Brian Branch had himself one heck of an NFL debut. The Lions rookie defensive back scored a pick-six interception off the reigning NFL MVP, Patrick Mahomes, on prime time in the home of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. It was a huge moment for the Lions, helping spring them to the 21-20 upset victory.
It was also a phenomenal “welcome to the NFL” moment for Branch. The second-rounder from Alabama excitedly talked about it with reporters during a media session this week.
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Branch walked through the big play.
“If Kadarius (Toney) would’ve caught it, it would’ve just been a tackle and we’d have been off the field,” Branch said. “But thankfully, he tipped it. He dropped it basically and I was able to pick it. Picking off Mahomes, that’s a great feeling,” a beaming Branch said.
When asked how many times he’s watched the play, Branch smiled and joked, “Probably about a hundred.”
“Definitely gives me a boost for my confidence,” Branch said after calling the pick-six “a dream come true.” But Branch doesn’t want to get away from what set up the success in Kansas City for himself or the Lions team.
“Each week is going to be a challenging week,” Branch stated. “We just have to keep on preparing how we prepared for Kansas City — for every week moving forward we’ve got to do the same thing.”