Safety Brian Branch got a game ball in the locker room after the Detroit Lions’ 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
“He means a ton to us,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said at his postgame press conference about the former Alabama defensive back. “What you see is what you get. He’s a highly productive player. He is the ultimate football player. He’s a football player. He gets it. He sees it.”
Branch earned the game ball and the praise by recording six tackles, one quarterback hit, two interceptions and one forced fumble against the Cowboys. Since 1999 (when forced fumbles became an official statistic), Branch is the fourth NFL player with at least six tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and 47 interception-return yards in the same game. He’s the first since 2012 to do so.
Branch made a leaping interception off Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott in the end zone with 4:34 left in the first quarter with Detroit leading 7-3.
Branch intercepted Prescott again with 13:22 left in the fourth quarter, and he returned it 47 yards to the Cowboys 4-yard line to set up a touchdown.
In between, Branch knocked the football away from Dallas wide receiver Ryan Flournoy after a 12-yard reception, and Detroit cornerback and former Crimson Tide teammate Terrion Arnold recovered the fumble at the Detroit 28-yard line with 4:24 left in the third quarter.
Branch joined the Lions from Alabama in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Branch matched his 2023 interception total by lifting his 2024 interception number to three on Sunday. But last season, Branch played mostly slot corner before shifting full-time to safety this season.
“The safety position in our defense is perfect for him because it allows him to roam, and he’s got some freedom,” Campbell said. “It’s structured, but yet he’s got some freedom to be able to move a little bit and play ball. You just see the sky’s the limit with him.”
Branch had missed Detroit’s previous game -- a 42-29 victory over Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 29 – because of a concussion. The Lions’ bye week helped the defensive back return to the field.
But Detroit will be without another top defensive player when it faces the Minnesota Vikings at noon CDT Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in the Lions’ NFC North opener.
Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken leg with 11:43 remaining in the third quarter on Sunday. The 2023 Pro Bowler heads for injured reserve while leading the NFL with 7.5 sacks in 2024.
“We know how much Hutch means to this team, to this defense alone,” Branch said. “He’s a tone-setter. And to see him go down like that, you ain’t never want to wish that on none of us. (Linebacker) Alex (Anzalone) pulled us together, and we already knew we had to do it for Hutch.”
