By Blessing 
The Detroit Lions’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football last weekend has been overshadowed by a postgame altercation that grabbed all the headlines.
After Patrick Mahomes sealed the win with a kneel-down, Lions safety Brian Branch delivered a late hit on Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, sparking a heated confrontation. Smith-Schuster left the field with a visible cut, while Branch later explained that he was reacting to what he believed was a cheap shot earlier in the game.
Head coach Dan Campbell made it clear he didn’t condone the act. In his postgame press conference, Campbell strongly criticized Branch’s decision, but by Tuesday, his tone had shifted to something more understanding.
When the NFL announced Branch’s one-game suspension, Campbell offered a message of support for the 23-year-old, calling him a player with a good heart who will learn from his mistake.
“I saw him yesterday before all this came down, he knows all this,” Campbell said, via Ben Raven of MLive. “He’ll learn from it. This was one instance of something that happens, it doesn’t matter what led to it… you can’t take out your aggression on somebody else. Can’t cross that line.
“He’s an outstanding young man. He’s got a great heart.”
While Campbell had previously described the incident as unacceptable, he seems confident that his player got the message. With Branch already punished, Campbell isn’t interested in adding to the criticism.
The Lions, however, will feel the loss. Their secondary is already depleted due to injuries, and Branch’s absence next Monday against the Buccaneers only deepens the challenge. Although he’s appealing the suspension, success seems unlikely.
For Campbell, though, the priority is growth — believing Branch will take the lesson to heart as Detroit looks to move forward.