The Detroit Lions are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now, and they really showed off their stuff on Monday, September 22, during their showdown against the Baltimore Ravens during Monday Night Football. While the odds were stacked against the Lions, and most talking heads in the NFL thought they would fall hard to the Ravens, they pulled out of Baltimore with a 38-30 victory.
If there was any question if this would be the same team with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, that was put to rest after the Baltimore game. But, the Lions will have a major test against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, September 28, especially since the Browns are the No. 1 ranked defensive in the NFL, according to Fox Sports’ latest rankings. The Detroit Lions, in comparison, are No. 14.
While the win over the Ravens was sweet for the Lions, one Detroit player is getting punished by the NFL because of actions taken in that game. He’ll have to pay up, too.
Detroit Lions Player Gets Hit by the NFL
Every week, the NFL penalizes some players for actions taking during the previous week’s games. “To protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity, the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures,” the NFL states. The league updates the roster every Saturday afternoon with offenses from the previous week.
“Players are notified of violations and may appeal any ruling,” the NFL states on their website. “Cases are heard by appeals officers and former NFL players, Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster or Jordy Nelson, who are jointly appointed and paid by the NFL/NFLPA. The decisions made are final and binding.”
On Saturday, September 27, the NFL announced that it’s fining Lions player Brian Branch $11,598 for “unnecessary Roughness” for a “low block.” It’s not a “big” penalty, and looking at footage, even ESPN Football Rules Analyst Russell Yurk said during the broadcast of the game that he thought it was a bad call. It appears that Branch wasn’t even trying to block. He just fell, and the other player tripped over him.
That $11,598 will go to a good cause, though. The NFL says that the money raised from these fines are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to “support legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
Detroit Lions vs. Cleveland Browns
Looking ahead to the Lions vs. Browns game, ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder has a bold, and bad, prediction for the Lions.
“The Browns will hold both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to under 4.0 yards per carry,” he says. “Cleveland’s defense ranks first in yards allowed per rush (2.3) and run stop win rate (38%).” Considering that I have both of those players on my fantasy team, that certainly worries me.