Patriots Sign Deion Branch... Again

This is perhaps the least surprising sports story in New England history. Even after releasing him, the Patriots never removed Branch's nameplate from the locker room. You never heard any rumblings that he might end up elsewhere. And with the injury to Aaron Hernandez, the Pats could use another reliable receiving weapon. There was no way that this wouldn't happen.

They also signed Kellen Winslow Jr. Winslow had worked out with the Patriots before the start of the season. I remember WEEI's Lou Merloni being baffled that the Pats would work out multiple tight-ends (they also worked out then signed Michael Hoomananawanui), if they didn't intend to sign them. This is why, Lou... just in case.

What will the offense look like without Hernandez and with Branch and Winslow?

Branch has always been one of Brady's most reliable, must-have-down targets for Brady. When it's 3rd and 7, Branch will get 8. He's older, but he can still play a situational role on the offense, which should take some pressure off Brandon Lloyd.

The Patriots can't just replace Hernandez's type of production. Winslow will get some passes thrown to him, but Hernandez was practically a wide-receiver. Branch will get some throws, Welker will get more attention, and the whole offense will have to change while Hernandez is out.

It's always good after both a loss and an injury to a key player to get a nice bit of news. I'm glad to see Branch back.

Patriots Prune Roster, Cut Branch

The Patriots made some surprising cuts today as they trim their roster down to 53. They let go of Deion Branch, backup QB Brian Hoyer, veteran lineman Dan Koppen, and UMass DB James Ihedigbo.

Cutting Branch surprises me, especially after the Pats parted ways with Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney. Branch seemed to have the #3 WR spot to himself, behind Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd on the depth chart.

Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if this were some way to reduce Branch's guaranteed money or something. Cut him, then sign him back. The Pats do stuff like this. If Branch really wasn't up to the Pats' standards, why wait until today to release him?

I'm surprised to see Hoyer cut. The Patriots might want to replace him with a veteran. If Brady gets hurt and misses an extended portion of the season, the Pats are essentially sunk. But if it's just a few games or half a game, then a veteran is preferable.

Does the release of Dan Koppen mean that Brian Waters is back? If Waters isn't back, the Patriots need Koppen. So maybe this cut signifies that they don't need him because Waters will play.

I don't fully understand these moves, but I have faith in the Patriots and Belichick.

Why I Think the Patriots Cut Stallworth and Gaffney

When the Patriots piled their plate high and deep with WRs, I thought Donte Stallworth was a long shot to make the team but figured Jabar Gaffney would likely be on the roster. Gaffney has worked well with Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels in the past, and he did well in 2011, finishing with 947 receiving yards for the Redskins.

I figured the WR depth chart would be Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Deion Branch, and Donte Stallworth. I wasn't shocked when Stallworth got cut, but parting ways with Gaffney surprised me.

Until I thought of the offensive line.

If there were a Moneyball 2 about football, I think the statistician Jonah Hill played would be obsessed with one number: Throwing Time. The amount of time a QB has to throw the football.

And judging from the preseason games, Tom Brady won't have that much time to throw. It won't be like 2007 with Stallworth, Gaffney, and of course Randy Moss. When Brady had an eternity to find a receiver, and those receivers had an eternity to go downfield.

Tom Brady simply won't have the time necessary for vertical receivers like Gaffney and Stallworth to go downfield. He'll need shifty mid-range and underneath receivers like Welker, Branch, and the tight-ends. Guys who can get open quickly, and whose diversity present matchup problems for defenses. Brady can spot those problems pre-snap and get rid of the ball before the pressure envelops him.

Carrying WRs who primarily go deep is a waste of roster spots. There won't be enough Throwing Time to consistently go deep. Plus with the tight-ends, how often will more than three WRs be on the field for the Pats? Stallworth and Gaffney were unnecessary parts of the Patriots' offensive machine.

Patriots Keep Branch

Despite acquiring half the veteran receivers in the NFL, the Patriots decided to keep Deion Branch for another year, signing him to a one year extension. I imagine the deal was probably for a relatively small amount of money.

It makes sense to keep him on the roster. There are question marks still swirling around each of the WRs the Pats picked up. Branch caught 51 passes for 702 yards last year. And even if all the new guys work out, Branch will see the field. He and Brady click so easily, and Branch is a fantastic possession receiver.

