If Deion stayed in New England

[CheeseMonkeys]

I was thinking what could have been if Deion stayed here in NE. We all know how things went with him in Seattle and he didn't play as great as some probably expected him to. Now he comes back to NE and is playing as good as he ever has.

If he stayed here to begin with, how would things be different? Would he have become a multiple Pro Bowl reciever? Would Tom Brady and the Patriots have had the same kind of success in 2007? Moss or Welker probably wouldn't have been here so I don't think Tom would have thrown 50 TD passes. I do think we may have won a Superbowl though. Obviously anything could have happened and it is hard to speculate but I'm just wondering what others think. I'm glad that he's back though.

 

[Steve102]

I was thinking what could have been if Deion stayed here in NE. We all know how things went with him in Seattle and he didn't play as great as some probably expected him to. Now he comes back to NE and is playing as good as he ever has.

If he stayed here to begin with, how would things be different? Would he have become a multiple Pro Bowl reciever? Would Tom Brady and the Patriots have had the same kind of success in 2007? Moss or Welker probably wouldn't have been here so I don't think Tom would have thrown 50 TD passes. I do think we may have won a Superbowl though. Obviously anything could have happened and it is hard to speculate but I'm just wondering what others think. I'm glad that he's back though.

I think his departure and return is part of the evolution of this team. The '07 team with Moss was a bunch of bullies that ran up scores and beat on teams throughout the NFL. That team would have been the crowning acheivement of BB and TFB, as well as the entire organizition. It was karma that they lost. They has lost thier way. This year's team, and the return of Branch, are a return to the 'pure faith' of the Patriot Way. Brady still has that huge chip on his shoulder and will pummell other teams, witness the pass to Brach when they could have taken a knee. I think that the team, Brady, and BB had to go thru a period of growth w/o Branch. Now, the prodigal son has returned, and so has the return to the Patriot Way.

Geez I need to save that for a blog post! :rocker:

 

[aluminum seats]

I think his departure and return is part of the evolution of this team. The '07 team with Moss was a bunch of bullies that ran up scores and beat on teams throughout the NFL. That team would have been the crowning acheivement of BB and TFB, as well as the entire organizition. It was karma that they lost. They has lost thier way. This year's team, and the return of Branch, are a return to the 'pure faith' of the Patriot Way. Brady still has that huge chip on his shoulder and will pummell other teams, witness the pass to Brach when they could have taken a knee. I think that the team, Brady, and BB had to go thru a period of growth w/o Branch. Now, the prodigal son has returned, and so has the return to the Patriot Way.

Geez I need to save that for a blog post! :rocker:

I think a lot of this is way overstated. The 2007 offense was absolutely brilliant--this year's edition will/would be accused of "bullying" soon enough if they keep playing at this high level.

Obviously by this season Moss wasn't a useful member of the Pats. But there's no reason to disparage that great team in order to praise this one.

 

[Razor's Edge]

Hard to say really, if Dion stayed here, maybe we don't get Welker or Moss, but I think we would have had similar success either way. On a similar note,
You got to remember that the 2007 team was out to prove a point, this following the whole stupid overblown Spygate fiasco, it is my opinion that the Patriots were on a mission to destroy everyone to get the point accross that they ARE a team to be Reckoned with, spygate be damned! It was a different type of offense than we had seen up till that point, but we utilized the receivers for what they were, Randy was always a deep threat and they used him for that reason, and it worked. But now, this offense is more in line with our championship seasons I think. Smart plays to just keep moving those chains and scoring. It's fun ain't it?

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

I think if we kept Branch, he would've had the same success Wes Welker had and gotten it in a similar way. I think he would've easily become a top WR in the league as Welker had become. We still could have gotten Moss or maybe drafted a deep threat WR.

 

[FCB02062]

I've always liked the "what if" game...I would say had Branch not left, you're looking at Branch as the #1 instead of Reche Caldwell in 2006. Maybe they still sign Caldwell and he's the #2 and we don't have the receiving revolving door of Doug Gabriel, Kelvin Kight, Bam Childress, etc.
Anyway, that team was "ever so close" to going to another Super Bowl. Would Branch have made a difference in that AFC Championship game in Indianapolis? Would he have turned one of the two fourth quarter field goals into a touchdown? Who knows. I just know the Pats left alot of points on the field in that game. Maybe Branch helps them salt away the win with a key fourth quarter third down conversion. But, is Branch going to help Eric Alexander cover the tight end????

 

[IllegalContact]

if we had branch, we would have never lost the AFCC for the 2006 season

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

if we had branch, we would have never lost the AFCC for the 2006 season

^^^ this...

unless Peyton's home-cooking officiating went to even more ridiculous levels than it already did.

Then we would have faced the task of overcoming Rex Grossman and the Bears, certainly among the top 2-3 on any list of worst Super Bowl teams ever.

