ALLEN PARK — When Dan Campbell listed the outstanding defensive players from the 52-21 win over the Bears, safety Brian Branch was at the top of the list.
Branch had a standout game with a pretty nice stat line — he forced a fumble, had a sack and made six tackles.
On Monday, Campbell said Branch makes life much easier on the pages because of his versatility.
“We bring it up all the time, he’s a safety that has cover ability like a corner, he can blitz like a linebacker and tackling and fill in the run gaps,’’ Campbell said. “There’s so many different things he can do. The guy is a major asset for us.’’
After Sunday’s game the Lions are 1-1, the Bears 0-2.
It was a huge bounceback for Detroit after a lackluster loss at Green Bay in Week 1.
“It showed us what we’re capable of doing. We know how good we are when we execute what coach Shep (DC Kelvin Sheppard) calls,’’ Branch said. “Coach Shep called a great ball game … Just moving forward we re-established our brand of football
Facing Ben Johnson, Bears head coach and former Lions offensive coordinator, was down-played leading up to Sunday, afterward Branch wasn’t afraid to share his feelings.
“Really, all these games are personal, but this one we felt like we’d been betrayed from the staff to players,’’ Branch said. “And we love Ben, we still love Ben. He’s a great coach. He’s a great mastermind but, yeah, it was time to get after him.”
Branch explained they felt betrayed because Johnson went to an NFC North opponent.
The Lions won’t face the Bears again until the final game of the regular season. Date to be determined but likely Jan 3 or 4.
INJURIES: Marcus Davenport left the game early with a shoulder injury. Campbell doesn’t have all the test results in yet, but he’s hoping he won’t be out too long.
UP NEXT: Lions (1-1) at Baltimore Ravens (1-1), 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22.
Lions Lowdown 