Patriots Sign Donte Stallworth

The Pats added to their arsenal of offensive weaponry by signing Donte Stallworth to a 1 year deal. Stallworth only caught 22 passes for 209 yards last season and has not been very productive since his one year DUI/manslaughter ban in 2009. Even before that he hasn't been productive since he left the Patriots after the 2007 season.

Give me a second while I spin this discouraging fact into something extremely pro-Patriot...

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So maybe having Tom Brady as a quarterback and Josh McDaniels as a coordinator could rejuvenate Stallworth's career. He caught 46 passes in '07 for 697 yards and 3 TDs. That's good considering he was Brady's #3 option. Welker and Moss combined to catch 210 passes for 2,668 yards (1.5 miles) and 31 touchdowns that year. In 2012, Stallworth will again have to compete for receptions with Welker, and now Gronkowski and Hernandez. But he has shown an ability to produce in such a situation.

And he will not struggle with McDaniels' playbook, which he absorbed well in 2007.

Stallworth provides a vertical threat. And along with Lloyd, the Patriots now have a diverse and problematic set of receivers. Last year, Patriots WRs not named Welker caught 74 total passes. 51 of those were Branch's. Even with Welker, WRs caught 196 of 402 team receptions. Less than half (48.8%). That's because Gronk and Hernandez caught 169 total passes. Which is a testament to their abilities, but it also means the Patriots' offense wasn't multidimensional. It was all Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez.

Brady will have more options in 2012. We saw in the Super Bowl what can happen when Gronkowski gets taken out of the game. With this stable of receivers, the Pats are hoping to resolve that vulnerability. None of these new receivers are thoroughbreds, but there are enough of them to keep a defense off balance.

And while the Patriots haven't done much to address their Swiss Cheese defense, they've improved their strongest area, and haven't spent much to do it. They've decided to perfect their strength, rather then spending a lot to try to raise their weakness to mediocrity.

It's sort of like a movie studio adding a cheap former star to a guaranteed blockbuster hit instead of spending tens of millions to put big stars in a crappy movie that will likely be a box office bomb.

I think it's a sound strategy. And in other breaking news, I once again agree with what Bill Belichick does.

Goodnight, Dream Team

Tom Brady is now 4-0 in his career against the Eagles, and the Patriots improved to 8-3 on the season. It was a nice win, but not particularly impressive. Victory is only as impressive as the opponent. And Philadelphia without Vick isn't a very good team. So let's make fun of the self-anointed "Dream Team" and move on.

The big plays allowed by the Pats' secondary were worrisome. They've typically been able to prevent opponents from torching them so badly. Usually they surrender territory 8 to 15 yards at a time. And if Vince Young had been more consistent, then this game might have been a bit more interesting thanks to those big plays.

The Patriots offense is very good. That's not news. A few key players got back to being involved yesterday. BJG Ellis got the ball 14 times, and although he only got 44 yards, he scored twice, and he helped set-up play-action for Brady. The Patriots ran the ball 36 times

The wide receivers got involved too. Welker caught 8 passes for 115 and a pair of TDs. And Branch caught 6 for 125. The last time the Patriots' top two receiving leaders were actually wide receivers was week 5 against the Jets.

Defensively, it wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Vince Young had a lot to do with that. So did Andy Reid. 4th and 1 on the 3, you have a 6' 5" 235 pound QB and you don't sneak it? Instead you force your inconsistent QB to throw a pass that has little margin for error? Thank you, Andy.

We're not going to learn anything new about the Patriots in these next few weeks. They're up against some weak teams with mediocre to bad quarterbacks. This is time to pile up wins and get into the best playoff position as possible.

Patriots host the winless Colts next Sunday at 1.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Patriots 35, Chargers 21

Brady had asked the fans at Gillette Stadium to get "lubed up" but it was the Patriots' offense that was a well oiled machine. Brady himself has already thrown for half a mile this season. BJG Ellis and Woodhead moved the ball well on the ground (4.1 per carry as a team), Branch had a 129 yard day, and Gronkowski caught 2 TDs.

The defense, however, played an equally important role in this victory. They forced four huge turnovers that were key turning points. Wilfork's interception took 3 points from San Diego, and gave 3 to New England. Sergio Brown's pick ended a San Diego drive that was threatening the end zone. Tolbert's fumble came on the heels of a failed 4th and 4 attempt by the Patriots and destroyed any chance San Diego may have had to drive to the end zone and take a lead. And Rivers' fumble ended the game.

