Making his NFL debut Thursday night against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions rookie defensive back Brian Branch made an immediate impact.
With 11:04 left in the third quarter and the Lions trailing the Chiefs 14-7, Branch capitalized on a rare Mahomes mistake, returning an athletic interception 50 yards for a pick-six.
BRIAN BRANCH PICK-SIX IN HIS FIRST NFL GAME
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While Mahomes had uncharacteristically missed on more than a few pass attempts before the turnover, the interception probably wasn't on him. Mahomes appeared to throw a perfectly catchable ball to Kadarius Toney, but the pass deflected off the wideout's hands and into the air. There, Branch was waiting, sort of. Pursuing a potential tackle of Toney, Branch had to reach backward, snatching the ball with one hand before taking it to the house.
Branch's heroics tied the game at 14 while accomplishing a first against Mahomes. Remarkably, it's the first interception Mahomes has ever thrown in a Week 1 contest. Heading into Thursday night, Mahomes was virtually unstoppable in the NFL's first week, going a combined 121-of-167 with 18 touchdowns over five career Week 1 games.
Selected in the second round (45th overall) out of Alabama, Branch wasn't a turnover machine in college. He recorded only four interceptions and had zero defensive touchdowns over 38 career games for the Crimson Tide. So, registering a pick-six against a two-time Super Bowl Champion and likely future Hall of Famer in your first career game is quite the feat for the 21-year-old.
Whether luck or not, it's a moment Branch won't soon forget.
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