The NFL just seems totally incapable of looking like a total clown show — it’s really pretty unbelievable at this point. Even for them.
After seemingly lying about how Jared Goff’s touchdown was overturned this past Sunday night in a matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, the NFL via NFL Films has taken it upon themselves to continue to stoke uncertainty when it comes to the game’s integrity.
As anyone probably knows by now, Lions safety Brian Branch was involved in a postgame altercation with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster following the Lions’ 30-17 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Branch struck Smith-Schuster with an open-handed slap after refusing to shake hands with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, sparking a brief skirmish. The NFL suspended Branch for one game without pay on October 13, citing an “aggressive, non-football act” that violated standards of conduct. Branch appealed the suspension, but it was upheld this past week, which means the Lions will be without one of their better playmakers on defense this coming Monday night against Tampa Bay.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell even took to the podium after the game to disavow Branch’s actions, calling them “inexcusable” and saying that “it’s not going to be accepted here.”
In essence, Campbell’s comments weren’t out of the ordinary and pretty much what you would expect in a postgame where one of your players was at the center of a physical altercation.
Where the problem continues to lie though is the league’s persistent favoritism towards a team like the Kansas City Chiefs. To the point where one of the league’s media arms is putting together a Brian Branch hit piece that they quickly deleted.
Thursday night, NFL Films released a one-minute “NFL Turning Point” segment focusing on Branch’s performance in the Chiefs game. Narrated by ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, the video used Branch’s own postgame quote (“It was childish”) to frame a montage of his mistakes, including:
Taking a hit from Smith-Schuster’s illegal block.
Being “burned” by Travis Kelce’s route-running.
Getting “showed up” by Patrick Mahomes.
Being juked by rookie Xavier Worthy.
Riddick’s narration described it as: “It was a long game for Lions safety Brian Branch, number 32… The turning point led to Branch’s boiling point.” The tone was widely criticized as a “hit piece” or “smear campaign,” especially so soon after Branch’s suspension, with some calling it “weirdly insulting” and in “poor taste” to really say the least.
Here’s the video in question, which along with the tweet right below it, will be on the internet forever.
However, not only is this a bad look for the NFL, it’s also a bad look for ESPN, who you would think would remain nonpartisan when it comes to something like this. Although you can now see why Adam Schefter was pretty quiet despite this being probably one of the biggest NFL scandals that isn’t getting the attention it rightfully deserves.