Long-time fans, tell me why I ought to be excited about Branch.

[Oswlek]

I respectfully disagree, there is no such thing as an individual being a "winner", else Brady would have won in 05, 06, 07, and/or 09. Branch would have won in Seattle. Manning wouldn't have won .

It's also a bit revisionist to say he came up big when it mattered most. In 2004 the bruising Corey Dillon, that of a 4.7 YPC on the season was held to 3.0 YPC by that Steelers defense. Only the Jets in week 16 came close to limiting Dillon as much.

Now Deion Branch was a very good receiver for us, he is coachable and works hard. His big playoff games are a case of preparation meeting opportunity, not an innate ability to increase his skill level because the game mattered 'more'. The Steelers game didn't matter more than the Titans game in 2003, that the defense played well and the Titans bobbled an open pass late in the game that would have put them in position to at least tie. The Indy game the week before was equally as important as the Steelers game, and in that Indy game the offense struggled for 35 minutes. They had ONE drive that lasted more than 2:00 of their first 6 drives. They punted 4 times and took 2 FGs, only one drive was long and that ended in a FG. It was only 6-3 with 10:00 to go in the 3rd quarter. Thankfully the defense played great all game, but Branch was certainly "needed" during that game. Just because we won other ways doesn't mean he wasn't "needed" or the game meant any less. Without the defense playing great and Dillon's big 2nd half Branch's opportunities don't exist and history looks different.

He was a very good receiver that Brady had a high amount of trust in, and as long as his knees hold up I'm sure they will get in sync quickly and he'll be able to contribute quicker than any other receiver we could have gotten.

As someone who has choked many times in my life, I can state unequivocally that "clutchness" is a skill. It may not mean playing better, it may just mean playing as well as you always do while most others get anxious and tight. But there are guys who play better than others in more meaningful situations, even if they don't most other times.

As for Branch, I struggle to see how anyone could interpret this as anything other than positive. Sure, it would have been better to have only given up a 6th, but that is over now, just look at what the guy brings to the field. He has undeniable chemistry with Brady, can play any receiver position and can run any route.

I also find it funny how many people have such distaste for Branch without understanding anywhere near the entire story. The guy would be a Brown-esque folk hero had he never left and I'm thrilled to have him back.

 

[Its_The_Patriots]

Because it's a done deal, and he's playing with one of the best QBs in the league. So just hop on board and enjoy the ride, and let's see where it takes us...

 

[upstater1]

He finds the soft spots in coverage and has good hands.

That's the best I can describe him to you.

Think Wes Welker but 10 more yards downfield.

It's 3rd and 9 and there are 6 DBs out there. Leave it to Branch to get open 15 yards downfield.

That's what I remember.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

There's really only one answer to this question: He knows the system and has a little talent. A guy like that can be a pro bowler with Brady throwin to him.

 

[emoney_33]

As someone who has choked many times in my life, I can state unequivocally that "clutchness" is a skill. It may not mean playing better, it may just mean playing as well as you always do while most others get anxious and tight. But there are guys who play better than others in more meaningful situations, even if they don't most other times.

I'd wager over 90% of professional athletes have this "skill" then. The "chokers" are few and far between, and even then give them enough chances and they "stop choking". I'm sure the affect of adrenaline or nerves or situations for us average folk is much different than for professional athletes. I mean hell I was nervous as heck coming up to bat with bases loaded down 3 2 outs, I still came through and I don't think I have any special skill that made me come through. If I messed up I don't think it would have been because I lack that "skill" either.

As for Branch, I struggle to see how anyone could interpret this as anything other than positive. Sure, it would have been better to have only given up a 6th, but that is over now, just look at what the guy brings to the field. He has undeniable chemistry with Brady, can play any receiver position and can run any route.

I also find it funny how many people have such distaste for Branch without understanding anywhere near the entire story. The guy would be a Brown-esque folk hero had he never left and I'm thrilled to have him back.

I agree, and just because I don't believe that clutchness is a skill doesn't mean I dislike Branch or anyone else. Brady is one of my favorite players of all time, he has a lifetime pass from me (unless he ever joined the jets) but even he is not magically clutch. He played poor in Denver in 2005, he threw an INT in the endzone in the Carolina SB with 7:38 left, up by 7 and a chance to "seal" the game. He brought them to a winning 41 yard field goal but don't forget that Kasay put us at the 40 by kicking it out of bounds after they tied it up.