What I really liked about the interceptions was the pressure that helped force them. A blitzing Ninkovich threatened Rivers, who threw without realizing Wilfork was lurking. It was a tremendous tip and catch by the 325 pounder, but Ninkovich's pressure set things into motion. Rivers' second interception also came when the pocket quickly collapsed around him. He threw without stepping through and Sergio Brown caught it.

It was Wilfork's and Brown's first career picks. I'm sure the Elias Sports Bureau could find the last time two teammates had their first career inteceptions in the same game. But I'm not doing all that research. I'll just guess it was 1971 and the Rams were somehow involved.

The Patriots' defense was good, not great. They had an important Red Zone stand, but they also allowed San Diego to convert 10 of 12 third downs. They made big plays with those turnovers, they also allowed San Diego to stick around.

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm attacking the defense, because I'm not. This defense is good enough to do two vital things:

1. Don't allow big plays
2. Make it difficult to score in the Red Zone

If that happens, the Patriots will be fine. Opposing teams will score, but so long as it isn't either quick or easy, then the Pats will be good to go.

Back to the offense, before anyone criticizes Chad Ochocinco, can I just point out that the guys Brady is throwing to are pretty damned good? Branch, Welker, Hernandez, Gronwkoski, Woodhead. That's a nice grouping. And they've been open. Why wouldn't Brady throw to them?

The people that have been critical of Ochocinco are usually the same ones that thought he'd be Randy Moss 2.0. He's not. He's a veteran receiver learning a system, and he's competing for playing time and receptions with some of the best in the business, who all know the system well.

Then think about history. How many passes has Brady thrown to Ochocinco? How many hundreds more has he thrown to Welker? How many millions more has he passed to Branch?

Ochocinco is the 3rd receiver in an offense that almost always has an RB in the backfield, and often uses 2 or 3 tight-ends. Just because he's not on the field doesn't mean he doesn't comprehend the offense.

Things look good. There's room for improvement, but winning while improving is the best.

Pats at Bills at 1 on Sunday.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

THE SHOE'S ON THE OTHER FOOT

The Jets made the plays, the Patriots didn't. It's amazing how simple the game of football can be. Santonio Holmes made a stupendous catch in the end zone, Alge Crumpler dropped what should have been a touchdown. The Jets took care of the ball, the Patriots took chances. Meanwhile, the Patriots are working on a 3 game playoff losing streak.

I blame the offense, first and foremost. They only mustered three quality drives, apart from the garbage time touchdown. And of those drives, they amassed 11 points. The Brady interception was simply careless, maybe even a bit cocky. Pace got his hands up, Brady had to throw at a higher trajectory, but still wanted to force the ball to Green-Ellis. The next drive saw Crumpler drop a score. Instead of being up 10-0 or 14-0, it was 3-0 Pats.

You can't lose a game in the 1st quarter, but you can win it. By building a lead, you can force a team to alter their simplified gameplan. You can force their young quarterback to take more chances. But by keeping the score close, you allow them to do whatever they want. The Pats missed an opportunity to change the shape of this game with those early squanders.

Let's talk about the fake punt. I don't like the decision. The execution failed, but the decision was a bigger failure.

After the game, Mesko and others claimed that Chung had the discretion to call a fake if 8 Patriots lined up against 6 Jets. Maybe that's true, maybe not. If true, I disagree with the notion of 2nd year defensive back having so much decision making power. Especially a player out of Oregon, where they make decisions like this:



If the call came from Belichick, I also disagree with it. The reward is too minimal to justify the risk. If thwarted, the Jets get the ball only 10 yards from field goal range. If successful, the Patriots get another set of downs around midfield. Big whoop. If I have one criticism for Belichick, it's that when things aren't going smoothly, he tries too hard to win the game with his coaching decisions.

The failed punt fake wasn't technically a turnover, but for all intents and purposes, it was. And it allowed a 7-3 game to dramatically change at 14-3, right at halftime.

The Patriots offense finally figured out how to function, but it was late in the 3rd. Sanchez and the Jets responded with some big plays, and a touchdown. I heard some post-game show on CBS criticize the Pats' defense for failing to come up with a timely stop. But hadn't the defense done enough?

And after Holmes' catch, the Pats put together a 7:45 drive that produced 0 points. Branch dropped a 4th and 13 pass that would have sustained it.

