Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch was forced to leave the team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals after a scary collision left him motionless on the turf, with the team later announcing he had suffered a neck injury
Branch was hurt while making a tackle on Cardinals tight end Trey McBride in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s 20-13 victory on September 22. Both McBride and Branch lowered their helmets ahead of the hit, colliding and each player going down hard.
Branch was eventually able to walk off the field with the help of the team’s medical staff, and the Lions later provided an update saying he had suffered a neck injury.
Scary Moment for Brian Branch
The team had not released further details on Branch’s injury immediately after the game, but many expressed concern that the second-year defensive back may have suffered a concussion.
Violent head collision. Both will be evaluated for concussions. Let’s hope they are okay
Others questioned whether McBride should have been flagged for targeting on the play, as he appeared to lower his helmet to initiate contact with Branch.
“@NFL is McBride lowering his helmet into Brian Branch not targeting? It’s a defensive only penalty now?” a fan shared in a post on X.
Both players were hurt after the collision, with the Cardinals announcing afterward that McBride was being evaluated for a concussion.
The Lions were able to beat the Cardinals thanks to a strong defensive effort, especially from the secondary. The Lions held quarterback Kyler Murray to 207 yards on 21-of-34 passing, with one touchdown and one interception.
As Quarter4 noted, Branch was having a strong game before going down in the fourth quarter.
“The safety was having a strong game before exiting, recording nine tackles (six solo), including one for a loss, and two passes defensed,” the analysis noted. “Branch also helped Detroit limit a high-flying Arizona offense to just 13 points and less than 300 yards of offense late into the fourth quarter. Brandon Joseph and Loren Strickland are Detroit’s extra safeties on the active roster Sunday.”
Lions Bitten by Injury Bug
Branch wasn’t the only member of the Lions to go down in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals. The team lost two defensive starters in the first half as linebacker Derrick Barnes and defensive tackle Alim McNeill were both ruled out. Tight end Sam LaPorta later went out with an ankle injury.
As Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press noted, LaPorta was carted to the locker room just before halftime and was able to return, but was noticeably limited for the remainder of the game.
“[LaPorta] was back in on the Lions’ first possession of the third quarter. But after running across the formation and blocking on the second play, he limped off to the sideline and was on the bench with an ice pack around his right ankle and ruled questionable to return. He was replaced by backup Brock Wright,” Ramsey wrote.
“LaPorta returned to the game but limped off after several other snaps. He did not make another reception and finished with two catches for 36 yards on two targets. He has eight catches for 94 yards through three games.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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