KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A long, frustrating night for the Detroit Lions inside Arrowhead Stadium ended with safety Brian Branch delivering an open-handed strike to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, setting off a brief fight among players from both teams.
After Kansas City's 30-17 victory Sunday night, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tried to give a high-five to Branch as they met near midfield. Branch walked past Mahomes, and Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took umbrage with the move, walking up to Branch and having a few words with him.
Branch responded by striking Smith-Schuster in his facemask, sending him to the ground.
"It was a childish thing, but I'm tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don't catch it," Branch said. "They be trying to bully me out there. I should have never did it. It was childish."
Smith-Schuster leaped to his feet and went after Branch, who played despite an ankle injury that had kept him out of practice most of the week. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco tried to get between them, but Branch succeeded in ripping Smith-Schuster's helmet off as dozens of players from both teams converged on the scrum.
"He's a great player and he's huge for [their] team," Smith-Schuster said of Branch. "After the game, I expected to shake his hand and say, 'Good game.' But he threw a punch."
Branch said he was blocked in the back by Smith-Schuster toward the end of the game in front of the referees and they didn't respond.
"I could've got hurt off of that play," Branch said. "I still shouldn't have done that."
Asked what he thought prompted Branch's actions, Smith-Schuster replied, "I mean, me just blocking him."
"I'm just doing my job," Smith-Schuster said. "I play between the whistles."
Eventually, coaches and players separated the parties, and they finally left the field for the locker room. Branch could be facing another hefty fine -- he was docked $23,186 for face-masking and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Green Bay last month -- and perhaps even a suspension.
"I love Brian Branch," Lions coach Dan Campbell said, "but what he did is inexcusable, and it's not going to be accepted here. It's not what we do. It's not what we're about. I apologized to Coach [Andy] Reid and the Chiefs, and Smith-Schuster. That's not OK. That's not what we do here. It's not going to be OK. He knows it. Our team knows it. That's not what we do."
Smith-Schuster came away with a bloody nose.
"The guy came up and hit JuJu for what looked like no reason," Reid said. "That's tough, and he did pretty good damage on JuJu's nose."
Veteran Lions defensive lineman DJ Reader said he planned to talk to Branch once the emotions from Sunday die down.
"We'll have that conversation. It's hard to have that conversation right now because everybody's trying to have the conversation," Reader said. "I'm sure I'll get a chance to talk to him, but it's tough because he's got that stinger for a reason as a player and you don't ever want to take that away, but you also want him to be smart. Not only for us, but also for himself. To protect his money, to protect him."
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Detroit, which was trying to pull off a rare feat by winning two consecutive games in Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, the Lions allowed 355 yards of total offense, forced just one punt and didn't make the stops they needed late in the fourth quarter to give their offense a chance to mount a comeback.
Jared Goff finished with just 203 yards passing, though he had touchdown throws to Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to 45 yards receiving. Jahmyr Gibbs needed 17 carries for 65 yards.
"That's a physical team, and they have a mentality that they come in to play with, and we're going to match that mentality," Mahomes said. "We're not afraid to go up against anybody. That's the mentality Coach Reid brings every single day, and we're going to match the intensity of whoever steps on that field."
Tagovailoa calls out some Dolphins for player meeting attendance
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said the team has several "little things" to clean up following its 1-5 start, including attendance at player-led meetings.
Shortly after Miami's 29-27 loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Chargers, Tagovailoa was asked how players can refrain from feeling sorry for themselves. The Dolphins have now lost four games this season in which they trailed by one score in the final two minutes.
Tagovailoa, who threw the go-ahead touchdown but also three interceptions, mentioned possible changes to player-led meetings throughout the week.
"I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys and then what we're expecting out of the guys," he said. "We're expecting this -- are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to players-only meetings late, guys not showing up to players-only meetings. There's a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory?
"It's a lot of things of that nature that we've got to get cleaned up, and it starts with little things like that."
The Chargers returned the ensuing kickoff to Miami's 41-yard line, however, and quarterback Justin Herbert connected with Ladd McConkey for a 42-yard gain on second down to set up the winning field goal.
Tagovailoa called the loss a "shock" before revealing the team's internal issues with its player-led meetings. He took responsibility for his three turnovers, and shifted his focus to Miami's game in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns.
"The only place we can go is next week," he said. "We talk about figuring this out. We talk about getting it together collectively. What are the problems, what are the issues and are they getting fixed? Are they not getting fixed? Why are they not getting fixed? Or if they're fixed, how are we not allowing it to happen again? Things of that nature.
"We've got to look at the film again, we've got to see where we can go. I contributed to a lot of that as well with the three turnovers. You can't do that and expect to win games."
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who, like Tagovailoa, is a team captain, declined to comment on the Dolphins' player meetings when asked. Coach Mike McDaniel said player-led meetings are "outside of what I demand" and he has seen players hold themselves accountable within what he has asked them to do.
"We've been very accountable to me," McDaniel said. "It sounds like there was something on his mind in regard to the specific meetings with a couple individuals that he was trying to get corrected ... with direct communication. I think that's the only way to lead as far as where we've been at as a program. I think we've opened the air on all of that and it's very clear how we hold people accountable and with all those things.
