Belichick on Mitchell Comparison to Deion Branch: 'Branch had a rare quickness'

[PatsFans.com Article]

Belichick on Mitchell Comparison to Deion Branch: 'Branch had a rare quickness'

Ian Logue

Sunday offered up a comparison that made Bill Belichick reflect on one of the team's best players of his tenure.

Continue reading...

 

[Froob]

Ian would never make it for the Boston Globe, the correct headline would be

BELICHICK SAYS MITCHELL LACKS QUICKNESS, SOX REMAIN #1 IN TOWN

 

[MassPats38]

BB's statement on Branch (How many times did he use 'quickness'?) reminded me of this segment from The Longest Yard:

 

[aluminum seats]

Yeah, Branch was good.

Of course his holding out cost the Pats a Super Bowl, but what are you going to do.

 

[PatsBoy12]

By the way, Branch is a free agent, no?

 

[patfanken]

This was a very misleading headline, Ian. From the headline one might think that BB was comparing Mitchell's skills to Branch's....and he wasn't. So, thanks for the nice clip about why Branch had been so successful as a Patriot, but the real story here is how Mitchell is a DIFFERENT receiver from Branch.

BTW- Branch's quickness was a perfect fit for the Pats offense. His edge was creating separation for brief periods, which fit in perfectly with Brady's accurate and precise throws. Also Branch played the bulk of his career in an era where zone defenses ruled the league for the most part. Brnnch's skill set was perfect for a zone, However when he came up against a physical press corner defense, his advantage evaporated.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

By the way, Branch is a free agent, no?

Hopefully he's signing to the Brady Practice Squad.

 

[oldrover]

This was a very misleading headline, Ian. From the headline one might think that BB was comparing Mitchell's skills to Branch's....and he wasn't.

"He's a clickbaiter!!!! Burn him!!!!"

 

[PatsBoy12]

Hopefully he's signing to the Brady Practice Squad.

They should allow roster exemptions for geriatric players...let's call them legacy players instead.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Belichick on Mitchell Comparison to Deion Branch: 'Branch had a rare quickness'

“Branch had a rare quickness. I mean, what’d he run, like a three-seven short-shuttle? You just don’t see that."​

It was actually a 3.76 - second best on this list, behind one Kevin Kasper's 3.73:

Top NFL Combine Test Results

Kasper was a bust - five teams in five years. Apparently including the Pats team in 2004, but never made a catch:

Kevin Kasper

A nice cautionary note for combine warriors.

 

[manxman2601]

BB's statement on Branch (How many times did he use 'quickness'?) reminded me of this segment from The Longest Yard:

My favourite quote about sporting speed:

'Paige claims to be the best pitcher of all time, although not necessarily the fastest. That distinction, he says, belongs to Cool Papa Bell. “Cool Papa was so fast he could get in bed before the room got dark.”

 

[TinhWoodhead]

We lost Deion but we have a new Dion

 

[Patjew]

Love me some Deion. Man, he and Givens with Troy around too... bonerz!

And can't wait to see Dion again!

 

[captain stone]

I remember the 2nd game of the 2002 season, after the Pats shellacked PitsDirt at home on the Thursday night opener. It was played in the Joisy swamps when the Meadowlands still had natural grass. IIRC,
the day was overcast, maybe even raining (I watched the game at the Bears Den, so the sound was off).

Lots of nice moments during the joyful 44-7 ass-whooping, including Victor Green's 90-yard Pick-6 (his
only INT of the season) and Tebucky Jones' defensive Grand Slam: sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery
and 24-yard scoop-n-score.

Then in the 4th quarter, in my drunken bliss, I saw Brady at midfield throw a 12-yard slant to Branch,
whom I had initially mistaken for Daniel Graham (#83 v #82) and who then literally Exploded into a
cut straight down the middle of the field, easily out-running all of the Jesters defenders for a TD.

Rare quickness indeed.

Oh, and I remember only being able to muster a flabbergasted: "Whoa…"

 

[tasmlab]

IIRC, Branch also had a telepathic connection to Brady. There's probably only been about four other WRs out of dozens who have achieved that. (guessing: Brown, Moss, Welker, JE11)

 

[captain stone]

And by 2004, Givens had a fairly good connection with Brady too.

 

[Gronk]

And by 2004, Givens had a fairly good connection with Brady too.

I respect the hell out of David Givens and loved watching him play here. That said - turning him into a guy who got a 5yr/$24m contract should probably be considered one of TB/BB's greatest achievements. In that way he's actually a better example of the Brady/WR mind-meld than the others who have been mentioned as he was considerably less gifted (sorry DG) as an athlete and player. We usually reference Branch as the guy that could've helped '06 be another SB year...even Givens might have pushed them over the top tbh.

(The fact Givens also believed he had a better chance to flourish with the Titans and Drew Bennett than he did in NE w/ TB set aside...that's a simple failure of the human ego. But certainly no hate from me for taking what was probably at least 2x what NE would have paid.)

 

[Gronkowski123]

i wish he was deion!! loved that guy

 

[sieglo]

Freddy Mitchell?

 

[Reckedtrek]

"He's a clickbaiter!!!! Burn him!!!!"

@Ian turned me into a newt!