Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected from Sunday’s rivalry matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and he decided to flip the double-bird to the Lambeau Field crowd on his way out. 

Having time to reflect on the situation, Branch regrets doing so. 

“That’s not something I want to show or want people to notice me as that,” Branch told reporters, via ESPN. “That was just the heat of the moment for me, and I apologize to everyone who seen that and that won’t happen again.”’

Branch was ejected due to a hit to the helmet of Packers receiver Bo Melton on an incomplete pass from quarterback Jordan Love. 

After the league reviewed the hit in its video replay headquarters, they alerted officials in Lambeau that Branch’s hit was deemed severe enough for immediate ejection. 

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Branch argued with officials after the ejection, and he added an extra 15 yards for another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for flipping the bird to fans. 

“I most definitely agree with the call. My target was obviously high, but that was never my intentions to aim for the head,” Branch said. “Moving forward I do have to move my target down.”

Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch (32) talks with field judge Jonah Monroe (120) and field judge Karina Tovar (91) after being disqualified from the game during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. (Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)

Lions head coach Dan Campbell believed Branch’s punishment was due to the game being nationally televised as “America’s Game of the Week.”

“He’s got to get used to that,” Campbell said. “When you play in primetime games, New York’s gonna look at all these. They don’t care about the 1 o’clock games. They do those primetime games. So understand the situation.”

Perry Fewell, the NFL senior vice president of officiating, told a pool reporter that multiple angles of the hit were reviewed and there was the belief Branch could’ve taken an alternate route to hit Melton. 

“He clearly had the opportunity to avoid the head and neck area,” Fewell said. 

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch talks to assistant linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton after being disqualified by the referee during the first half against Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (IMAGN)

The Lions were still able to beat the Packers, 24-14, to move to 7-1 and remain atop the NFC North standings. If Green Bay beat Detroit at home, they would’ve assumed the top spot in the division.

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Paul George got the basketball on the wing and those same Clippers fans that cheered and adored him during the five years when he was one of their own … booed him.

The boos from the sparse crowd at the Intuit Dome rained down on George all game because he now was a Philadelphia 76er. The fans even booed George when the Clippers showed a tribute video on the Halo Board of his highlights while with L.A. during a timeout in the first quarter.

George had shunned the Clippers’ final offer of three years and $150 million and instead took a four-year deal from the 76ers for $212 million. George had wanted a no-trade clause as part of his deal with the Clippers, but they were unwilling to do that.

He was back in town for the first time Wednesday night since departing and the fans let him know how they felt about him leaving a team they had hoped he (and Kawhi Leonard) would help lead to an NBA title.

Before the game, George slapped hands with his former teammates sitting on the bench and hugged Coach Tyronn Lue. Then he was treated unruly by his former team in the Clippers’ 110-98 victory over the 76ers.

George, who had 18 points and seven rebounds, didn’t understand why he was booed by the fans.

“I mean, you know, it’s stupid,” George said. “I mean, I was a free agent. I mean, I was a free agent. It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here. Like, I was a free agent. The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation. So, there were some cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos. I didn’t get it. I still don’t get it when I got to Indy. But it is what it is. It’s sports. That’s what’s in sports. Yeah, I look forward to next year being here and more boos.”

It was George’s second game of the season, having missed the first five games with his new team because of a left knee injury. His old running mate, Leonard, missed his eighth straight game with right knee inflammation.

But the two of them had made the Clippers relevant in NBA circles, the highlight coming when George led them to the Western Conference finals in 2021, the first time in franchise history they had reached that level.

“It was great. They booed him,” Lue, smiling, said about the crowd’s reaction to George. “They tried to get him out of his game even though he didn’t miss too many shots. But now they can cheer for him tomorrow.”

It was the Clippers’ first double-digit win of the season and their second straight win at home.

And again, they were led by Norman Powell, who had 26 points on eight-for-10 shooting and six-for-eight on three-pointers. It was his seventh consecutive game scoring 20-plus points in a game. He also had six assists and was on point with his defense, which was another signal that Powell is developing into an all-around player for the Clippers.

“I’m not really happy about my play,” Powell said. “I just think that I can always get better in areas. I’m not talking to the coaches after the game or in timeouts about the shot I made or a defensive play I made. It’s the blown assignments or the turnovers that I have and just trying to better, trying to be a complete player.”

The NFL had a flurry of action at this year’s trade deadline, which was Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

A year after 15 deals took place, 19 players changed teams during the 2024 in-season trade window. Wide receivers were in high demand, as were pass rushers, and in many cases, this was a case of the rich getting richer.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers of the trade window.

