Brian Branch is only 21, but he felt "like a little kid" again when he snared a deflected pass from Patrick Mahomes and raced to the end zone in his NFL debut. His pick six of the reigning MVP was a turning point in the Lions' 21-20 win over the Chiefs in last Thursday's opener. Branch has only seen the replay some 100 times since.
"Just a dream come true," he said Monday. "Just feeling like a little kid. Being out there as a little kid, you looked up to players in the NFL, one day hoping you could make a play like that. And being able to make that play in my first game, I’m blessed. Just gotta keep going."
It will be marked down as an interception of Mahomes -- and "that's a great feeling," said Branch -- but the result owed more to Kadarius Toney, who let a perfect pass from Mahomes slip through his hands as Branch was closing to make the tackle. But the pick was no gimme. Branch had to change course and reach back with one hand to haul it in. It's a ball that plenty of other NFL defensive backs drop. Not this one.
"Just a reaction," said Branch. "My first instinct was to go hit him, but luckily he dropped it and I was able to react to the ball. That’s pretty much it."
He was off to the races from there, 50 yards to the end zone to tie the game early in the second half. Soon, Branch had NFL Twitter (X?) ablaze. How was this dude not drafted in the first round? How did a first-team All-American at Alabama fall to No. 45 overall? How did six defensive backs go before him?
Especially in Green Bay, fans wondered why the Packers traded down from No. 45 when they could have drafted Branch themselves. The Lions moved up three spots and got a potential cornerstone of their defense, for the cost of a fifth-round pick. Branch smiled Monday and said, yeah, it felt good to remind a few teams of their mistake on national TV.
"But I just gotta keep on proving them wrong. This is only the beginning and I just gotta keep pushing forward," he said.
Branch wasn't perfect in his debut, which is partly why it was so encouraging. He was guilty of a couple miscommunications in the Lions' rebuilt secondary, including on the Chiefs' second touchdown when he lost track of tight end Blake Bell at the goal line. The play ended with the ball in Bell's hands, and Branch's head in his. He cares that much.
"The thing about Branch is, man, he’s a playmaker and he came up with a big one for us," said Campbell. "I think what’s most encouraging is he’s got a ton to clean up. And when he gets that stuff cleaned up, he’s going to be that much better. But he’s got a knack for finding the football."
"I did OK, in my eyes," said Branch. "Like Coach Dan said, I do have a lot of corrections that I need to make. But it was a good start for the first game. Moving forward, just have to fix those and not let them become the same mistakes over and over again."
In his locker room speech after the game, Campbell praised his players for making the big plays. When he referenced the defense getting a takeaway, Branch's teammates sang out, "BB! BB!" He was one of four rookies to make a big impact for the Lions along with Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta. Already, it looks like a "very special rookie class," said Branch.
And after one week, he said, "I feel like it’s going to be a special year."