The Detroit Lions will be without Brian Branch on Monday night when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the safety’s one-game suspension was upheld on Wednesday.

Branch was issued the punishment on Monday, a day after he slapped Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in the facemask just after the teams’ game ended. The incident precipitated a minor skirmish in the wake of the Chiefs’ 30-17 win.

Branch’s appeal was heard and then rejected by Jordy Nelson, whose appointment was made jointly by the league and the players’ union.

The NFL’s announcement of the suspension, written by vice president of football operations Jon Runyan, stated, “Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of con

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