First time facing Deion Branch on the other team - hate him or miss him?

[Pats726]

Loved The Twig in his 1st training camp. He stood out as a major NFL talent, unlike all the other #2 pick WRs we wasted time on. He really contributed to the Dynasty years' SB wins.

That said, the little creep is DEAD TO ME after his selfish and destructive departure.

AGREED....he went out not giving a damn about the team..just himself..WOULD NOT honor his contract...was POed taht Givens could leave and he could not..Cya!!

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Hate him for leaving but I do miss him.

 

[abejarano12]

He felt that he needed to get and big payday and he went to to another team so I really don't care anymore about him. I feel the same way about any player that left for the same reason.

 

[PatsDeb]

I will be a little bit sad seeing Deion on the other side of the field when the Pats visit the Hawks this sunday - This is the first meeting of Deion and his newest team facing the team who made him what he is today,The Patriots

I was a Deion Branch fan with a man crush, but was a bit miffed at his decision to go for more $$$ but still think he was the best receiver of all in the Brady era and I miss him.

How do you feel seeing Deion out there? - HATE HIM OR MISS HIM?

Neither. I hated him at the time, and the Pats certainly missed him that year when he decided to get out of town. But the Pats managed to move on in spectacular fashion, and he has done nothing in Seattle. I will definitely be annoyed, however, if he manages to blow by Deltha O'Neil on Sunday (a very real possibility, since it appears I could blow by Deltha O'Neil without much trouble).

 

[102 Pat]

Branch is another in the list of players who left NE and were never able to live up to there big dollar contracts. Still, imagine a healthy Branch on the field with Moss and Welker...

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

After the way he left, I could care less about him.

 

[PittPatriot]

After the way he left, I could care less about him.

Sweep the leg.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Sweep the leg.

that might be a little drastic.

How about, he retires to a job everyone would enjoy.......feeding Ty Laws family. OK, that was dumb, but Im no longer a law fan either after his crap. Branch, Law, and ASSante can all go "get paid", and feed their families. They're all dead to me. Willie however is not. He's still cool

 

[Boston Jay]

Givens, I like and wish all the best.

Twig. GFY (in the kindest way you can muster..).

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Givens, I like and wish all the best.

Twig. GFY.

who's twig?

 

[Boston Jay]

Branch. Twig. Same difference.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Branch. Twig. Same difference.

ohhhhhhhhhh. got it.

 

[LuckyGandolff3x]

On the rare occasion when they show a Seattle game on TV, and Deion is healthy, and he makes a catch[which is extremely rare] I do smile a little bit.

I was BEYOND angry in 2006, but I'm over it now. He was a big part in us winning championships, but I really don't miss him, and there's no use holding a grudge. Having Randy and Wes will do that =]

 

[j00fek]

just another player to get paid to leave NE, and dwindle into a below avg player

 

[WhiZa]

I love him! He got us a first round draft pick, and opened a spot for Randy Moss. One of the best things that ever happened to this team, and I'll never forget it.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

I love him! He got us a first round draft pick, and opened a spot for Randy Moss. One of the best things that ever happened to this team, and I'll never forget it.

I agree Going through the constant drama of it all was a f*n nightmare at the time tho, and it extended even into the following year with the "Brady misses Branch" etc talk. It all worked out in the end :eat1:

 

[bakes781]

To this day I felt Antonio Bryant would have been the better draft pick that year & look at what he's doing right now down in Tampa!

 

[Sivy]

who???????

 

[desi-patsfan]

I don't hate or miss him, he's just another guy. Looking at his stats since he left, he has been nothing but just another guy.

 

[Yehoodi]

Didn't need him in 2006, obviously didn't need him last year and don't need him now.

Before someone inevitably comes in here and mentions Reche Caldwell in the '06 AFCCG, please remember what the situation was at halftime.

I think i take a shot at mentioning Reche Caldwell and the '06 campaign. I like Caldwell and think he got a bad rap in NE trying to fill the shoes of two (at the time) beloved WRs that left, Branch and Givens. Its tough to fill those shoes without some fan hate . . . I think Caldwell played solid in the '06 year, put Branch like numbers, and was clutch in the SD playoff game.

true he dropped that pass in the AFCCG, but perhaps he was too open and had too much time to think about it.

But we also must remember that Givens and Branch were not far from mental errors either . . . some of you may or may not remember in the '05 Denver playoff game in the drive in which Champ Bailey pick Brady. We had the ball on the 5 (or maybe 4) yard line and we driving for the go ahead score. On 1st and goal, Branch has a false start (man how does a WR false start ), making is 1 and goal from the 10 and therby taking away some of our playbook. Branch makes up for it a little by getting a 5 yad catch, but is seocnd down and we lost the down. . . On the next play it was a quick out to Givens who proceeded to let the back go through his hands and another mental gaff . . . no its 3 and goal from the five, we are forced to pass, and bailey makes the pick and the rest is history. In Branch doesn't false starts (and thus losing us a down) and/or if givens makes that catch, we probably score there and the game could of been different, but we didn't in large part to to mistakes by our two great WRs, those mistakes were just as critical as Caldwells mistake . . . but as the fate of history will have it more is remember about Caldwell drop than Givens and Branchs mistakes in the red zone in the critical drive against Den in '05