One of the main storylines heading into Week 7 for the Detroit Lions is the pending decision on safety Brian Branch. The safety appealed the league's decision to suspend him for a game after brawling with receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at the end of last Sunday's frustrating loss in Arrowhead. It was an emotional decision, and there isn't a reasonable defense for it. However, this isn't the opinion of Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin, who was quick to jump to the defense of Branch. The defender even went so far as to say that the Lions defender was "doing the work of the Lord."
Franklin's defense of Branch is solely based on Smith-Schuster's actions within the game, which irritate defenders. Aside from the receiver pushing Branch in the back, exact examples weren't given. Rather, there was the suggestion that the pass catcher had this reputation due to his actions. As much as Detroit fans might want to buy into this, what Branch did cannot be accepted or excused, even if everything Franklin suggested is true. This is evidenced by a pending suspension that's already hurting the Lions' secondary.
Lions' Brian Branch Given Surprising Defense from Colts LB Zaire Franklin
Even if this is true, the move for Branch is to handle it within the game. It was clear Detroit was out of reach late in the contest on Sunday, and if the defender opted, he needed to have a level of get-back that the flow of the game would've allowed to happen. Even if Branch lit Smith-Schuster up and got ejected from the game, it would have been better than inciting a brawl after the final whistle. Detroit's culture and discipline are supposed to be far stronger than this.
Branch put his team in harm's way by opting to start a fight ahead of a pivotal Week 7 matchup. With the Detroit Lions taking on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that currently holds the NFC's top seed, this matchup could have serious playoff seeding implications.
Any defense of Branch must take this into account, as well as the seemingly endless list of injuries in Detroit's secondary. The Lions couldn't afford for the defensive back to make a dangerous and emotional decision that appears likely to cost Detroit one of its star pieces in the secondary.
With this in mind, Franklin's explanation of the fight may provide more context, but it shouldn't be viewed as a valid defense. Branch made a selfish decision in a situation that could've been handled in several other ways. As much as Detroit hopes for a surprise answer from the league's disciplinary committee, there isn't a valid debate that the suspension isn't deserved after the safety let his emotions get the best of him.