Speaking of Branch, he needs to shut up. He was jawing with the Jets' sideline too much, and now he's whining about post-game celebrations. Leave that kind of crying to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson.

And speaking of talking, I don't mind Belichick sitting Welker for a series. Did Welker's foot jokes cost the Patriots in the game? No. But it didn't help them. And Belichick's philosophy has always been, if it doesn't help, it's not worth doing.

Anyway, after that 8 minute drive (the Jets couldn't have done a better job of killing the clock than the Patriots did for them) the game was over. Once again, the Patriots didn't perform on the big stage. The last four years, they've gone 51-13 (.797) in the regular season, 2-3 (.400) in the postseason.

On the bright side, the offense should remain largely intact for 2011. The Patriots have rediscovered a running game, and that's no longer a glaring need. The defense came into their own, and this was one of their better games of the season, considering how many bad situations they were put in. The D-Line needs depth. The pass rush needs to be bolstered, and more consistent. Part of LT's TD catch was due to the Pats bringing 5 guys on the pass rush, including Ninkovich, which vacated the flat for Tomlinson.

I'm optimistic for 2011. But I said something similar after the Ravens game last postseason, and after the 11-5 Cassel crew didn't make the playoffs, and after the 18-1 season, and after the Colts came from behind in '06. It's hard not to be optimistic about this team, this coach, this quarterback, despite what's happened the last 4 years.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

BBS AWARD FOR GAME OF THE YEAR

This goes to the most exciting, entertaining, important game of the year in the Boston sports world. It was an off year for Boston sports, so don't expect many of the nominees to be big wins. While there were some nice victories out there, they were often followed by heartbreaking defeats. Here are the nominees...

1/1 - Bruins 2, Flyers 1 (OT) - Winter Classic
4/21 - Bruins 3, Sabres 2 (OT) - Conference Quarterfinals
5/7 - Flyers 5, Bruins 4 (OT) - Conference Semifinals
5/13 - Celtics 94, Cavaliers 85 - Conference Semifinals
5/14 - Flyers 4, Bruins 3 - Game 7
6/17 - Lakers 83, Celtics 79 - NBA Finals, Game 7
10/17 - Patriots 23, Ravens 20 (OT)
10/26 - Celtics 88, Heat 80 - Opening Day
11/7 - Browns 34, Patriots 14
11/10 - Bruins 7, Penguins 4

See, there's not much positive here. The Bruins and Celtics ended their seasons in close Game 7 losses. The biggest wins for all four teams were regular season contests, or playoff games that only built up the feeling of loss when our teams ultimately failed.

I'm going to pick the Patriots' 23-20 OT win over the Ravens.



This was the Pats' first game without Randy Moss. They were playing a 4-1 team that had eliminated from the playoffs a few months prior. Nobody had any idea what to expect.

This was Danny Woodhead's introduction to the NFL. He'd contributed in wins over Buffalo and Miami. But this was his first truly big game. He ran for 63 yards on 11 carries, and caught 5 passes for 52 yards. Little did we know that this would become a pattern, not a flash in the pan.

Then there was Deion Branch. This was his first game back with the Patriots. All he did was catch 9 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Little did we know how much these guys would end up contributing. Little did we know that the 11 3rd down stops the defense made, and the 2 Red Zone stops, would be the sign of things to come.

THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED

I was wrong about the Bears and the weather being something to worry about. The Patriots seemed to thrive in the snow, while the Bears wallowed in it. The Pats became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth, and took huge strides toward winning the AFC East.

Since halftime on Thanksgiving, the Patriots have outscored their opponents 116-17. That's simply staggering.

Last night, Brady had a few tipped passes that could have been intercepted, and a few field goals could have easily been touchdown drives. But I'm nit-picking. You just have to sit back and say that over the last 10 quarters, the Patriots have played amazing football.



Brady threw for a season high 369 yards, in the snow, in the wind.

Wes Welker is back to 100%. We were all worried that without Moss, he'd struggle. His 8 receptions for 115 yards disputes that notion. He's caught 36 passes in the last 5 games, and is back to being a favorite target of Brady.

Branch is the other favorite target. He also had 8 catches, for 151 yards and a TD. He's caught 4 TD passes in the last 3 games.