"Clearly he's sending a message, but from my standpoint, everything that I've asked of the guys, they have delivered on. I'm sure whomever he is talking to, they'll deliver as well."
Tardiness and absences were a prevalent issue within the Dolphins organization last year, when McDaniel said he frequently fined players to no avail. A source who previously played for Miami under McDaniel told ESPN that players were frequently late to meetings and practice dating back to McDaniel's first season in 2022, but the behavior wasn't reprimanded because the team was winning games.
That same source said the frequency and severity of players' punctuality was exacerbated by last year's struggles, when Miami rebounded from a 2-6 start to finish 8-9.
Multiple sources confirmed to ESPN that Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill were the most notable frequent offenders. Miami traded Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason while Hill was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a season-ending dislocated knee in Week 4.
McDaniel said it's difficult to lose games in the final minutes, as the Dolphins have done four times this season. He pointed to his players' perseverance Sunday as a positive sign but insisted there are no moral victories at this level.
He also said he and his staff will collectively work to solve the Dolphins' late-game issues.
"I try to find themes for things that are occurring. Each game is unique to its own," McDaniel said. "I was looking to make sure that this team didn't fall victim to, 'all right man, we want to win, but oh shoot, here we go again.' And fortunately, or unfortunately, I got to find that information out in the third quarter -- because there's where the team quits if the losses have beat them down too much. It wasn't the case.
"They fought back, and I was proud of that, but it's not what we're looking for. There's zero victory that would be considered moral. However, I think it's reasonable to have expectation that we have our best performance at the end of games as we continue to work as a team. Otherwise, we'll be forced to deal with the same result."
49ers lose top LB Fred Warner to season-ending ankle injury
Which is why, when Warner departed Sunday's 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a broken and dislocated right ankle in the first quarter, his teammates were in disbelief.
Warner's injury will require season-ending surgery, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game.
"He's one of our best players, also a huge leader, so obviously, a huge blow," Shanahan said. "I feel bad for Fred right now."
Warner suffered the devastating injury with just under eight minutes left in the opening quarter. On first-and-10 at Tampa Bay's 36, running back Rachaad White ran off left tackle for a gain of 10 yards. As Warner attempted to corral White, who cut inside him, Niners safety Ji'Ayir Brown brought White down and Brown's legs rolled into the back of Warner's ankle.
Brown reacted quickly, knowing that Warner might be seriously hurt, and teammates quickly put their hands on their heads and dropped to a knee as they watched San Francisco's medical staff surround Warner.
After the game, Brown was emotional, describing the loss of Warner, a player he said has been like a "big brother" to him.
"I was right there when it happened," Brown said. "Seeing him go down, a guy that doesn't go down, you know what I mean? It's draining. I think it kind of drained the stadium. Everybody felt that."
A couple of minutes after Warner's injury, Niners medical and training staff placed his right foot and ankle in an air cast, and he was taken to the locker room on a cart. Before he departed, Niners players wished him well as the seriousness of the injury seemed to hit them.
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings said he had to take some nausea medicine because he was "sick to his stomach" watching Warner leave with the injury while others noted the shock at seeing a player, who has made a career of being available, in such condition.
"It's heartbreaking," left tackle Trent Williams said. "Fred, not only is he one of the best linebackers to ever play the game, but he is the heart and soul of this team, not just the heart and soul of this defense. It's one thing to see somebody go down and go to the blue tent, and nobody really knows what's going on. When you see a guy that's injured like that, it's really like a gut punch. It's really hard to continue the intensity and playing that game like that never happened."
With Warner in the locker room, the 49ers turned to second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune to play middle linebacker, though weakside linebacker Dee Winters handled communication with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Although the 49ers gave up touchdown drives to the Bucs on three of their first four full possessions after Warner's departure, Bethune led the team in tackles with 10. Shanahan indicated after the game that Bethune will get the first opportunity to replace Warner for the rest of the season.
Bethune, who was a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft, has one NFL start, the 2024 season finale in Arizona, in which he had three tackles on 39 defensive snaps.
"You prepare as a starter for reasons like this," Bethune said. "Fred getting hurt was unfortunate, but this is why we are all professionals and we've all got a job to do."
Even as Warner was taken to the locker room on the cart, teammates said he was going out of his way to encourage them to try to beat the Bucs. Warner stayed in Raymond James Stadium for the entire game, and Shanahan had him address the team in the locker room when the game was over.
Warner's message: There's a lot of football left and a lot of things the Niners can accomplish, even without him.
"It's obviously tough losing him and he's our brother and it sucks, but we have got a lot of football left," linebacker Luke Gifford said. "And we've got the tools to win games."
Warner's injury wasn't felt just in the Niners' locker room. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield opened his postgame news conference by sending thoughts and prayers to Warner. Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles echoed that sentiment.
"It was sickening," Bowles said. "He's one of the best players in the league. A great guy on top of that. You hate to see something like that happen. Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery. That kind of breaks your heart, no matter what side of the ball you're on."
