JuJu's Nose Bloodied from Brian Branch Slap, Reid Says There's 'Pretty Good Damage'

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch drew blood when he struck Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after Detroit's 30-17 loss on Sunday night.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters in his postgame press conference that Smith-Schuster had a bloody nose to show from the on-field scuffle.

"The guy came up and hit JuJu for what looked like no reason," the coach said. "That's tough, and he did pretty good damage on JuJu's nose."

Branch slapped Smith-Schuster in the face mask as players were going through their usual postgame pleasantries. Smith-Schuster appeared to make some comments toward Branch after the Detroit defender left teammate Patrick Mahomes hanging on a handshake.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell called Branch's actions "inexcusable."

"I love Brian Branch, 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," he said. "I apologized to coach Reid and the Chiefs and Schuster. That's not OK. That's not what we do here, and it's not gonna be OK. He knows it, our team knows it. That's not what we do."

Branch also called his slap a "childish thing" but said the Chiefs were "trying to bully me out there." He was particularly frustrated with what he thought was an illegal block by Smith-Schuster that went unpunished by the refs.

With 3:25 left in the fourth quarter, Smith-Schuster came a few yards across the field and laid Branch out with a block.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday morning on SportsCenter that the NFL is reviewing what happened at Arrowhead Stadium after the game. He described the incident as "exactly the type of situation that the NFL never wants to have," especially in a prime-time television slot.

"And I am told that determinations on discipline will be made," Schefter said. "So, at the very least, there will be fines, certainly possible suspension. And we'll see how this plays out through the course of the week. But I would think that we should get word later today or tomorrow."

A suspension would mean Branch misses a matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game that could have implications on the NFC playoff race. The 5-1 Bucs sit atop the conference, one game ahead of Detroit.