Patrick Mahomes fires back at Lions’ Brian Branch after controversial post-game hit on JuJu Smith-Schuster ignites brawl
It all happened after the clock hit zero.
When the clock hit zero, one member of the Detroit Lions did not take the loss well.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went over to shake Brian Branch’s hand, but the Lions defensive back ignored the gesture, instead just walking right past him and brushing it off. Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster saw this interaction and wasn’t having it. He confronted Branch, appearing to have said something about this disrespectful act.
Branch came right over and took a shot at Schuster, shoving him in the face. Smith-Schuster then went after Branch, and from there, both teams started to get into it.
After the game, Mahomes spoke with NBC’s Melissa Stark and was asked what happened in those final moments. He took full advantage of the opportunity to call out Branch for these unsportsmanlike antics.
“I mean, we play the game in between the whistles,” Mahomes said. “They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game in between the whistles.”
JuJu Smith-Schuster appears to have been injured in post-game fight
Following the game, Smith-Schuster was videoed walking into the locker room while holding a towel over his nose. He was escorted by team personnel, who were rushing him past the fans.
Dan Campbell, Brian Branch apologize
In his post-game press conference, Lions head coach Dan Campbell took a moment to address what happened at the end of the game. And with that, he emphasized that Branch’s actions were unacceptable.
“I love Brian Branch but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not gonna be accepted here,” Campbell said, adding that he apologized to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid along with Smith-Schuster.
Branch also reportedly apologized after the game, saying that his actions were “childish.” However, he added that he felt he was being bullied on the field as players are getting away with things between plays that the officials aren’t catching.
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