According to NFL insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapaport, Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch is feared to have suffered a torn achilles in Thursday night’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Branch suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter while defending a pass thrown to Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson. Although Branch was successfully able to break the play up, his right leg got tangled up with Ferguson’s body as he hit the ground, leading to a clear strain as the play developed.
With trainers and head coach Dan Campbell by his side, Branch was carted off the field.
The third-year DB is set to undergo more tests this morning, but signs are pointing towards the worst for Branch. A torn Achilles would end his season and deliver a massive blow to Detroit’s already injured defense.
Branch’s Potential Loss Will Impact Detroit’s Defense
It can’t be understated how important Brian Branch has been to this Lions defense, especially with five players on IR and a few others missing action last night due to injury. Branch, who is a reigning pro-bowler who also received DROY votes in 2023 and was named an all-pro, has been one of the biggest impact players for Detroit this season.
In 12 games, he’s had a noticeable impact on every aspect of the Lions defense, from QB pressures to pass defense. He has 2.5 sacks, nine passes defended, one forced fumble, five QB hits and a whopping 75 tackles.
If the torn achilles fears do come true, it would be the first significant injury of Branch’s NFL career. He’s missed just four games due to injury in his career, all of which were minor.
It’s never a good thing when a player suffers an injury like this, but if you want to adopt the glass half-full mentality, Branch should be able to recover quicker than others considering he’s had a relatively clean bill of health up to this point in his career.
Lions Inch Closer to Playoff Spot With TNF Win Over Dallas
Detroit hasn’t fully been able to establish the dominance it’s had in the last couple of regular seasons, but Thursday night’s win proved that the Lions are not a team opponents want to see coming down the stretch.
With the win over Dallas, Detroit is now just one game back of the final Wild Card spot currently held by San Francisco at 9-4, while Green Bay (8-3-1) and Seattle (9-3) aren’t far off either.
Speaking of Green Bay, the Lions are nipping at their heels in the NFC North as well, with both teams chasing the Chicago Bears , who have played to an unexpected 9-3 record. The NFC North is still fully up for grabs, as both the Lions and Packers will play the Bears one more time each, with all three separated by just one and a half games.
Detroit has a daunting opponent upcoming in week 15 in the Los Angeles Rams . If they’re unable to walk out of LA with a win, the final three games against Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Chicago all become must-wins.
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