supafly

If they do get a deep threat, it will likely have to come via the draft, or from something of a gamble in the lower tiers of FA.

I would assume that Belichick is very confident in his offensive scheme right now, and recognizes the fact that the "team" itself did not play well enough to win or execute efficiently.

As someone pointed out, they were inside the BAL 35 yd line 8 times on Sunday. That doesn't point to a lack of a deep threat to me, that points to lack of proper execution.

I'd like to see a deeper threat acquired too, but like I said--it'd have to be done through the gambles of the draft or mid-to-lower level FA. I don't want to see Welker leave, and I don't want to see too many changes. Getting Gronkowski back will certainly help in these big games in the future.

__________________
Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

coolguy

The patriots need to go back to the 3 wide receiver set that they ran in 03-04 and pound the ball.

Remember the good ole days when brady use to complete passes to 5 different receivers and didn't rely on forcing it to one.

I would for the patriots sign/draft a speedster deep threat (branch), a tough reliable receiver that can block and get open when needed (troy brown) and a receiver that carve up yards in the slot (givens)

Rob0729

Yes, I think the 2003 offense was mediocre. They had far too many three and outs. They didn't score a lot of points. They had several big wins where the defense shut out the opponent (Miami, Cowboys, and Bills while holding Cleveland to 3 and four other teams to 16 points or less) and many of them the offense didn't score a TD. They played great in the Super Bowl (at least for two of the four quarters), but one game does not make an entire year's offense.

Yes, Branch was the MVP of the Super Bowl that year, but it was not a great season for him. He 803 yards and 3 TDs in the regular season. Even in the other two postseason he was mediocre at best. He had 3 catches for 10 yards vs. Tennessee and 2 catches for 23 yards against Indy. If consider that taking over the playoffs, you are high. He had one amazing game and two subpar games in the playoffs.

Deion Branch Game By Game Stats and Performance - New England Patriots - ESPN

See your problem is you want to take selective games and/or plays and make it a statement for something bigger. Branch had a decent season in 2003 and the 2003 Patriots offense was one of the worst ones of the Brady era. Yet, you want to take the Super Bowl and make it seems like the Pats were scoring 30 points a game all year and Branch was get over 100 yards every game. It wasn't the case.

Rob0729

The Pats already have plenty of guys who can perform far better than Branch performed in 2 of the 3 games in the playoffs that year. Again, he had 3 catches for 10 yards vs. Tennessee and 2 catches for 23 yards against Indy. You are rewriting history here. Branch was great in the Super Bowl and invisible in the Division and Championship rounds that year.

The Pats have three Super Bowl rings with no legitimate deep threats and zero rings with one and the Pats had one of the best in Randy Moss. In 2001, the only two WRs they had were Brown and Patten and neither were deep threats. In 2003 and 2004, they added Branch and Patten and neither of them were ever a deep threat. The Pats won their Super Bowls with strong defense and efficient, but not flashy offense.

Branch is more of a possession WR than anything else. He always made his bread and butter on the short to intermediate routes. Never really on many deep patterns and teams definitely weren't concerned about the deep routes in 2003. His only advantage over Welker was that he was a pretty good outside receiver in his prime, but not a deep one.

Mack Herron

You are just wrong about Patten. He was fast and threatened deeper parts of the field than anyone on the current team gets to. Averaged nearly 15 ypc in 01 and a gaudy 18 ypc in 04. Obviously they can win with current group, but every SB team had receivers with more speed than anyone on this team.

coolguy

"Yet, you want to take the Super Bowl and make it seems like the Pats were scoring 30 points a game all year and Branch was get over 100 yards every game. It wasn't the case." I never said that Look at how many times i highlighted POSTSEASON.

Does it really matter what branch did during season since he came through big in the superbowl with big clutch plays?

Apparently the regular season means more than the post season. The patriots during the 03-04 seasons were more efficient during the postseason than the welker led patriots.

coolguy

Branch did during the postseason.

MoneyFX

It doesn't necessarily have to be a deep threat, but just a guy that can physically win the battle at the line of scrimmage and fight for the football. A guy with size and can go downfield, like Dez Bryant. I'd like for the team to look for a speedster in the draft and use free agency to get a bigger and more physical WR.

Rob0729

Patten was the closest thing to a deep threat, but certainly wasn't a deep threat. They didn't call the offense of that era a dink and dunk offense for nothing. The Pats had no deep game. Gronk is more of a deep threat than anyone the Pats had in that era.

Rob0729

And if the Pats needed Branch to have come through in either two games leading up to the Super Bowl, they would have not made the Super Bowl.