Studs and Duds: Branch Makes Game-Changing Play in Debut
The Detroit Lions stunned many within the football world with their 21-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
In front of a national audience, the Lions won the game with a dominant second half. Kansas City, led by the league's best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, went 0-for-7 on third downs in the final two quarters and only mustered six points in that span.
Detroit's defense muddied the waters for one of the NFL's best offenses. The offense, meanwhile, made winning plays when it mattered.
Here are studs and duds from the season opener:
STUD: S Brian Branch
With the Lions trailing, 14-7, and in desperate need of a big play, it was the rookie out of Alabama who delivered.
Branch grabbed a deflected pass and intercepted it, racing 50 yards to tie the score in the third quarter. It was the first career interception for the rookie, who made a large impact in his debut.
He finished with three tackles, but was in the mix on countless other plays. His effort against the run was notable, as he showed that being one of the best collegiate tacklers a year ago was no fluke.
DUD: WR Marvin Jones Jr.
It was a difficult night for the veteran. In his first game back with the Lions, Jones mustered only two receptions for eight yards.
In addition, he committed a costly fumble in the red zone that denied the Lions a scoring opportunity in the first half. Kansas City scored to take the lead later in the half.
This went along with two drops. It was a struggle for the veteran, who will be leaned on in the absence of Jameson Williams.
STUD: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown keyed Detroit's early offensive attack. He scored the season's first touchdown on a crossing pattern, securing the dart from Jared Goff and racing into the end zone.
In the end, it was another productive effort for the third-year emerging star. He finished with six catches for 71 yards (on nine targets).
His physicality was on full display, too, as he turned multiple short passes into longer gains and refused to go down on initial contact.
DUD: CB Cam Sutton
The newly signed corner failed to secure a tackle in his first game as a member of the Lions. He was also flagged for pass interference on a downfield pass that led to a Kansas City field goal.
The Lions struggled early in man-to-man coverage, as Mahomes found a groove and diced up Detroit defenders. When Detroit began to employ more zone, it saw better results.
Detroit was also bailed out by a number of pivotal errors by Chiefs receivers. Among them was a drop by KaDarius Toney on their final possession and a holding penalty that negated a completion to Skyy Moore that Sutton allowed.
STUD: DE Aidan Hutchinson
Hutchinson didn't record a sack in the opener, but was a constant force in the backfield.
Officially, he recorded three quarterback hits and four tackles. He narrowly missed on several more, and fought through apparent holding throughout the night.
STUD: WR Josh Reynolds
Reynolds led the Lions in receiving with 80 yards, and came up clutch with a pair of fourth-quarter catches. First, he made a contested grab to convert a third down on a dagger concept.
Later, he hauled in a pass from Goff, and turned it into a 33-yard gain that set up the game-winning touchdown.
On a night where the performance was largely limited to one player for three quarters, Reynolds' fourth-quarter showing stands out.
