The Detroit Lions came out and dominated the Chicago Bears in Week 2. Detroit defeated Chicago 52-21 after scoring just 13 points in Week 1. While their offense looked to regain form, their defense also looked the part of a Super Bowl contender.
That said, one vital Lions defender did sustain an injury. Safety Brian Branch left the game with 12:23 left in the fourth quarter. Thankfully, Branch himself provided an update after the game. The third-year safety said it was only a cramp. This is great news for the Lions defense.
Lions Safety Brian Branch Avoids Injury Scare
Lions fans are glad to hear that it was only cramps Branch was dealing with. Though he did walk off the field under his own power, the injury could always be worse than you think. Luckily, this time it wasn't.
Despite that, Lions fans do have a reason to be upset that Branch even got hurt in the first place. It could be argued that Branch and the defensive starters should have already been pulled from the game. When Branch got injured, Detroit was already up 45-14.
With a lead that big, the Lions' starters should have already been taken out. On the other hand, head coach Dan Campbell keeping his players in with a lead this early in the season makes some sense.
Campbell chose not to play his starting lineup in the preseason, which means they could use the conditioning. That's not to say the players aren't well conditioned; it's more to say they need to get re-acclimated to game speed.
That way, conditioning injuries are less likely to happen later in the season. However, as fans saw on Sunday, that can lead to injury scares early in the season.
In this case, a significant injury to Branch was avoided. Lions fans are grateful for this. If Branch had to miss significant time, Detroit's safety room is thin because of other injuries.
Currently, the players who would be playing in Branch's place are veterans Avonte Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin. Neither player matches the ability of Branch. Ya-Sin, in particular, isn't a safety by trade, but was practicing there in training camp because they were thin at the position.
For now, Detroit won't need to worry about being without Branch. Hopefully, this situation makes Campbell realize he should pull the starters if they're up by more than three scores at the beginning of the fourth quarter,