ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Sunday night's postgame altercation between Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch and Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has received renewed attention due to the suspension and subsequent appeal, as well as a video posted to social media by NFL Films that drew the ire of Lions players and fans alike.

The social media clip from an episode of "NFL Turning Point," which has since been deleted, showed the fight that broke out between Branch and Smith-Schuster, and the events that led to the altercation. Some of the footage shown had nothing to do with the fight but showed Branch missing plays, which Lions teammates took exception to.

The clip was narrated by former NFL safety Louis Riddick, now an ESPN analyst, who begins the video by saying, "It was a long game for Lions safety Brian Branch, number 32. He got burned by (tight end Travis) Kelce's basketball move (on a reception over the middle), got showed up by (Chiefs quarterback Patrick) Mahomes, got juked by (wide receiver) Xavier Worthy, and took a shot from JuJu Smith-Schuster."

The Detroit News obtained a statement from the NFL spokesperson who said the video was taken down because "it felt overly critical to Brian Branch."

"NFL Films wants all of its shows to have a distinct voice and point of view. In the case of 'NFL Turning Point,' that voice and point of view is Louis Riddick’s," the statement said. "He spends time every week with the show’s producers watching each segment and going over the script before narrating them.

"That particular sequence felt different to NFL Films as part of a 9-minute breakdown of the Lions-Chiefs game than it did as a standalone excerpt on social media. On X, it felt overly critical to Brian Branch(,) so it was taken down."

Riddick released a statement of his own on Friday evening.

"The Detroit Lions organization is one that I have nothing but respect for. Ownership, Head Coach, General Manager, and players," Riddick wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"Fast forward to this week, the “Turning Point” episode that was voiced by me recently that covered the Chiefs/Lions game didn’t come across the way it should have. The intent is to collaboratively, as a group, document the events of game. Good and bad. There is NEVER an intent to do a “hit piece” on anyone or any team," Riddick continued.

"That being said, I can see how the short clip that was posted could be taken as an attempt to cast the #Lions or Brian Branch in a calculated, unfavorable manner. I don’t want to be a part of that. I will be sure to make certain that anything that has my name attached to it will never again leave room for it to be interpreted that way in the future."

Riddick interviewed for the Lions' vacant general manager position in December 2020. Brad Holmes was ultimately hired for the position.

"It just seemed strange. If you're saying you don't want to glorify something or don't want something in the game ... then why release a new video about it that's narrated, and you're literally highlighting plays over and over and over," Lions defensive tackle DJ Reader said Friday afternoon, before Riddick released his statement.

Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown added, "I thought that video was crazy. I don't know why it was released (or) the reasoning behind it.

"I don't know if it was a trick or mockery. I clicked the NFL page and I didn't know it was actually them, and it was. Like I said, I don't know the reasoning why they posted it (or) what they got out of that.

"Brian Branch is an awesome dude. In the building, he's one of the nicest dudes. He's quiet. You never see him really get mad. He's always smiling. He made a mistake and he knows it and he apologized. I don't know why it's still getting dragged along. But, yeah, that video was — I don't think that video was right."

Reader said he plans to "steer clear" of Riddick in the future.

"I don't know that I'll ever have a conversation with Louis Riddick or somebody like that ever again. Like, for what?" Reader said. "... I mean, as a player, how can you trust the shield (the NFL) now? If y'all wanted to release this, and that's how you shed light on it ... as far as the shield, people up there (in the league office in New York), I can't trust them.

"I can't believe that they're truly gonna have my back or care about my safety or well-being. People who care about you don't do that."

Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said he hadn't seen the video but stands by the players who spoke out about it.

"I don’t think I’ve seen that. But I think I back anything our players say," Sheppard said. "We’re one family here, so I’ll let his teammates address anything that’s said social media-wise. And just know I stand with our players and our coaches.”

Still, Sheppard made clear that Branch's actions were not acceptable. Speaking Thursday for the first time since Sunday's loss, he shared a mentor's perspective about the situation. Sheppard, who played eight years in the league as a linebacker, said he was also a player who had to learn to manage his emotions.

"I told him you just have to understand you have 60 minutes to be able to do whatever you want to do to another man, and kind of leave it right there," Sheppard said. "Because outside of the field, I mean, the most soft-spoken guy you'll ever meet, the most respectable guy you'll ever meet. But those 30 seconds in the spotlight could change how people view you and how people see you.

"So you just always remember that in this profession, in life, one wrong decision could peg you as a person that you're nowhere near to being. So, I think he understands that more than anybody right now, and he'll learn and grow from that situation."

Sheppard credits former receivers Dwayne Bowe and Reggie Wayne and former linebackers Ali Highsmith and Robert Mathis, for teaching him the lessons Branch is currently learning.

"Just those guys kind of seeing how one thing could kind of tick me off, and kind of when I get there, it's hard to pull me back," Sheppard said.

"But them opening my eyes and understanding that for 20 seconds, you having that type of temperament can really change a bigger picture for you."

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