 

[MassPats38]

Tough to tell. He was with the Pats in 2005 and had a good season and a good game in the loss to Denver in the playoffs, but he didn't individually change that outcome.

He also may have done just enough on offense to make the Welker and Moss moves unnecessary. The Dillon/Maroney pair was functional in 2005. The defense was aging, so he would not have changed that decline either. As Brady throws to him more frequently than Seattle did, given his injury history he may well not even be in the NFL now.

As far as 2006, the Colts defended him well in the playoffs (3 receptions total in 2003 and 2004 playoff games), so the odds of him showing up big in that game is pretty small. Somebody else had to step up on that play. And running the "what if's", maybe the Chargers give him a little more respect and he is not in a position to catch the pass Caldwell caught to get the Pats to that game.

 

[Disco Volante]

The '07 team with Moss was a bunch of bullies that ran up scores and beat on teams throughout the NFL.

How is that different than the last two weeks? If the Patriots could blowout teams and "run up the score" every week they would and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

The Dillon/Maroney pair was functional in 2005.

Maroney was drafted in 2006.

 

[lurker1965]

In the alternate universe you cite, the Patriots won XLI,XLII, and XLIII. But Also the Nazis won in Europe in 1940, before we entered the war.

 

[MassPats38]

Maroney was drafted in 2006.

Would it be correct to say Maroney was just as productive with the Pats in 2005 as he was in his subsequent years on the team?

I keep thinking Dillon left after 2005, but remember he shared carries with Maroney. My bad.

 

[sly24]

How is that different than the last two weeks? If the Patriots could blowout teams and "run up the score" every week they would and there's nothing wrong with that.

if anyone thinks 3 points in the second half against the bears is running it up then there's something wrong with their brains. Don't get me wrong I love when they run it up lol.

If Branch stayed, 06 was a superbowl win.

 

[WhiZa]

If Branch stayed, 06 was a superbowl win.

This is true. I also don't think we get Moss in 2007.

An administrative note, we wouldn't of gotten Seattle's 1st round pick aka Meriweather.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I LOVE BRANCH!!! :rocker:

 

[jbb9s]

if we had branch, we would have never lost the AFCC for the 2006 season

ridiculous statement. I was in San Diego in 2007. That was the best team in football. They would have beat the Pats easily 8 out of 10 times they play that game. Deion or no Deion. I mean, the Troy Brown strip, the punt fumble - this stuff almost never happens.


Pats were lucky to be in the AFCCG in the first place. End of story. Don't push your luck.

They probably had a better team in 08 when they didn't even make the playoffs than the 06 team.

 

[MassPats38]

ridiculous statement. I was in San Diego in 2007. That was the best team in football. They would have beat the Pats easily 8 out of 10 times they play that game. Deion or no Deion. I mean, the Troy Brown strip, the punt fumble - this stuff almost never happens.


Pats were lucky to be in the AFCCG in the first place. End of story. Don't push your luck.

They probably had a better team in 08 when they didn't even make the playoffs than the 06 team.

They were coached by Schotz, the ultimate regular season coach. With that leadership, the Chargers' loss was as inevitable as the tides. And yes, talent-wise they were the better team. Not sure what your being in San Diego at the time has to do with that statement, unless you are in fact Shawne Merriman and on the team.

But the Pats did get by the Chargers and went into the AFCCG up big in the 1st half. At that point, the Chargers were spectators and out of the equation - the best team in the NFL watching the playoffs.

 

[Froob]

ridiculous statement. I was in San Diego in 2007. That was the best team in football. They would have beat the Pats easily 8 out of 10 times they play that game. Deion or no Deion. I mean, the Troy Brown strip, the punt fumble - this stuff almost never happens.


Pats were lucky to be in the AFCCG in the first place. End of story. Don't push your luck.

They probably had a better team in 08 when they didn't even make the playoffs than the 06 team.

Uh dude, if the refs make this ridiculously easy call
YouTube - Patriots were robbed pats probably win the AFCCG. And then Rex Grossmen probably throws the game away to asante samuel again and there you have it, pats super bowl 41 champions. I mean what part of pass interference did kelvin hayden NOT do on that play? The only explanation I'm gotten for it was that it was deemed uncatchable because it was reche caldwell .

 

[aluminum seats]

ridiculous statement. I was in San Diego in 2007. That was the best team in football. They would have beat the Pats easily 8 out of 10 times they play that game. Deion or no Deion. I mean, the Troy Brown strip, the punt fumble - this stuff almost never happens.


Pats were lucky to be in the AFCCG in the first place. End of story. Don't push your luck.

They probably had a better team in 08 when they didn't even make the playoffs than the 06 team.

This is idiotic. The Pats beat San Diego. The issue is whether Branch could have helped get the first down to beat the Colts. And yeah, he would have.