Brian Branch's Return Elevates Detroit Lions as Legitimate Super Bowl Contenders

Penei Sewell sat in his locker and kept things simple. Asked about Brian Branch’s impact, the All-Pro offensive tackle skipped the flowery language. He pointed to early in the fourth quarter. The Packers faced a third-and-21 deep in their own territory. Detroit led 17-14. Jordan Love launched a deep shot to Christian Watson. Branch, back from a torn Achilles, flew across the middle. He leaped for the interception.

The crowd at Ford Field roared. The sideline erupted. It was the Lions’ first division game of the season. A tight contest. A massive play.

"You guys heard that crowd," Sewell said. "You saw the team when he got that pick. I feel like that is self-explanatory."

Sewell’s reaction hints at something bigger. Branch’s return turns these Lions into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Let’s be clear about the roster gaps. The team still misses Kerby Joseph, the former All-Pro safety dealing with a knee injury. They expect him back this season. Until then, Branch stabilizes the secondary. That makes Detroit’s defense competent. Competence is all they need on that side of the ball. They arguably field the NFL’s top offense.

Branch spent the first six games on the physically unable to perform list. His interception against Green Bay highlighted a defense making timely stops. The Lions won 20-17.

"We all played a hell of a game, and I'm just proud to be a part of the secondary," Branch said. "We done been through a lot, and now it's time to hit the ground running."

Detroit still posts the league’s worst pass defense. They struggle to generate turnovers. They sit tied for 26th with just six takeaways. These issues plague the back end. Branch changes the math immediately. He is a big-time playmaker. In his first 44 NFL games, he recorded eight interceptions, 39 passes defensed, 20 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.

Sunday offered a glimpse of his ceiling. Branch added four tackles to that pick.

"I thought he was running with a turbo," linebacker Derrick Barnes said. "He was really running super fast into his gap, and it confused me, but that’s just who he is."

Barnes noted the team must adapt to knowing Branch will attack his gap. "He’s a phenomenal person to have back for this team, this defense," Barnes added. "When the ball is in the air, going down deep, and I look up and I see No. 32, I’m almost 99.9 percent sure that it’s going to be his ball."

Barnes has witnessed this multiple times. "He’s a ball hawk," he concluded.

The 4-2 Lions host the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. Branch boosts defensive confidence.

"He just understands football so well," veteran cornerback D.J. Reed said. "He’s just overall a great player. I don’t think he has any weaknesses."

Pro Bowl defensive end Aidan Hutchinson calls Branch the "tone-setter" of the defense.

"That’s his X-factor right there," Hutchinson explained. "He can change a game by making a hit, forcing a fumble, doing a big splash play like [the interception]."

Branch’s return coincides with Detroit finding its defensive footing as a unit. It wasn’t pretty against the Packers. The Lions allowed pass plays of 22, 27, and 28 yards on fourth-down attempts. They surrendered a wide-open touchdown on a third-and-9.

But Detroit forced a turnover on downs with Green Bay at the 7-yard line.

Detroit’s fourth-quarter interception saved the day. The Lions had just turned the ball over on downs inside the 10-yard line. Then came the pick. It followed a strong pass breakup by backup cornerback Khalil Dorsey.

The defense didn’t stop there. Green Bay managed only a field goal on its second-to-last possession. On the final drive, defensive end DJ Wonnum touched the 35-yard attempt.

Look at the numbers. The Lions have held opponents under 25 points in three of their last four games. Slowing down a dangerous Packers offense is a huge win.

Coach Dan Campbell had no doubt about what happened. "I thought our defense really, really stepped up, and they were the big story of this game," he said after Sunday’s contest. "I can see there is a confidence, there is a trust that's building with some of these guys."

He praised the entire unit. "The front's been doing a really good job. The backers have been playing pretty dang good, too, and the back end in spurts," Campbell noted. "But these last two games, we really stepped up. … We're challenging on some of these throws down the field. We're making it hard and there's nothing free, man. We're trying to defend every blade of grass, and that's what good defenses do."

An improving defense with Branch back. Supported by an elite offense.

Watch out, NFL.