Injuries have ravaged the defending Super Bowl champs’ wide receiver unit. So general manager Brett Veach went out and got Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid a new weapon in the form of five-time Pro Bowl/three-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins. It appears as if Hopkins is making a seamless transition from Tennessee to Kansas City. He had eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns in Monday night’s overtime win over Tampa Bay. And if that weren’t enough, Veach also worked to fortify the Chiefs’ already stout defense by acquiring pass rusher Josh Uche from New England. Veach had to give up only a conditional fifth for Hopkins (the pick could become a fourth-rounder, but that’s worth it for a receiver of his caliber) and sixth for Uche. The only negative for Kansas City: It didn’t land help at defensive back, another area of real need.

Loser: AFC challengers

Rampant injuries appeared to make the Chiefs susceptible to a dethroning by AFC nemeses Baltimore, Buffalo or Cincinnati. They absorbed each blow and still eked out victories to remain undefeated, but there were plenty of questions about sustainability. Now, however, after acquiring reinforcements on both sides of the ball, Kansas City very well could have everything it needs for a historic Super Bowl three-peat. The only saving grace for the Bills and Ravens is that they both met needs by adding wide receiver help as well.

They lost top pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a tibia and fibula injury and their defense still remained disruptive in the three weeks since. It was no secret, though, that the Lions wanted pass rushers to help fill the massive void. Tuesday, they landed one of the top edges on the trade block in Za’Darius Smith, who recorded five sacks, seven quarterback hits and 23 tackles for Cleveland this season. Count Smith as a winner as well. He goes from the Browns, who could suffer double-digit losses this season, to the Lions — legit Super Bowl contenders.

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The Lions remained formidable without a top-level replacement for Hutchinson and STILL earned victories over NFC North challengers Minnesota and Green Bay to improve to 7-1. Now defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn receives additional help to go after Sam Darnold and Jordan Love while the Lions try to add to their division lead.

Winner: Pro Bowl wide receivers

Hopkins, Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and Diontae Johnson all found themselves trapped in disastrous, dead-end situations in Tennessee, Las Vegas, Cleveland and Carolina, respectively. But the football gods smiled upon them, and all four wound up getting traded to better situations. Well, Cooper, Hopkins and Johnson did. It’s debatable whether the Jets are going anywhere, but Adams at least can now catch passes from a friendly face in Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh acquired veteran receiver Mike Williams from the Jets, making him a winner as well. He has never reached the Pro Bowl, but Williams certainly can help the Steelers and escapes New York, where he struggled to connect on the field with Rodgers.

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens scored on multiple fronts. First: The Panthers were so desperate, they were willing to part with Johnson for virtually nothing (a late-round pick swap). Johnson, who earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 with Pittsburgh after recording 1,161 receiving yards, averaged 873 receiving yards per season entering 2024 and should help improve a unit that features Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. Second: The Ravens also got help for their defense by acquiring Tre’Davious White from the Rams. White earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and 2020 but has since battled injuries. The 29-year-old has played in only four games this season but could bring depth to Baltimore’s secondary if he can stay healthy. If not, Baltimore gave up next to nothing (seventh-round pick swap) to get him.

Other teams had interest in pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari, but none of the offers satisfied the Giants enough to pull the trigger on a deal. Ojulari could’ve helped someone else. He has six sacks despite playing behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the Giants could have used the future picks to fortify their weak roster. Instead, Ojulari stays put and New York adds no resources.

Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

First they got much-needed help at receiver, landing the veteran Williams from the Jets. Then they got a durable pass rusher to line up opposite T.J. Watt by acquiring Preston Smith from Green Bay. The Steelers are working hard to maintain their edge over Baltimore in the AFC North standings.

On one hand, the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore from the Saints helps fill a real position of need. On the other, Washington gave up a third-, fourth- and sixth-round pick for a player who hasn’t played a full season since 2021. But if Lattimore can stay on the field and play at his four-time Pro Bowl level, this move makes Washington better. If his playing time remains sporadic, giving up third- and fourth-round picks (potential core players) will sting a bit. But the Commanders had an extra third-rounder thanks to the Jahan Dotson-to-Philadelphia trade, so they essentially flipped a bust of a first-round pick for a potential No. 1 veteran cornerback. That’s not bad at all.

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Loser: New York Jets

Yes, they got Adams, which makes Rodgers happy. But was it really worth it? A dramatic turnaround appears highly unlikely for the 3-6 Jets, who would’ve done better to unload veterans beyond Williams and get more picks for the future, even if GM Joe Douglas may not be around to use those picks next spring.

(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Azeez Ojulari, Diontae Johnson and Za’Darius Smith: Cooper Neill / Getty Images, Nick Wass /Associated Press and Nick Cammett / Getty Images)