Chiefs and Lions finished Sunday night with a postgame melee sparked when Lions safety Brian Branch punched JuJu Smith-Schuster after the kneel-down. Smith-Schuster said Branch is a better player and person and suggested Branch was frustrated by blocks, while Branch called the act childish and noted unseen infractions between plays that refs don’t catch. Branch faces a likely NFL fine, with suspension possible but not guaranteed. Smith-Schuster walked away with a bloody nose but kept a composed, veteran stance, insisting he played between the whistles.

The incident adds a fresh layer of uncertainty for Chiefs’ passing-game plans and Lions’ defensive mood, just as the league weighs discipline. Dan Campbell denounced Branch’s actions, and Mahomes’ team remains the focal point of the week’s headlines as the sport digests the fallout and what it could mean for upcoming matchups and fantasy implications.