Deion Branch Appreciation Thread

[karguy85]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Clearly the '06 SB woulda, coulda, shoulda been ours had The Twig insteada Bug Eyes been our go to guy. The nice thing is that given Hugh Everett's "many worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics, there's multiple universes where we won that 2006/7 SB instead of The Forehead.

Why don't we live in one of those universes?

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Awesome. We REALLY need this guy to stay healthy, the high powered offense would not be the same without him at full strength.

 

[upstater1]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

Lets speculate (not like it ever has on this board )

06- The D blew it but Deion would have been a slight upgrade over Reche.

07- Would Deion have more than 5 catches for 62 yds? Maybe not, but I sure know he'd come out of his routes quicker vs that pass rush as I am convinced that would have helped TB a little. Either way, I doubt he would have made the difference. The football gods were against them that day.

08 & 09- No. The team had other problems.

Slight upgrade over Reche?

 

[upstater1]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

I was telling people for a long time that Branch had serious concerns about his son.

You tell me what you think a facility like that, 24 hours living, costs. If it's a good one, it costs him at least 6 figures a year. His kid could live in there for decades.

Does anyone blame Deion? After taxes and his agent's cut, a $7 million contract yields $3.6 million a year in Massachusetts. 3 x 4 years = $14.4 million. More than enough for you and me. But his kid could need $4 or $5 million over a lifetime.

 

[ALP]

Re: MacMullan: For Branch, so many reasons to smile

amazing read, its not a joke

as for the money question, more or less money wise Deion is breaking even going to Seattle or if he took the New England deal

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Re: A team with Deion Branch on it has never lost to the Jets

The streak continues!

 

[gzathepat]

Re: A team with Deion Branch on it has never lost to the Jets

Bump this thread for all the haters that clowned the OP

 

[Rob0729]

Re: A team with Deion Branch on it has never lost to the Jets

Those teams didn't have Revis or Cromartie either. That said, Branch might be a tougher match for them being a great route runner.

Cromartie was totally burnt on Branch's TD pass and struggled to cover him for most of the game. Cromartie can't cover route runners (he got burnt pretty bad by Brandon Marshall earlier in the year for the same reason) and can only cover outside burners.

 

[Sicilian]

Re: A team with Deion Branch on it has never lost to the Jets

Cromartie was totally burnt on Branch's TD pass and struggled to cover him for most of the game. Cromartie can't cover route runners (he got burnt pretty bad by Brandon Marshall earlier in the year for the same reason) and can only cover outside burners.

The problem with Cromartie is he's such a god awful tackler that if he doesn't break up the pass, it's pretty much up to a safety to stop the receiver.

 

[InRodWeRust]

Re: A team with Deion Branch on it has never lost to the Jets

I can now picture Deion Branch being 120 years old on an artificial respirator and still signed by the Patriots.

Newspaper Headline:

THE INCREDIBLE 185 GAME WIN STREAK CONTINUES AGAINST THE JETS THANKS TO DEION BRANCH!"

With a picture of Deion on the sideline on a hospital bed.

 

[fumbrunner]

9 games 648 yds and and 5 TDs. The chemistry between him and Brady is still there, and its no coincidence that Brady's performances have improved since the beginning of the year.

Not bad for a washed-up has-been with bad knees

 

[PatsFan2]

No offence but Branch > Welker let the debate Begin!

 

[livinginthe past]

Branch has been running some mighty fine routes - those curls and comebacks often leave the DB floundering while he picks up plenty YAC.

Made Tillman look foolish on a number of occasions last night.

Despite pushing his way out of town for a bigger contract (which is every pro athletes right) there never seemed to be any residual bitterness between the parties - now we know why.

Branch is a true Patriot in the mold of Brady, Bruschi, or a Vrabel - he keeps his mouth shut, avoids provocation and gets the job done.

Welcome home, Deion.

 

[sbpatfan]

It feels like yesterday when everyone was in an uproar because the Patriots traded away a fourth round pick for Branch. A fourth round pick... Nevermind the team already had six in the previous three rounds and will probably get another from the inevitable trade back.

 

[ALP]

bringing branch back has to be up there with BB's greatest decisions as a coach

 

[MoLewisrocks]

No offence but Branch > Welker let the debate Begin!

He's not better, he's similar (both are undersized, mentally and physically tough, intuitive, and unselfishly all in) although they possess different complimentary skillsets. Both were born to play with Brady in this offense just like Tom was born to play for Bill in this system. He targeted them 23 times in a freakin' blizzard and completed 74% of his throws to them. Moss may have opened some blind eyes to how truly expansive Brady's skillset is back in 2007. But at the end of the day Brady did more for Moss than visa versa. And in case anyone still hasn't noticed, Moss didn't make Wes Welker, either. Wes and Deion are football players and playmakers who happen to be receivers who would be solid assets on any well coached and competently quarterbacked team (and even somewhat successful on ones that aren't...). In NE the coaching and QBing and scheme is so far beyond merely competent it elevates their particular talents to the level they shine as brightly as any diva - few of whom would flourish within it because it's so cerebral. It's a matter of trust and the ability to earn it - which both Welker and Branch have in spades.

 

[Joker]

well...I always listen to Cris Carter on these things and HE says Branch is nothing but junk...so...oh...wait....:bricks::bricks::bricks::bricks::bricks::bricks::bricks::bricks::bricks:

 

[fnordcircle]

He's not better, he's similar (both are undersized, mentally and physically tough, intuitive, and unselfishly all in)

I love Branch but I don't know how anyone can call him physically tough.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Hate to toot my own horn but I called for Branch in the original Moss trade thread.

Just pray he can stay healthy over the last 2 months

 

[patchick]

9 games 648 yds and and 5 TDs. The chemistry between him and Brady is still there, and its no coincidence that Brady's performances have improved since the beginning of the year.

Not bad for a washed-up has-been with bad knees

Just for fun, let's project his numbers over 16 games:

78 rec 1152 yds 9 TDs

Compare to his career best year of 2005: 78 rec 998 yds 5 TDs

And that's despite dropping into the team in the middle of the season. Amazing.