Detroit defensive again Brian Department thought he had been blocked within the again illegally with out the officers calling a penalty throughout the Lions’ 30-17 loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Sunday night time.
In order quickly as the sport ended, Department took issues into his personal palms — or, somewhat, his personal hand.
After the ultimate play, Department approached the participant he later mentioned was chargeable for the unlawful block, Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and hit him exhausting on the left aspect of his face masks with an open hand.
Smith-Schuster fell to a knee however instantly popped up and went after Department. The 2 gamers scuffled briefly, with Smith-Schuster shedding his helmet and ending up again on the bottom, as different gamers and coaches tried to intervene.
Speaking to reporters after the sport, Department apologized and took duty for his actions whereas additionally making an attempt to clarify what had set him off.
“I did a bit of infantile factor,” the third-year participant mentioned. “However I’m uninterested in individuals doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it. Like, they had been making an attempt to bully me on the market and I don’t assume — I shouldn’t have did it. It was infantile.”
Requested to elaborate on what had occurred throughout the recreation, Department mentioned: “I received blocked within the again illegally, and it was entrance of the ref. The ref didn’t do something, and simply stuff like that. And I might have gotten harm off of that, however I nonetheless shouldn’t have carried out that.”
Department mentioned later within the interview that he ought to have taken out his frustrations throughout the guidelines of the sport “between the whistles, not after the sport, and I apologize for that.”
Detroit coach Dan Campbell, proper, approaches Lions defensive again Brian Department, left, in a crowd of gamers after a recreation in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Oct. 12.
(Jamie Squire / Getty Photos)
Department was fined $23,186 earlier this season for face-masking and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties throughout a recreation in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. He might face one other tremendous and presumably a suspension for his actions Sunday night time, an NFL spokesperson informed The Occasions. There isn’t a timetable for a call to be made on the matter.
The Chiefs’ offense and Lions’ protection had been on the sphere for the ultimate play. As quickly as the ultimate whistle blew, Department appeared to stroll proper previous Kansas Metropolis quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had prolonged his hand for a postgame handshake, to confront Smith-Schuster.
“After the sport, I used to be anticipating to shake his hand and say, ‘Good recreation’ and transfer away, however he threw a punch,” Smith-Schuster informed reporters within the locker room. “On the finish of the day, it’s a staff sport. We got here out right here, we did our job, we gained, and that’s all that issues.”
Smith-Schuster was requested what may need led as much as the incident.
“I imply, simply me blocking him,” the ninth-year receiver mentioned. “I imply, I’m simply doing my job. I play between the whistles and after the sport he simply took benefit of what he did.”
Smith-Schuster reportedly acquired a bloody nostril from the hit. There have been no indicators of blood by the point he gave his postgame interview, however Smith-Schuster confirmed that he had been bleeding.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell — who famously declared throughout his introductory information convention in 2021 that his staff would chew off opponents’ kneecaps — informed reporters that Department’s actions had been unacceptable.
“I really like Brian Department, however what he did is inexcusable and it’s not going to be accepted right here,” Campbell mentioned. “It’s not what we do. It’s not what we’re about. I apologized to Coach [Andy] Reid and the Chiefs, and Schuster. That’s not OK. That’s not what we do right here. It’s not going to be OK. He is aware of it. Our staff is aware of it. That’s not what we do.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
