Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell called Brian Branch's post-game fight with Juju Smith-Schuster “inexcusable” following Detroit's 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, as reported by CBS Sports. He emphasized that such behaviour will not be tolerated within the organization moving forward. Branch, who lashed out after the game, has responded to the post-game fight.
Also Read: Fight breaks out after Chiefs vs Lions game over Mahomes-Branch handshake row. Here's what happened
Brian Branch responds to the Chiefs vs Lions post-game fight
Branch said, “I did a real childish thing,” via The Athletic's Colton Pouncy. He added, “I'm tired of people doing stuff in between plays and refs don't catch it. They be trying to bully me out there. I shouldn't have did it, it was childish,” as reported by CBS Sports.
Branch brought notice to a physical back-and-forth with Smith-Schuster, who ended the night with three receptions for 57 yards. He explained, “I got blocked in the back illegally. And it was in front of the ref and the ref didn't do anything. And just stuff like that. But I should’ve never did it. It was childish,” as reported by People.
He concluded with an apology for his actions as he said, “There was a lot of stuff, but I should've shown it between the whistle, not after the game and I apologize for that.”
{{/usCountry}}He concluded with an apology for his actions as he said, “There was a lot of stuff, but I should've shown it between the whistle, not after the game and I apologize for that.”
{{/usCountry}}Fight after Chiefs vs Lions game explained
Moments after Patrick Mahomes took the final kneel down to seal the Chiefs' win, tensions boiled over as Branch approached and Mahomes extended a hand, which he refused to shake. The exchange was noticed by Smith-Schuster, who likely said a few words, and Branch ran up to him and punched him, as reported by CBS Sports.
As Smith-Schuster got up and moved toward Branch, Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco attempted to intervene, but the former escalated the situation by grabbing Smith-Schuster's face mask and throwing him down for the second time. The incident quickly drew in multiple players, sparking a brief on-field scuffle.