The Detroit Lions‘ head coach, Dan Campbell, almost turned red in the week 6 game against the Chiefs for two reasons. First, they lost the game by 30-17. It was a reality check as they were coming off 4 consecutive victories by scoring 34 or more points. Second, when he saw his safety Brian Branch slapping the rival WR JuJu Smith-Schuster on the helmet. But now, he’s making moves.

On October 15, he signed DB Jammie Robinson to the Lions squad on a 1-year deal. He was signed to the Chiefs earlier and listed on their practice squad. But after the current chain of events in Detroit, he might have to play sooner than he expected. But he has his limitations.

The Carolina Panthers drafted Robinson 145th overall (5th-round) in the 2023 NFL Draft. They later signed a 4-year $4.1 million rookie deal. He started 2 games (played 15) in his rookie year and recorded 17 tackles (11 solo). The next year, he played 6 games (started zero) and only had 3 tackles (2 solo) to his name. Once they waived him in December last year, he spent his time on the practice squads.

Initially, the Arizona Cardinals signed him, but cut him as part of their final roster cuts in August this offseason. From there, the Chiefs grabbed him, and now, he has landed in Detroit. How Dan Campbell uses him will be interesting to watch.

Amid this, the fans got the news they were fearing.

Dan Campbell’s safety loses appeal against suspension

The move happened after Branch lost his appeal against the one-game suspension. Everyone predicted punishment for the safety, and hearing officer Jordy Nelson upheld the league’s decision to suspend him for 1 game. It means that Dan Campbell’s team will be playing against the Buccaneers with a depleted roster.

With the Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield in red-hot form, things will definitely get tough for them. Branch’s absence could prove to be crucial as he is a regular starter. In 6 games (all starts) this season, he has logged 5 defended passes, 1 sack, and 33 tackles (23 solo). Despite his importance in the NFC North franchise, he didn’t change his behavior. This is because, the NFL has already fined him 13 times for around $130k in two seasons.

Dan Campbell tried hard to salvage his image as he called out his safety’s actions as “inexcusable” and apologized to the Chiefs. Even Branch explained his anger, claiming he was frustrated because of the illegal block. However, the league has taken a hard stance against any violations that hurt its good image. And the week 6 brawl definitely did some damage.

The safety first marched past Patrick Mahomes, denying the handshake. It made JuJu Smith-Schuster react, after which Branch confronted the receiver and hit him in his face. Reid even claimed that the WR bled in his nose, but did not give much importance to Branch’s actions in the post-game conference.

Even Mahomes had a similar reaction, claiming they weren’t afraid of anything, referring to the Lions’ physically dominating game. However, things aren’t looking good for Dan Campbell now.

Injuries are also piling up. Their CB Terrion Arnold injured his shoulder before the Chiefs’ matchup and sat out. Taylor Decker was also ruled out due to the shoulder injury. Cornerback Avonte Maddox injured his hamstring this week and was out, too. According to Dan Campbell, these players might return after the Bye week. So, the Lions will be battling with the Bucs without three of their starters.

It’s a challenge. Can they beat another Super Bowl contender? It will be a tough game at Ford Field on October 20, Monday.