Dan Campbell is on a high for sure! After shouldering the Detroit Lions to the playoffs with a brilliant 14-2 record, their next showdown is going to be with conference rivals and a worthy opponent, the Minnesota Vikings (14-2). Chasing double glory—topping the divisional and NFC charts—it’s a week of excitement for the teams. But not for everyone, apparently…

For the Lions’ safety Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch and cornerback Terrion Arnold, the past is finally catching up to them. To understand what exactly happened, we’ll have to go back to the Week 17 clash vs the San Francisco 49ers. While the Lions won 40-34—highlighted by QB Jared Goff’s 303 yards and three touchdowns—what stole the show was the skirmish between the opponents at different points during the game.

For starters, both teams were on a mission. The Lions were looking to build momentum ahead of their NFC North Title game, while the 49ers were out to make some good out of their disastrous and injury-filled 6-10 record, that relegated them out of playoff contention. No wonder it was an emotionally charged game. The mini-brawl ensued during San Francisco’s first drive of the game when their receiver Jauan Jennings started blocking Lions’ cornerback Terrion Arnold on a play, and continued to push him back out of the field despite the whistle.

As the two players kept shoving each other, they ended up on the ground with Jennings on top of his opponent. As per a video that has surfaced, the WR was seen with his hand on Arnold’s throat for a moment. While that might have been an attempt by Jennings to stand up, the situation exacerbated further when Arnold’s teammate Kerby Joseph came running and pushed the WR into the first row of the crowd, and Arnold slapped the 49ers players across his facemask, leading to some more pushing and shoving.

Lions’ safety Brian Branch also got in another scuffle when he used his helmet against George Kittle at the end of a 22-yard pass play.

And, of course, the incident hasn’t been brushed under the rug. As per a Gameday Accountability (Week 17) update on NFL’s official website, Arnold has been fined $11,817 for Unnecessary Roughness (striking/kicking/kneeing), while Joseph will have to pay $7,505 for Unnecessary Roughness. Branch? Well, he’s received a penalty of $10,128 for Unnecessary Roughness (use of helmet), securing himself a unique record in the process—this is the 23-year-old’s seventh fine earning a penalty for the same amount, making him the most-fined player this season.

As for Jennings, he was also fined $11,817 for Unnecessary Roughness.

But the financial setbacks are just a blip on the radar for Dan Campbell, as…

Lions coach got some positive vibes before the Vikings game 

Well, what can be the most exciting news for the Detroit Lions for the upcoming games? Their two favorite players are out from the injury reserve and are active now. Campbell announced on January 4 that Alex Anzalone and Kalif Raymond were included in the active roster after a detailed evaluation.

Anzalone had injured his forearm in the match-up with the Jaguars in week 11 when he got tangled between Brian Branch and Jaguars‘ Travis Etienne Jr. And you know how many games he missed? Six weeks. Well, now he has fully recovered, and this could give a headache to the Vikings.

Talking about wide receiver Kalif Raymond, he injured his foot while playing against the Indianapolis Colts in the Week 12 game. The good news is that he is now on the active roster.

Well, this could give an extra push to the Lions goals for clinching the NFC North title. In fact, Dan Campbell himself called the week 18 game a “fairytale”. Both teams are marching with a record of 14-2. Vikings head Kevin William O’Connell also called the upcoming game “Unique.”

Alright, the excitement is high and one thing is clear, it’s gonna be a memorable game for y’all for sure.