Warner has been the leader of San Francisco's defense since his arrival in 2018 and was positioned to break Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis' franchise record for tackles in a career Sunday before the injury. Warner needed five tackles to reach that mark and had one at the time of the injury.
For the Niners, picking up the pieces after Warner's injury will be more difficult because the defense is dealing with other significant injuries. The 49ers lost star defensive end Nick Bosa to a torn ACL in his right knee in Week 3, and he, too, is out for the season.
The 49ers will play the final 11 games of the year without their two best and most indispensable defenders while also playing chunks or all of the season without tight end George Kittle (hamstring), quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee), Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder).
Jennings revealed after the game that the injuries that have limited him this season have mounted in more ways than previously known. He said he played Sunday with five broken ribs, a shoulder he estimated at about 20 percent healthy, and has had both high and low ankle sprains.
"Everyone knows it's difficult when you lose your better players and your leaders," Shanahan said. "It's tough. It's huge with Nick, obviously huge with Fred. Hopefully, we'll get Kittle back here and some of the other guys, but that's going to give opportunities to other guys. These are the moments guys got to step it up. I'm glad that we played some decent football to put us in this position, at least with the record, and we've got to find a way to get better everywhere else throughout this year."
Rico Dowdle backs up talk, steamrolls Cowboys for 239 yards
WATCH NOWCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle didn't hesitate when asked what his postgame message was to the Dallas Cowboys after telling his former team to "buckle up'' heading into Sunday's 30-27 victory at Bank of America Stadium.
"They wasn't buckled up,'' Dowdle deadpanned.
Not even close.
Dowdle had a team-record 239 scrimmage yards against the team that chose not to re-sign him after the 2024 season, making him the seventh player in NFL history to have at least 230 scrimmage yards in consecutive games.
His 473 scrimmage yards the past two games smashed the team two-game record of 416 held by Christian McCaffrey and helped Carolina (3-3) reach the .500 mark for the first time since it was 5-5 in Week 10 of 2021.
Dowdle's effort also opened up a conversation about who will start once Chuba Hubbard returns from a calf injury that has sidelined him the past two weeks.
"A great question,'' coach Dave Canales said after Carolina improved to 3-0 at home this season with a road game against the 0-6 New York Jets next. "We're going to figure that part out. But I know Rico is doing a great job, and he will be a big part of what we're doing.''
The Cowboys (2-3-1) and their league-worst defense weren't ready for Dowdle from the outset. Dowdle had 21 yards rushing on his first two carries and caught a 13-yard pass on Carolina's fourth play to set up a field goal.
He had a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bryce Young less than two minutes into the second half to put the Panthers up 20-17. He celebrated that one by spinning the ball and then pretending to shovel dirt on a grave.
Burying Dallas wouldn't be as easy as Dowdle bowling over defenders seemed. The Panthers needed a walk-off 33-yard field goal by rookie Ryan Fitzgerald to get the win.
That's ultimately what Dowdle wanted the most.
"Definitely,'' said Dowdle, who spent his first five seasons in Dallas after being an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2020. "I've been saying all week the main thing is I just wanted to get that win.
"Big, big for me, but also big the organization. Getting to .500 and protecting the home field ... just got to keep building.''
Dowdle admitted the game was "a little personal'' after the Cowboys didn't meet his financial demands following his first 1,000 yard rushing season a year ago.
Young, whose five touchdown passes in two games tied for the most he has had over that span since being the top pick of the 2023 draft, smiled when asked if he noticed the game meant more than normal to Dowdle.
"Yeah, of course,'' he said. "Rico is a competitor. That just speaks to the dawg he is. We knew it was personal. We wanted to have his back. That's our brother. ... If it's personal to him, it's personal to us.''
It almost became hisvtorical. Dowdle was 17 yards rushing shy of becoming only the fifth player since 1970 to have 200 in consecutive games. O.J. Simpson did it twice. Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams and Jay Ajayi did it once each.
Dowdle's 230-plus yards in consecutive games put him in the company of Jim Brown (Browns), Walter Payton (Bears), Marshall Faulk (Rams), Deuce McAllister (Saints), Josh Gordon (Browns) and Le'Veon Bell (Steelers). This from a back who had 33 touches, 103 yards and one touchdown in the first four games.
"I didn't realize that part,'' Dowdle said of the historical nature of his feat that included breaking McCaffrey's single-game team record (237) for scrimmage yards. "But definitely special to be able to come here and get in the history books.''
Dowdle wasn't perfect, though. He took full blame for a lateral from wide receiver Xavier Legette that turned into a fumble, pleading with Legette to toss him the ball on a play that initially looked like a bad decision by the receiver.
"That's on me,'' Dowdle said. "I told the coaches the same thing. [Coach] told me don't make that stuff up.''
Dowdle's storybook run that could land him in the starting lineup is something you can't make up either. It's something few, if any, anticipated when he signed a one-year, $3 million deal that could reach $6.5 million with incentives to back up Hubbard.
It certainly got the attention of the Cowboys.
"He told us to buckle up,'' quarterback Dak Prescott said. "He got the last laugh.''
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