The most important thing the Patriots did last night was protect the football. 35 rushing carries, 27 receptions, 3 returns, and 0 fumbles. In weather like that, it's very impressive. BJG Ellis hasn't fumbled in his NFL career. Nor did he fumble in college. I can't find his high school stats, but I doubt he was a fumbling machine back in St. Augustine HS (New Orleans).



On defense, the Pats were all over the Bears. They held them to 185 total yards, and only 47 on the ground. They hauled in two picks, and recovered two fumbles. The Bears were only 3/8 on 3rd downs, so even when Chicago held onto the ball, they struggled to move it. The defense was a big reason why the Patriots dominated time of possession 39:41 to 20:19. That's essentially 2 to 1.



The Bears are fraudulent. The Patriots are currently the best team in the NFL. With the Jets getting "tripped up" by Miami, they now have a stranglehold on the division. They can clinch the AFC East, as well as a 1st round bye, with a win, and a Jet loss next week.

The Packers come to town on Sunday night, possibly without Aaron Rodgers. Though Green Bay does have the #1 scoring defense in the League, and the weather may once again be dicey.

Photo Credits:
AP Photo

BRADY TO BRANCH

Fun fact, the tickets for yesterday's Patriots games, which were mailed to season-ticket holders many months ago, featured an image of Randy Moss.

It was hard not to have flashbacks of 2003 and 2004 yesterday. Looking back at the Pats' historic (and still unmatched) 21 game win streak, you see lots of weird scores. 9-3, 12-0, even a 23-20 overtime win at Houston.

It wasn't pretty. Then again, we've been bitching about this team falling short in the 4th quarter. So let's enjoy them dominating the final phase of the game. The Pats held the Ravens to 31 yards in the 4th.

The Patriots' offense also wasn't pretty. Neither was it ugly. Danny Woodhead amassed 115 yards of offense. Deion Branch caught 9 passes for 98 yards and a score. While that was going on, BJG Ellis had a Maroneylike 20 yards on 10 carries. Brady's numbers were also unimpressive.

The defense came up with the big plays. Unlike the last 20 or 30 games, they were able to stop the opposing offense on 3rd downs. Baltimore only converted 5 of 16 3rd downs. The Ravens were held to 99 yards on the ground (2.9 per carry).



There were shades of 03-04, as the big defensive plays came from random guys like Jermaine Cunningham. That being said, the Ravens' offense is hardly dynamic. The Ravens run, and not amazingly so. Their passing offense is mediocre and simple. Even the Pats' secondary can handle it.

Also, the Patriots were at home, where they haven't lost a regular season game since 2008. Also, the Patriots were coming out of a bye week. 2002 was the last time they lost after a bye week. They had two weeks to prepare for Baltimore. The Ravens only had a week, and all their film of the Pats' offense was less relevant, as the gameplan would be much different without Moss.

But I look at the NFL standings, and the Patriots are right at the top. They have the 2nd best record in a League loaded with mediocrity. 12 teams are either at .500, or one game above or below. These games, and ultimately the season, will be decided by the slimmest of margins. The teams that can make big plays, avoid stupid penalties (Meriweather, that's you), will be the team that goes the furthest.

Patriots at the 2-4 Chargers next week.

PATRIOTS BRANCH OUT

The Patriots sent a 4th round pick to Seattle for the services of Deion Branch. And everyone who bought a discount Branch jersey from the Pro Shop feels great about it. Although, he'll likely have to wear a different number, as Welker currently owns his old digits.

The critics/haters/morons-who-think-they're-smart out there will deride this deal. "You replace Moss with Branch, just to move up 30 picks in the draft?"

Yes. Because how many problems has Branch created in his career? Branch and the Patriots didn't part on great terms after '05, but there wasn't much animosity. And unlike Moss, there's no wake of destruction left behind him.

Branch is no Randy Moss. He's 7 inches shorter, has never had a 1,000 yard season (had 998 in '05), has never averaged over 15 yards per catch, and only has 20 career TDs.

Branch has only caught 13 passes for Seattle this season, for 139 yards. He'll contribute as a 3rd or 4th option in certain plays. He'll catch a few passes, but won't disrupt defenses the way Randy Moss did.

Nor will he disrupt the locker room. You can pretty much guarantee that. And while Randy hadn't yet disrupted the Patriots locker room, I challenge even the most anti-Moss-trade people out there to attempt to guarantee that for Randy Moss.

Source:
ESPN