The Kansas City Chiefs have demanded more headlines than usual this week based on the game-ending brawl that broke out courtesy of Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch. Waiting to handle it until after the final whistle, Branch attacked JuJu Smith-Schuster and incited an ugly scene that resulted in a one-game suspension that was upheld on Wednesday night.
Predictably, this has led to opinions being levied from a number of hot take artists, including Colts defender Zaire Franklin, who had a unique perspective on the situation. Franklin described Branch as "doing the work of the Lord" for attacking the receiver. The linebacker goes on to expound that Smith-Schuster does a lot of sneaky things between the whistles that have more than earned the attack.
AFC Foe Blames Chiefs Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for Sunday's Game-Ending Brawl
It is an eyebrow-raising defense of Branch's actions, who did the exact thing Franklin is calling out. There is no denying that Smith-Schuster got away with a hit in the back earlier in the game, leveling Branch, hitting the safety in the back. However, this doesn't excuse attacking a player when the game was over and out of reach. It is a poor decision that even Detroit head coach Dan Campbell spoke out against. Hearing a player defend the actions of Branch and blame Smith-Schuster is laughable.
If what the Indy defender is saying is true, there is every opportunity for an opposing team to handle it during the game. If what Smith-Schuster's play style is so egregious, the answer is handling business on the field during a game. The truth of this situation appears to be that Branch was salty about Patrick Mahomes taunting him earlier in the game and frustrated with JuJu for hitting him from behind.
All that was needed to push things over the edge was the failed handshake attempts that started the fight in the first place. This isn't on the shoulders of Smith-Schuster, but a defender who chose to let his emotions lead and put his team in harm's way because of it.
Franklin's defense is one based on the receiver's alleged history and what sounds to be a personal bias against his play style. If Smith-Schuster isn't being flagged but crossing lines, there is a simple solution within the game to address it. This is a violent contact sport, giving defenders every chance to get even within the confines of the game.
Any defense of how Branch chose to attack the pass catcher and end the game in such ugly fashion is misplaced. There simply is no viable explanation for how things finished and the one-game suspension must stand for a player who crossed a line no matter what his previous gripes might have been. Smith-Schuster deserves zero blame for what was a poor decision that spiraled out of control.