The Detroit Lions have been playing the Kansas City Chiefs tough for the entire game so far at the season-opener in Arrowhead Stadium, and a young ascending team is relying on young ascending players to keep them in the hunt. As it turns out, Lions safety Brian Branch is providing immediate returns on that trust—literally.
Midway through the third quarter, Patrick Mahomes threw a pass to Kadarius Toney that slipped through the wide receiver's hands. From there, Branch made an impressive heads-up play to come down with the tipped ball. He then took it the rest of the way to the house to tie the game at 14 points apiece.
Check out this 50-yard return from Branch:
BRIAN BRANCH PICK-SIX IN HIS FIRST NFL GAME
— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2023
📺: #Kickoff2023 on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/EBLJ3Rwf5g pic.twitter.com/RzuewZE45n
Branch was labeled the top safety in this year's NFL Draft and was part of a heralded rookie class for the Lions that also included running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam Laporta and more.