Discussion: Which Lions player needs to step up with Brian Branch out?

With the Detroit Lions’ big win over the Dallas Cowboys came a big blow to the team: the loss of Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch. Per a few national reporters, Branch is out for the rest of the season—and possibly some of 2026—with a torn Achilles. It’s a devastating blow for the Lions defense, not just because Branch is a fantastic player, but because he’s also such a versatile piece that allows the team to do so many different things defensively.

Here’s Dan Campbell explaining what Branch—along with linebackers Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone—allow the team to do things other defenses cannot.

“Of all the good players that we have—and we’ve got a lot of good players that do different things for us that I think makes us a very good defense—it’s Branch, it’s Derrick Barnes, and it’s Alex Anzalone. Those three guys alone, their versatility, their smarts, their instincts, the way they play, their ability to cover, to rush, to play the run. That enables you to do things in base (defense) that not everybody can do,” Campbell said last month.

The Lions are a bit shorthanded at safety, and it’s unclear where the statuses of Kerby Joseph—who has missed two months with a knee injury—and Thomas Harper—who left Thursday’s game with a concussion—currently stand. If they can’t go, the Lions have Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas on the 53-man roster, plus Erick Hallett and Loren Strickland on the practice squad.

But accounting for the loss of Branch may go beyond simply replacing a safety on the field. It could have a trickle-down effect that may alter Detroit’s defensive strategy moving forward—relying more on different players at different positions.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which Lions player needs to step up in the absence of Brian Branch?

My answer: This was a common topic I discussed with several Lions beat writers during our Movember marathon charity drive on Saturday, and I got a lot of good answers.

(You can view Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here)

For one, I think the Lions will need to continue to help out their secondary with an aggressive pass rush. Detroit’s pass defense was far from perfect against the Dallas Cowboys, but with an added emphasis on getting to the quarterback, they created enough disruptive plays (five sacks, two interceptions) to give the offense all the space they needed to win the game. If Al-Quadin Muhammad can continue to play like he did—while Aidan Hutchinson provides some solid pressure (even when it doesn’t get home), that will do wonders to alleviate pressure from the safety crew.

Additionally, because Branch often drops into the box and plays both coverage and run defense over the middle of the field, there will be additional pressure on the Lions’ linebacking corps to patrol that area of the field now. Thankfully, Jack Campbell and Anzalone are in the midst of fantastic season, but they’ll need to take it to another level down the...