The Detroit Lions lost a big part of their defense less than two quarters into their huge divisional clash against the Green Bay Packers.
With about six minutes to go before halftime, safety Brian Branch was ejected for a late helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers wideout Bo Melton. It was a dirty play that was initially flagged for the high hit on a defenseless receiver, but the league office in New York decided it was enough to warrant an ejection.
Here's the play and an explanation of the sequence.
Lions DB Brian Branch has been ejected from the game after a helmet-to-helmet hit. pic.twitter.com/wgX5m9AOGr
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 3, 2024
It's a tough loss for the Lions. Branch is a key part of their secondary and what the team tries to do defensively. What's more, Green Bay is right behind Detroit in the NFC North standings and this is a game that will likely have significant playoff implications.
The Lions led the Packers, 7-3, at the time of Branch's ejection.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lions' Brian Branch Ejected for Dirty Helmet-to-Helmet Hit on Packers' Bo Melton .
