The Kansas City Chiefs’ triumph over the Detroit Lions descended into chaos on Sunday, culminating in a massive altercation between the teams, which left Juju Smith-Schuster with a bloody nose.
The clash was initiated by Lions defender Brian Branch, who took a swing at Juju Smith-Schuster following the game’s conclusion, having previously ignored Patrick Mahomes’ attempt at a handshake. Branch is likely to face disciplinary measures from the NFL for his actions.
Smith-Schuster picked himsef up from the ground, raced after Branch and pulled him to the ground, prompting players from both teams to pile in.
The Chiefs’ wide receiver was left with blood flowing from his nose as he was escorted away from the skirmish. He was seen pressing a towel to his face while heading to the locker room shortly after.
Chiefs quarterback Mahomes was dismissive of the incident when he was interviewed on the field once tempers had cooled down.
‘We play the game between the whistles,’ remarked Mahomes, appearing visibly displeased. ‘They can engage in all the extra activities they want; we will focus on playing the game between the whistles.’
Lions defender Brian Branch swung for Juju Smith-Schuster, sparking a massive brawl
Branch grabs Chiefs wide reciever Smith-Schuster on the ground as things turned nasty
Smith-Schuster had blood coming from his nose as Chiefs officials pull him away from the fight
Players from both teams soon piled in, with some breaking it up and others getting physical
Mahomes found himself deeply involved in the scuffle as players from both teams gathered around Branch and Smith-Schuster, with the Chiefs’ quarterback actively trying to prevent his teammates from getting entangled in the fray.
Branch did not receive any support from his Lions head coach. In a post-game interview, Dan Campbell was asked about the incident and commented: ‘I love Brian Branch but what he did is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated here.’
‘It’s not what we do and it’s not what we are about. I apologized to coach Reid and the Chiefs and Smith-Schuster. That’s not what we do. He knows it, our team knows it.’
Branch said he had been goaded by Smith-Schuster and complained that referees missed him getting hit from behind by the Chiefs man.
‘I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it,’ Branch said. ‘They are trying to bully me out there. (I) Shouldn’t have done it. I got blocked in the back illegally, it was in front of the ref and the ref didn’t do anything.
‘Just stuff like that. I could have got hurt off the play. I still shouldn’t have done that. There was a lot of stuff but I shouldn’t have shown it and I apologize for that.’
Speaking in the locker room, Smith-Schuster had no ill-feeling towards Branch, who has a history of seeing red.
‘I know he’s a better player than that, a better person,’ the Chiefs man told reporters. ‘He’ll learn from his mistakes.’
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that there was ‘pretty good damage’ on Smith-Schuster’s nose.
The Chiefs play AFC West rivals Las Vegas Raiders back at Arrowhead next Sunday afternoon. Smith-Schuster’s status will become clear over the coming days but there is a reinforcement coming in that wide reciever position, with Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension now over.
The Chiefs beat the Lions 30-17 on the night at Arrowhead and there were suggestions late on Sunday night that Mahomes may have provoked Branch earlier in the game after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter.
Replay show Mahomes spun around and turned back in the direction of Branch after reaching the end zone, but it wasn’t clear if he was specifically targeting the Lions defensive back.
Speaking after the game, Lions coach Dan Campbell offered no excuses over the brawl
Players from both sides piled in on the ground while coaches tried to break it up
Smith-Schuster, however, suggested Branch’s anger came from being blocked by the wide receiver throughout the game.
‘I played between the whistles, and after the game, he took advantage of what he did,’ he said. ‘He’s a great player, right? He’s huge for the team.
‘I think after the game, I expect to shake his hand and say, “Good game” and move Pat’s way. But he threw a punch. We came out here. We did our job. We won. And that’s all that matters.’
The Chiefs are now 3-3 for the season, while the Lions drop to 4-2.