I am NOT against the Branch trade and believe that he will certainly contribute as a member of the Patriots in 2010 and probably beyond. I like Branch and am happy to see him wearing the Patriots uniform again.

 

[aluminum seats]

I'd wager over 90% of professional athletes have this "skill" then.

Over 90% of professional athletes are clutch performers? Don't think so.

 

[emoney_33]

Over 90% of professional athletes are clutch performers? Don't think so.

I do think so. Who knows what the actual numbers are but I doubt there are a high percentage of athletes that you can find that have significantly worse numbers "in the clutch". Of course you also have to define "in the clutch", which if you want a big enough sample size should include clutch moments of regular season games and not just playoffs.

I'd say that 7:38 to go in the 4th, up by 7 in the redzone in the superbowl might be a "clutch" moment.

 

[mgteich]

Belichick wanted Brady back in the 2 TE set, with two top route receivers. Brady can now dink and dunk. Tate is one long threat to keeo the defense honest.

Branch is the perfect route runner for this type of offense. We will have the following available in the red zone in the normal 2 TE set: Welker, Branch, Gronk and Hernandez. And yes, even an old (31) Branch will be much more valuable than anyone else in that set.

He finds the soft spots in coverage and has good hands.

That's the best I can describe him to you.

Think Wes Welker but 10 more yards downfield.

It's 3rd and 9 and there are 6 DBs out there. Leave it to Branch to get open 15 yards downfield.

That's what I remember.

 

[Deus Irae]

He's better than Sam Aiken.

 

[JackBauer]

He's better than Sam Aiken.

I'm going to go out on a limb, but I'd even say he's better than Matt Slater.

 

[condon84]

In the 2006 AFC Championship game, the Pats needed to convert a 3rd & 4 to put the game away with a couple of minutes left. A pass intended for Troy Brown was incomplete.

Branch should have been there, but what's past is past. But if the Pats find themselves needing a key conversion late in the season or the playoffs, we'll all be glad Branch is on the field.

This is key.

With Welker and now Branch, if we keep our third downs manageable, we should have a high conversion rate.

 

[aluminum seats]

I do think so. Who knows what the actual numbers are but I doubt there are a high percentage of athletes that you can find that have significantly worse numbers "in the clutch". Of course you also have to define "in the clutch", which if you want a big enough sample size should include clutch moments of regular season games and not just playoffs.

I'd say that 7:38 to go in the 4th, up by 7 in the redzone in the superbowl might be a "clutch" moment.

Being able to define "clutch" has been a sticking point in a number of sports. In football, it's probably even more difficult, because there's only a few positions--QB, receiver, kicker--where the tightness that comes from nerves would manifest itself.

But basic human nature--and watching sports for a long time--makes it clear that rising to the occasion simply isn't something that 90% of athletes do. Not being able to quantify it doesn't mean it's not so.

 

[emoney_33]

Belichick wanted Brady back in the 2 TE set, with two top route receivers. Brady can now dink and dunk. Tate is one long threat to keeo the defense honest.

Branch is the perfect route runner for this type of offense. We will have the following available in the red zone in the normal 2 TE set: Welker, Branch, Gronk and Hernandez. And yes, even an old (31) Branch will be much more valuable than anyone else in that set.

You put Branch in over Tate in the redzone only or frequently in 2 TE sets?

 

[aluminum seats]

This is key.

With Welker and now Branch, if we keep our third downs manageable, we should have a high conversion rate.

Yup. That's why I wouldn't necessarily look to overall stats to analyze Branch's worth this season. He might do just a few things which end up being everything.

 

[condon84]

As someone who has choked many times in my life, I can state unequivocally that "clutchness" is a skill. It may not mean playing better, it may just mean playing as well as you always do while most others get anxious and tight. But there are guys who play better than others in more meaningful situations, even if they don't most other times.

As for Branch, I struggle to see how anyone could interpret this as anything other than positive. Sure, it would have been better to have only given up a 6th, but that is over now, just look at what the guy brings to the field. He has undeniable chemistry with Brady, can play any receiver position and can run any route.

I also find it funny how many people have such distaste for Branch without understanding anywhere near the entire story. The guy would be a Brown-esque folk hero had he never left and I'm thrilled to have him back.

I would call it having mental fortitude. You need skill to perform in the clutch, but if you're not strong mentally, then those skills might not show when the pressure is at it's highest.

 

[shmessy]

Two reasons: He and Brady seemed to share a brain, and the bigger the game, the better he played.

Bingo.

