It’s the game that just won’t go away. The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions had a heated showdown against each other on Sunday, October 12, and it became more than just a football game. It was a statement win for the Chiefs, who left Arrowhead Stadium with a 30-17 victory.
During the game, and after the game, there was quite a bit of drama. The moment that went viral, of course, was when Brian Branch appeared to brush off Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrck Mahomes and hit Chiefs player Juju Smith-Schuster after the game.
For those actions, the NFL has suspended Branch one game, and he wasn’t the only Lions player who got slapped with discipline for what they did against the Chiefs. On Saturday, October 18, news broke that in addition to Branch, two more Detroit Lions players are getting hit with a punishment from the NFL. But, no Chiefs players. The Lions’ camp isn’t happy about it, either.
Detroit Lions Not Happy About Kansas City Chiefs Player Going Penalty-Free
Each week, the league penalizes players for conduct in the previous week’s games. The NFL states on their website that these actions are “to protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity, the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures.” The new roster of players getting hit with punishments goes up every Saturday afternoon.
According to the NFL’s report for Week 6, two Detroit Lions players are on this week’s tally: Alex Anzalone and Tyler Lacy. The NFL is fining Anzalone $12,172 for “unnecessary roughness” and “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing.” They’re also finding Lacy $5,722 for the same reason.
But, the final verdict came in, and no Kansas City Chiefs players got hit with any punishment. Lions fans and reporters were quick to note that Chiefs’ JuJu Smith-Schuster dodged punishment for his block on Branch.
“Brian Branch said he got blocked in the back illegally by Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster,” Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noted in a Saturday, October 18 feature. “The NFL apparently disagreed.”
“JuJu doesn’t get a fine for his hit on branch, fantastic,” one commenter on Heavy on Lions’ Facebook stated. “And nothing to any KC players,” another said.
Detroit Lions Could Appeal Kansas City Chiefs Decision
The Lions could appeal this decision, but that didn’t work for Branch, who tried to appeal his one-game suspension. The NFL ruled against him.
“If the discipline is upheld, the league withholds the amount of the fine from the player’s next check,” the NFL adds. “If the player’s fine is rescinded, he will receive notification of the decision, and no money will be taken from his check.”
According to the NFL, those fines will go to the Professional Athletes Foundation to “support legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
So, the Chiefs will head into their game against the Raiders clean and ready to hopefully snag another win. The game is at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, October 18.
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