By Sunday 
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn’t sugarcoating what happened after Sunday night’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. When safety Brian Branch threw a punch at JuJu Smith-Schuster after the final whistle, emotions ran hot — and the consequences came quickly. The NFL dropped a one-game suspension on Branch, and while the Lions prepare to face the NFC’s top team without him, Campbell is keeping the message simple: own it, learn from it, and move forward.
“He Knows He Can’t React That Way”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Campbell made it clear that while Branch’s passion is part of what makes him great, there’s a line that can’t be crossed.
“He knows he can’t react that way,” Campbell said. “He’ll be better for this. So he’ll learn from it. It doesn’t matter what led to it. We all know it’s no different than you’re driving down the road and something happens on the highway, right? You can’t take out your aggression on somebody else. Can’t cross that line.”
Campbell even called the moment “road rage,” drawing a relatable picture of frustration boiling over — and the cost of letting it.
Branch: “I Did a Little Childish Thing”
Branch didn’t hide behind excuses either. After the game, he admitted that his reaction came from pent-up irritation during the matchup.
“I did a little, childish thing,” Branch said. “I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play, and refs don’t catch it. Like, they trying to bully me out there, and I should have never did it, but it was childish.”
The 22-year-old safety explained that Smith-Schuster had blocked him illegally in the back — right in front of an official — without a flag being thrown. “I could have got hurt off of that,” he added, “but I still shouldn’t have done that.”
It’s a mix of accountability and emotion — and it’s that blend that makes Branch both relatable and raw.
“Outstanding Young Man,” Campbell Insists
For all the heat surrounding the incident, Campbell hasn’t lost faith in his young star.
“Listen, he’s an outstanding young man. He really is. And he’s got a big heart, and he made a mistake, and he’ll learn from it.”
It’s vintage Campbell — tough love wrapped in belief. He’s not minimizing what happened, but he’s not throwing his player under the bus either. The Lions’ head coach knows that Branch’s fire is what makes him special; the challenge is channeling it in the right direction.
Next Man Up
With Branch sidelined (pending appeal), Detroit faces the 5–1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. Campbell’s message to the rest of the roster was just as clear: step up.
“It’s no different than when you lose guys that you really depend on,” he said. “Everybody else has got to pull a little bit more of that load.”
That’s easier said than done, especially against one of the league’s hottest teams — but this is the kind of adversity that builds a locker room.
Lesson Learned, Season Unchanged
For Brian Branch, this moment could define more than just a week off. It’s a test of maturity — one that every fiery competitor faces sooner or later. As Campbell framed it, this is a “learn from it” moment, not a career blemish.
The Lions will miss his energy on the field, but if Branch takes the lesson to heart, Detroit might just get a wiser, steadier version of its young playmaker in return.