DETROIT – Brian Branch is only four games into his rookie season, but already he’s been one of the best players on the upstart Detroit Lions.
Branch helped the Lions upset the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in his very first game by picking off a Patrick Mahomes pass and returning it for a touchdown. Then, against the Atlanta Falcons, he led a dominant defensive effort with 11 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, and two pass break-ups.
But the Lions got a scare (or two) during Thursday night’s win over the Packers, as Branch went down with an ankle injury. Here’s what we know about Branch’s status.
Branch carted off field
The fan base held its collective breath early in the second half when Branch went down on the field and didn’t get back up. He eventually stood and walked gingerly back to the sideline with trainers.
A few moments later, the broadcast showed Branch being driven back to the locker room on a cart. The Lions announced he was questionable to return with a right ankle injury.
Branch returns
The cameras returned to Branch a couple of drives later. He had come back to the sideline and was getting his ankle taped up, seemingly hoping to get back in the game.
He did return, and looked to be moving just fine on the next few drives.
Second injury scare
Late in the game, with the Lions up by a seemingly insurmountable 17 points, Branch tried to plant on the bad ankle and fell to the turf. He was slow to get up, but this time, he made his way to the sideline a bit quicker. He didn’t return to the game.
There were only a few minutes remaining, and the Lions spent most of that time on offense, so don’t be alarmed that Branch stayed out the second time.
Postgame report
Mike Garafolo, of NFL Network, reported that Branch was limping through the locker room after the game. Garafolo said Branch told him x-rays were negative and that nothing was broken.
That’s great news for the Lions, especially since they have 10 days until their next game against the winless Carolina Panthers. If Branch needs some extra time to get fully healthy, he could conceivably wait until the Oct. 15 game at Tampa Bay without hurting the Lions.
We’ll see if Branch is listed on the injury report next week. Since he returned to the game, it doesn’t seem like this will be a long-term issue. But with the way injuries have been nagging the Lions, it’s best to just wait and see.