'Cleared the Stands': Elite Safety Duo Helps Lions Tame Cowboys

Are Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph best safety tandem in NFL?

Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31). / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions' safety duo of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph has gelled nicely together, giving Aaron Glenn's defense one of the best tandems in the league.

Early in the 2024 season, the two have combined for seven interceptions, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Both players have high goals and expectations for the upcoming season.

"Sky's the limit. We've got to feed off each other," Branch said. "I feel like, to be honest, we the best duo in the league right now. We the best duo in the league, and if we keep feeding off each other, sky is the limit."

Speaking after the game Sunday, Branch was backed up by Joseph in his assessment of where they stand amongst the league's duos.

"For sure. Best duo, and if that wasn't known, it's known now," Joseph explained. "They ain't even score a touchdown today, they got in the red zone like two times and after that they couldn't go past the 50. Shoutout to both of us, but shoutout to B.B. He really played an amazing game, I feel like a proud father. That's really my son."

The Lions dominated the Cowboys on Sunday in all areas, keeping their offense out of the end zone and piecing nine scoring drives together. Both Branch and Joseph created takeaways, as Branch had two interceptions and a forced fumble while Joseph added a late interception.

"They (were) ranked pretty high on offense, (weren't) they? I mean, the sky's the limit for our defense. I ain't gonna lie, I ain't never been part of a game like that," Branch said. "We actually cleared the stands, if y'all looked. That means we've just got to keep on stacking them, to be honest. We're really about to go on a stretch and play a variety of offenses that are pretty good in this league. Shoot, it's us against the world."

The blowout was reminiscient of games Branch used to play at Alabama. As a result, he's seen fans exit, the way they did in Dallas Sunday, previously.

"Heck yeah. Clearing the stands, coach Saban taught us about that," Branch explained. "That's how you know you beat the heck out of a team."

'The ultimate football player'

Branch's fingerprints were all over the game on Sunday. After intercepting Dak Prescott in the end zone on the Cowboys' second series, he would later add a forced fumble as well as another pick on a Prescott fourth down heave.

He's proving to be a dynamic talent capable of contributing across the defense, with the versatility to play the run as a box safety as well as impacting the pass game.

"He means a ton to us. He is. What you see is what you get. He's a highly productive player. He is the ultimate football player. He's a football player," said coach Dan Campbell. "He gets it. He sees it. The safety position in our defense is perfect for him, because it allows him to roam and he’s got some freedom. It's structured, but he’s got some freedom to be able to move a little bit and play ball. And man, you just see the sky’s the limit with him and Kerby back there. Those two playing together, they're really beginning to grow. So he's big for us. It's good to get him back."

Branch and Joseph have struck up a sense of camraderie as well as being able to play to each other's strengths. Where Branch is viewed as a more physical player and Joseph a ballhawk, both have proven to be comfortable playing outside their traditional areas of strength.

This has allowed the defense as a whole to thrive for Glenn and the rest of the coaching staff.

"I feel like we're doing it exactly the way he wants. But I know he always expects more out of us. He's gonna keep pushing us and keep wanting us to get better," Joseph said. "Shoutout to B.B. man, he played his best game yet. I feel like he's just gonna continue to get better, it's only his second year. We're just gonna keep growing together, keep playing ball. Today, I really just feel like this game plan was just perfect."

Asked to compare their current duo to others around the league, Joseph took a different approach in identifying his pairing with Branch as a unique one.

"I feel like we're us. I don't really feel like we compare to any other safety duo out there," Joseph explained. "We're Kerby and Brian, B.B. and JKerb. We ain't nobody else."