behind it," St. Brown said.
"I don't know the reason why they posted it, but Brian Branch is an awesome dude, he's one of the nicest dudes, he's quiet, you never see him really get mad, he's always smiling.
"He made a mistake, he knows it, he apologized and I don't know why it's still getting dragged along," St. Brown added.
NFL Films deleted its video criticizing #Lions’ Brian Branch but his teammates took offense to it. “I thought that video was crazy. I don’t know why it was released, the reasoning behind it,” WR Amon-Ra St. Brown said.
pic.twitter.com/OqPnsQ7Nmm — Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 17, 2025
Buccaneers Up Next for St. Brown's Team
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are up next for St. Brown and the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Monday Night Football, a chance for redemption in front of a national audience.
The Lions lost to the Bucs last year at home on the heels of a playoff win the previous season adding to the drama surrounding Monday night's game.
Branch won't take the field with his teammates, adding to the pressure being faced by Detroit's banged-up secondary.
St. Brown has the look of a player who is excited to let his route running and his hands do the talking against the Buccaneers with QB Jared Goff and the rest of his teammates preparing for what could be an early game of the year candidate.
Vikings QB Carson Wentz Primed for ‘Revenge Game’ Against Eagles in Week 7
There is one specific storyline that’s going to come up whenever any NFL team faces one of its old starting quarterbacks. One part of that formula is we can usually ratchet up that attention the higher the draft pick.
While some of that luster may have been lost for a variety of reasons, when the Minnesota Vikings host the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, they’ll do so with Carson Wentz starting at quarterback in place of injured 2024 first round pick J.J. McCarthy.
That’s notable because Wentz, once upon a time, was the player the Eagles pinned all of their franchise hopes and dreams on.
To recap: Philadelphia drafted Wentz No. 2 overall out of North Dakota State in the 2016 NFL draft, watched him earn NFL All-Pro honors and win a Super Bowl in his second season and signed him to a 4-year, $128 million contract extension before the 2019 season.
To say Wentz doesn’t have extra motivation against the team he used to play for and the player who ultimately took his spot in quarterback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts would be to simply deny the human condition.
No matter what anyone on either side might say, it matters.
There was some speculation McCarthy might return for the Vikings after missing the last 4 games due to an ankle injury until head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Wentz would make his fourth consecutive start.
“The Carson Wentz revenge game is officially on,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo wrote on his official X account on October 17. “Kevin O’Connell announces Wentz will start for the Vikings against the Eagles.”
‘Revenge’ Narrative Not Really What It Seems
This isn’t the first time Wentz has faced his old team. In his only other time facing the Eagles, Wentz started for the Washington Commanders in a 24-8 loss in 2022 in which he was largely ineffective, going 25-of-43 passing for 211 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
No matter how media types might want to spin it, sometimes a “revenge” narrative might not always be what it seems — something Eagles Pin Pull podcast host Shane Haff astutely pointed out is the case with Wentz.
“Hard to call it a revenge game when the team benched you while you were playing terribly and then acquiesced to your trade request in the offseason, trading you to the coach you wanted to play for,” Haff wrote on his official X account on October 17. “The Eagles didn’t do wrong by Carson Wentz. Every time a player plays a former team we don’t have to call it a ‘revenge’ game.”
Wentz Made NFL History in 2025
Wentz made NFL history when he started for the Vikings in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, becoming the first quarterback to start for 6 different teams in 6 consecutive seasons.
Wentz started 12 games for the Eagles in 2020, 17 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, 7 games for the Commanders in 2022, 1 game for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and 1 game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
“If he starts for the Vikings this weekend, Carson Wentz would become the first quarterback in NFL history to start at least one game for six different teams in six consecutive seasons,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on his official X account on September 15.
