The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 6 win over the Detroit Lions should’ve ended with the typical post-game displays of mutual respect. Instead, an ugly outburst after the final whistle is what most fans are still talking about, a moment that showed a clear difference between veteran composure and youthful immaturity.
After the game, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went to shake hands with Lions safety Brian Branch, but was ignored. JuJu Smith-Schuster took exception to the snub and said something to Branch, who decided to take out his aggression from the loss on the Chiefs receiver. The cheap shot ignited a bit of a postgame tussle, an incident that left Smith-Schuster bloodied and the Lions embarrassed.
After the game, Smith-Schuster spoke about the entire fracas with a surprising level of cool, given that he was the one who was physically harmed. He took the high road when asked about it in the locker room.
The difference in post-game responses are startling and reveal just how immature Branch can be.
“He's a great player, right? He's huge for the team,” Smith-Schuster said of Branch. “I think after the game, I expected to shake his hand and say, ‘Good game’ and move Pat’s way. But he threw a punch, and at the end of the day, it’s a team sport, right? We came out here. We did our job. We won, and that's all that matters. They’re a great team over there on both sides of the ball. At the end of the day, it’s about getting a W."
What's even more impressive about Smith-Schuster's post-game posture is that follow-up questions from reporters tried to get him to speak directly to the incident instead of resorting to the vague player-speak that can often frame these moments. When asked what was behind Branch's emotions, Smith-Schuster acknowledged that Branch "was frustrated" and replied, "Me just blocking him. I’m just doing my job. I play between the whistles, and after the game, he took advantage of what he did. "
It took three questions for reporters to get that much out of Smith-Schuster, and even then, there wasn't a hint of venom in the response. There was eventual acknowledgment, but nothing more. No bitterness involved, even as everyone would have understood such a reaction.
Branch, meanwhile, was still trying to rationalize his actions when he spoke with reporters later that night. He begins on the right foot and then quickly reveals the unlikeness of any long-term lessons learned from it all.
“I did a real childish thing,” Branch said. “I'm tired of people doing stuff in between plays and refs don't catch it. They be trying to bully me out there. I shouldn't have did it, it was childish. I got blocked in the back illegally. It was in front of the ref. I coulda got hurt, but I still should not have done that.”
Fortunately, Branch did not speak for the entire Lions organization. His own head coach, Dan Campbell, was quick to admonish the third-year safety.
“Let’s start with this. I love Brian Branch, but what he did was inexcusable. It’s not going to be accepted here,” said Campbell. “It’s not what we do, it’s not what we’re about. I apologized to Coach Reid and the Chiefs and to Smith-Schuster. That’s not OK.”
The good news for Lions fans is that the one with the right response is the one in charge. Campbell fell on the sword for the sake of his player, which reset the tone for accountability before flying home. Sadly, Branch couldn't do the same, but it's apparent that Detroit will handle this correctly as an organization, even if that means making Branch unhappy.
On a night when Kansas City schooled Detroit on the field, Branch made it clear he has more to learn off of it. Taking a cue from Smith-Schuster would be a good start.