Lions Safety Brian Branch Reveals Why Win over Bears Was ‘Personal’
After a disappointing performance on the road in Week 1 against the Packers, the Detroit Lions had a lot to prove entering Week 2. They got another shot at a division opponent in the Bears, but this time they got to host them in Detroit, with a chance to make a statement.
They did just that, blitzing Chicago 52-21, and running up the score a bit at the end just for good measure. The Bears have a new head coach this year, a familiar face for the Lions — former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The top prize on the coaching carousel for several years, Johnson is considered one of the best offensive minds in the league and was behind Detroit’s famously explosive and creative offensive attack over the last three season.
Lions S Brian Branch had some thoughts on what it meant to go against Johnson after the game. “Very motivated,” he said on the players’ mindset going in. “We knew coming into this game that this is personal. Really all these game are personal, but this one was just — we felt like we’d been betrayed, from the staff to the players. And, you know, we love Ben, we still love Ben, he’s a great coach and a great mastermind. But yeah, it was time to get out there.”
Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell on Brian Branch’s Impact on the Defense
“Well look, it makes our job a lot easier, that’s for sure,” Campbell said on what Branch offers the Lions defense schematically. “Because he does have so much versatility. I bring it up all the time, he’s a safety that has the cover ability like a corner. He can blitz like a linebacker. And tackling, filling the gaps, run gaps. There’s so many different things he can do. I mean, the guy’s a major asset for us.”
Branch was stellar in this game, notching six tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss, and a pass defensed against the Bears. He stuffed the stat sheet in practically every category, proving once again to be one of the best safeties in the NFL. The Lions needed a better performance from their defense, and Branch stepped up in a big way.
The Detroit Lions Looked Like a Wagon on Sunday
If you wanted to see something more from the Detroit Lions after a lackluster Week 1 performance, you got everything you asked for and then some in Week 2. The offense looked unstoppable, putting up 52 points with 511 total yards, but the defense did their part too.
While it wasn’t quite as stellar as the offense, Detroit’s defense came up with some key turnovers and high-leverage plays to turn the tide of the game. Branch is the linchpin of that defense in the secondary, and he did his part. Now the Lions travel to the Ravens, a team that will stress the Detroit defense in more ways than one.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni Breaks Silence on John Metchie Trade
John Metchie, acquired in a trade with the Texans earlier this week, should upgrade the Eagles wide receivers corps.
The Philadelphia Eagles upgraded their wide receiving corps while also bringing in a player with whom many of their players are familiar.
Coach Nick Sirianni addressed the Eagles’ decision to trade for John Metchie III and what they will be getting with the speedy 25-year-old wideout.
The Eagles acquired Metchie from the Houston Texans earlier this week for a sixth-round pick and tight end Harrison Bryant on Monday.
Metchie, a second-round pick of the Texans in 2022 who played just 29 games for the Texans over two seasons, should complement mainstays A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as Philadelphia’s No. 3 receiver.
What Did Nick Sirianni Say About John Metchie III?
Sirianni expressed his enthusiasm for Metchie, who he scouted while preparing to draft Smith with the 10th overall pick out of Alabama in 2020 and quarterback Jalen Hurts — who played there before transferring to Oklahoma for his final year.
So when the opportunity to came to land Smith’s college teammate — they won the 2020 FBS championship together — Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman made the call.
“We really liked him coming out [of Alabama],” Sirianni said. “Obviously he made a lot of plays there, it was always a fan of his game.”
Sirianni reported that players like Smith and Hurts — and the seven former Alabama players on the roster — spoke highly of Metchie. Plus, when watching the receiver’s tape, Sirianni saw some remarkable similarities to Smith.
“The thing that really stood out to me is how tough he is and just with how he blocks and how he finishes on the sidelines with the ball in his hands,” Sirianni said. “You can tell that they coached by the same guys in college, since there are some similarities to how they finish with that ball in their hands to DeVonta.”
But aside from those intangibles, Sirianni also cited his physical gifts, which are not necessarily apparent based on his 6-0, 196-pound frame.
“He’s quick. He’s very quick,” Sirianni said. “Excited about the things he can add to this football team.”
What Is John Metchie III’s Role On The Eagles?
Though they have made the playoffs in four straight years, and qualified for the Super Bowl in two of the past three seasons and won the game this year, the Eagles have had a hard time finding a No. 3 receiver behind Brown and Smith.
Typically, tight end Dallas Goedert is the third receiving option, since he was third on the team in receiving yards in 2024 (496) despite playing just 10 games. But before the Metchie trade, Philadelphia’s No. 3 wideout was Jahan Dotson, who was sixth on the team in catches (19) and receiving yards (296) in 2024.
So Metchie is an upgrade to Dotson, even though both have yet to showcase their potential in the NFL. Plus, it properly slots Dotson as the WR4, which could give him more favorable matchups.
Metchie expects to give the Eagles more ability to play with 11 personnel and not lose much, plus it keeps him from going to an NFC rival like the wideout-needy Minnesota Vikings or division-rival Washington Commanders.
