The bad blood between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs didn’t end when the clock hit zero. Following Detroit’s tough 30–17 loss on Sunday Night Football, emotions were running high — and one Lions player had no problem letting his feelings be known about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
According to postgame reports, Brian Branch — who was later suspended for his role in the postgame scuffle — called out Mahomes and Kansas City’s antics during the game, claiming the Chiefs had been “trying to bully” him throughout the night. “I’m tired of people doing stuff in between plays and refs don’t catch it,” Branch said. “They try to bully me out there.”
The heated moment came after Branch refused to shake Mahomes’ hand and instead swung at Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, sparking a wild postgame brawl. Cameras later caught Mahomes smirking and flexing in Branch’s direction earlier in the game — which may have added fuel to the fire.
While Branch later apologized for his reaction, the frustration was clear. The Lions have battled hard all season, but Sunday night’s loss — coupled with the late-game drama — clearly left some emotions raw.
Head coach Dan Campbell quickly addressed the situation, calling Branch’s behavior “unacceptable,” but also praised his young safety’s passion. “He’s an outstanding young man. He made a mistake, and he’ll learn from it.”
With the Lions preparing to bounce back against the Buccaneers next week, one thing’s certain — Detroit’s fire isn’t dying down anytime soon.
“Enough of the Bullying!” — Lions Defender Slams Mahomes and Chiefs Postgame