To Jsn, I would say that so much of a QB-WR connection is based on timing and chemistry. From day one when Branch arrived in 2002, Brady crowed about how comfortable it felt throwing to him.

Timing and chemistry.

Deion Branch will never stretch the field like Moss. He is a deep slant guy, not a post pattern or long bomb guy. He is a between the 20's WR, forget about him in the redzone. Why he makes sense for this team right now is the 3 headed monster TE squad gives them the redzone firepower. Moss, while still great, in the redzone was almost a redundancy - - we have monsters to throw the high pitches to in the redzone.

I also agree with the folks (IcyPatriot, etc.) who say this will open up the playbook alot. Between 2002-2005, most of the O "trickeration" plays involved Branch. Get ready for some more imagination on the O, it'll be fun with Branch and Edelman in at the same time.

For that very reason, I would say that it wasn't the Moss trade that caused the Branch acquisition, but the Faulk injury.

 

[drew4008]

He's better than Sam Aiken.

haha Aiken has been gone for awhile. And he just got cut by the Browns too (to make room for fellow former-Pat Brett Ratliff)

Think Wes Welker but 10 more yards downfield.

While I agree in principle, since he can play the deeper "wide" position better than Wes, his YPC stats the last few years have not shown that.

 

[emoney_33]

Being able to define "clutch" has been a sticking point in a number of sports. In football, it's probably even more difficult, because there's only a few positions--QB, receiver, kicker--where the tightness that comes from nerves would manifest itself.

But basic human nature--and watching sports for a long time--makes it clear that rising to the occasion simply isn't something that 90% of athletes do. Not being able to quantify it doesn't mean it's not so.

The belief in clutch is more a byproduct of the human brain's necessity to rationalize everything on the spot, as well as it's relatively "limited" ability to analyze so much data. Taking baseball as an example where the "clutch" human ability would show up and there are TONS AND TONS of data, there exists maybe 1 player amongst thousands that had higher performance in clutch situations vs. non-clutch situations.

If clutch were a "skill" it would be repeatable by definition. If it were consistently repeatable it would show up in the numbers. Mr. clutch himself (vinatieri) wasn't so clutch 2005 in Denver to make it a 1 score game in the 4th. Mr. clutch Tom Brady has equally great percentage numbers in the playoffs that he has in the regular season (slightly worse but not better).

Why was Delhomme less clutch than Brady in the 2003 SB?

 

[shmessy]

I respectfully disagree, there is no such thing as an individual being a "winner", else Brady would have won in 05, 06, 07, and/or 09. Branch would have won in Seattle. Manning wouldn't have won .

It's also a bit revisionist to say he came up big when it mattered most. In 2004 the bruising Corey Dillon, that of a 4.7 YPC on the season was held to 3.0 YPC by that Steelers defense. Only the Jets in week 16 came close to limiting Dillon as much.

Now Deion Branch was a very good receiver for us, he is coachable and works hard. His big playoff games are a case of preparation meeting opportunity, not an innate ability to increase his skill level because the game mattered 'more'. The Steelers game didn't matter more than the Titans game in 2003, that the defense played well and the Titans bobbled an open pass late in the game that would have put them in position to at least tie. The Indy game the week before was equally as important as the Steelers game, and in that Indy game the offense struggled for 35 minutes. They had ONE drive that lasted more than 2:00 of their first 6 drives. They punted 4 times and took 2 FGs, only one drive was long and that ended in a FG. It was only 6-3 with 10:00 to go in the 3rd quarter. Thankfully the defense played great all game, but Branch was certainly "needed" during that game. Just because we won other ways doesn't mean he wasn't "needed" or the game meant any less. Without the defense playing great and Dillon's big 2nd half Branch's opportunities don't exist and history looks different.

He was a very good receiver that Brady had a high amount of trust in, and as long as his knees hold up I'm sure they will get in sync quickly and he'll be able to contribute quicker than any other receiver we could have gotten.

Somehow, you forget to mention Super Bowls XXXVIII (10 receptions, including the last minute, game winning FG set up while getting absolutely blown up by a DB) and XXXIX (11 receptions and MVP).

Branch = Big Game Pressure WR.

 

[emoney_33]

I would call it having mental fortitude. You need skill to perform in the clutch, but if you're not strong mentally, then those skills might not show when the pressure is at it's highest.

I'd agree that underperforming in high-pressure situations is more rational than overperforming in high-pressure situations. One could define clutch as performing equally as well no matter the situation. How rampant choking is amongst professional athletes is not something I think I've ever seen in a study.