NFL Makes Final Decision on Punishing Lions Player After Chiefs Game

The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs playing in a high-profile game during Sunday Night Football on October 12, and even though the Lions were favored to win by a hair, they didn’t quite pull it off, and the team closed out the game with a 30-17 loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. It was certainly heartbreaking to see the Lions, who came into this game having won four games in a row, fall hard to the Chiefs, but that’s just the NFL.

While the game was tough, what happened after the game was even more disturbing. Right as the game ended, Lions player Brian Branch snubbed Mahomes and appeared to slap Chiefs player Juju Smith-Schuster across the face. Mahomes wasn’t happy about it, and after the game, he told the press, “We play the game in between the whistles. They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game in between the whistles. And we thought we played a great game today, and we’ll keep this momentum moving forward.” So, he definitely threw a little dig at the Lions for their aggressive playing style.

Now, the NFL has handed its final punishment to Branch for his actions during that game. They didn’t waste any time, either, because they shared the news on Monday, October 13, less than 24 hours after the incident.

Detroit Lions Player Punished by the NFL

So, what is Branch’s punishment for his actions after the game? According to both Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network and Adam Schefter of ESPN, Branch will be suspended for one game.

Safety “Brian Branch, who popped Chiefs (wide receiver) JuJu Smith-Schuster in the face after the loss to KC, was suspended one game by the NFL,” Rapoport stated on X, adding that Detroit faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night football.

Schefter added, “Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch has been suspended without pay for one game for unsportsmanlike conduct following Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.”

So, Schefter added the tidbit that Branch will also miss a paycheck for that game. He’s not hurting for bag, but it’s still a true punishment. The Lions are already high on injuries, so having Branch out will hurt. Branch is appealing this decision, too.

Detroit Lions Touchdown Didn’t Count

Early in the game, on fourth-and-goal, Lions quarterback Jared Goff put the Lions into a Wildcat formation, and running back David Montgomery took the snap and quickly threw the ball to Goff. From there, Goff caught the ball on his second try and ran into the end zone for what looked like a touchdown and really cool play.

But, the play was nullified with an illegal motion penalty. NBC’s rules analyst Terry McAulay explained the whole thing during the game broadcast, noting, “he takes a position behind the center. He’s got to step back and pause for a second and establish as a back before he goes in motion. He didn’t. He stayed in motion.”

McAulay’s analysis appears in Rule 7, Section 4, Article 2, Item 3 of the NFL’s official rulebook. “It is legal for a T-Formation Quarterback to go in motion, whether he has placed his hands under center, on his knees, or on the body of the center,” the rulebook states, adding that, “if the player fails to come to a complete stop for at least one full second prior to the ball being snapped, it is illegal motion.”

So, that the reason why Goff’s early touchdown didn’t count. He’ll know better next time.

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