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Lions’ Brian Branch agrees with penalty and apologizes for his actions

Sakege November 7, 2024

Allen Park – As lions Safety Brian Branch was about to start talking to reporters, a teammate ran by and cracked a quick joke.

“Throw ’em out, BB!” the teammate yelled, referencing the double middle fingers Branch flashed after his ejection. Sunday’s 24-14 victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field.

Branch smiled sheepishly before addressing the incidentexplaining that he did not want to be known for that action.

“That was just the heat of the moment for me, and I apologize to everyone who saw that,” Branch said. “That won’t happen again.”

There were about six minutes left in the second quarter when Branch hit a big hit on Green Bay’s Bo Melton. Quarterback Jordan Love was trying to hit Melton with a deep throw. The ball hit the receiver’s hands, but he dropped it while trying to adjust.

Branch either didn’t see Melton drop the ball or couldn’t stop in time. It connected with Melton’s head and neck area, drawing the initial penalty for unnecessary roughness. Lambeau field officials later discussed the hit with the league office in New York. According to vice president of officiating Perry Fewell, the decision to eject Branch was made “in mutual agreement” with the Lambeau referees and the league office.

“I definitely agree with the decision,” Branch said. “I feel like my aim was obviously high. But that was never my intention: to aim for the head. Going forward, I have to move my aim lower.”

Fewell explained in a joint report that officials felt Branch had the opportunity to “make a different decision” and avoid Melton’s head and neck. It’s the second time this season that Branch has gotten in trouble for the way he tackled someone. He was fined for a Week 3 collision with Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, a hit that ultimately landed Branch in concussion protocol.

“The easy answer is, ‘Hey, lower your target,'” safeties coach Jim O’Neil said. “But when you’re sprinting and another guy is sprinting and all of a sudden his weight drops and the angle changes, that’s tough. Because you don’t want to suddenly tell guys, ‘Hey, now go over their knees.’ ‘ So we’re trying to get his target down to the sternum, but it’s a bang-bang move. I don’t think there was any malicious intent. What happened, happened.

O’Neil added of Branch: “I think he’s a very aggressive player. I think we’re a very aggressive defense. I think he plays exactly how we want our guys to play. I think he was forgiven (by the league) for Arizona Lo, no. I know. You’d have to ask him, but I think they were both situations where the receiver was tracking the ball and at the last second, at full speed, the target changed.

“Their target was the sternum, and then when the ball carrier or receiver goes down, that sternum now becomes higher in the head or neck area. I think that’s part of the game. There were probably four or five hits very similar to It was just last week. I think the defensive players have done a great job over the last few years eliminating those types of hits from the game. I don’t think anyone is going there trying to go helmet to helmet because everyone understands. the consequences.”

He lions He held the Packers to 11 points after Branch was ejected, and they led by two possessions at halftime. Part of that lead came courtesy of fellow safety Kerby Joseph, who intercepted a pass just before the conclusion of the second quarter and returned it 27 yards for the first pick-six of his career.

Joseph attacked the play but showed enough ability to catch the ball as it came his way. Branch revealed that it was actually his bombardment that Joseph took advantage of. Joseph has six interceptions this season and Branch has four.

“I’m coming,” Branch said. “I told him I was going to get it back.”

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