Sunday’s Lions-Commanders game in Washington, D.C. featured a dramatic moment when Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne delivered a haymaker into the helmet of Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Although St. Brown apparently struck Payne first after an earlier play—a moment officials missed—Payne was both ejected from the game and later suspended for his attack.
This incident sparked a snarky response from Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who referenced an earlier controversial moment involving ESPN’s Louis Riddick and Lions safety Brian Branch.
For context, a clip from NFL Turning Point narrated by Riddick about Branch created a stir when it was posted online. The clip was eventually deleted, with the NFL attributing the narration to Riddick, who himself distanced from the scriptwriting. Nearly four weeks later, the Lions haven’t forgotten the controversy.
Regarding Payne’s punch on St. Brown, Goff commented on 97.com:
“I can’t wait to see Louis Riddick break that one down for us this week on Turning Point.”
While Branch was clearly in the wrong when he punched Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after the Week 5 game, the Lions viewed the Riddick-narrated clip as crossing a line. The team isn’t ready to let the issue go, feeling it fuels their competitive edge.
That edge will be crucial on Sunday night when the 6-3 Lions face the 7-2 Philadelphia Eagles. The winner of that matchup will be well-positioned for a late-season push toward the No. 1 seed, along with the winner of Sunday’s Seahawks-Rams game.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jared-goff-takes-a-shot-at-louis-riddicks-criticism-of-brian-branch