Deion Branch Reflects On First Game Back With Pats

I don’t think too many people believed that it would take Tom Brady and Deion Branch weeks upon weeks to get their timing back down. Nevertheless, it was fairly remarkable that the duo picked up right where they left off. Brady connected with Branch on nine passes for 98 yards and one touchdown during New England’s 23-20 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

On Monday, Branch joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about his return to New England. You can find a few excerpts from the interview below (via: SRI)

On the timing that he and Tom Brady still seem to have:

“I just think it’s a lot of work. I heard Tom speaking to somebody yesterday about the chemistry that we have. I think the biggest thing is the work that we put in in practice, the preparation. I think, out of the four years that I spent here in my earlier days, my first four years, we threw a lot of balls in the offseason, OTAs, training camp, a lot of passes. We did a lot of soul-searching on the football field with each other and I think that’s what’s showing up on Sunday.”

On how much different the later stages of the game were for him compared to early on:

“There really wasn’t a difference. I think it was all about us settling down … from the first half to the second half. I’m never one that’s going to come in and be complaining about balls, ‘Throw me the ball, throw me the ball.’”

On the difference between the Patriots now as opposed to when he left in 2006:

“I think the only thing is you’ve got the youth movement now, where as back then you had the veteran guys, the leadership by all the veterans. Now I think, with the handful of veterans on the team, we’re the ones that have to go out and lead and show these guys what it takes and how to perform when you have games such as yesterday’s. The thing about these young guys, they want it and you can see it in their eyes, you can see it when they take the field. … These guys are trying, the effort is there and you can see them growing together.”

Peter King On Deion Branch Leaving New England: 'In Hindsight, It Was An Idiotic Move'

Peter King spends a good chunk of his Monday Morning Quarterback discussing Deion Branch, both his move to Seattle and the subsequent return to New England, and he does not mince his words: "In hindsight, it was an idiotic move, holding out and forcing the Patriots to trade him." 

And while Branch won't go quite to that extreme, you can tell there is some regret and wondering "What if ...", feelings that come with leaving Tom Brady and the Patriots. 

"I think about it a lot,'' he told me over the phone from the Patriots' locker room. "My brother and my father do too. They say, 'You'd be ready to put a gold [Hall of Fame] jacket on if you stayed.'" [...]

"It's easy to say that now versus back then, and I wish ... well ... but we can't go back on it. We could easily factor in what went wrong, but right now, but I'm very thankful and honored to be back where I belong, and I'm not looking back or anything,'' Branch said.

Branch's nine receptions against the Ravens on Sunday are the most he's had in one game since the 2004-05 season, when he snagged 11 catches on his way to being named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX.

Patriots Blog: Defense Was Key In New England's 23-20 Win Over Baltimore

Much of the talk heading into Sunday's matchup with the Baltimore Ravens was the New England Patriots' new look offense. It was to be there first game without Randy Moss, and their first time lining up with Deion Branch back in Gillette Stadium. And while Branch and Tom Brady certainly picked up right where they left off, the key to Sunday's win was the defense, writes Pats Pulpit, particularly when containing the Ravens' Ray Rice. 

... the defense did hold running back Ray Rice in check. Rice, who is a big play threat every time he touches the ball, didn't have a run longer than eight yards or a catch longer than 11. The Patriots played a lot of base 3-4, and kept the big plays in check all day. Even when Rice was able to catch the ball, there would always be a linebacker or two right on him to make the stop and avoid giving up the first down or big gain. [...]

Of course, the defense was most impressive in the fourth quarter and overtime. Between the two periods, the Patriots shut down the Ravens offense from scoring on five separate occasions, including three times in overtime.

Sunday was an especially key day for three defensive stars in particular: Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and Vince Wilfork. 

In my mind, there were three key players who were dominant in the Patriots' front seven. Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, and Vince Wilfork all had terrific games in helping shut down the Ravens' running attack. Mayo looks even better than in 2008, and Brandon Spikes really stepped up and made some big plays in the fourth quarter and overtime. The two players combined for 32 tackles.

The Pats' defense may still have a long way to go, but as Pats Pulpit writes of Sunday's win: "Today, we saw that thought come to fruition as the defense came up big on several occasions today."

Ravens At Patriots Video Highlights: New England Gets 23-20 Win In Deion Branch's Return

The Patriots rallied from 10 down in the fourth quarter to force overtime, where a Stephen Gostkowski field goal eventually won it against the Ravens, 23-20. Tom Brady was only 27-for-44 for 292 yards with a touchdown and two picks, but Deion Branch shined in his return to New England, leading the team with nine receptions for 98 yards and a score. 

Danny Woodhead led the Pats' ground game with 63 yards on 11 carries. 

Now here's all that in video highlight form:

Tom Brady: '[Ravens] Talk A Lot For Beating Us Once In Nine Years'

It's the morning after the Patriots' 23-20 win over the Ravens, New England's biggest victory of 2010, and Tom Brady is using his scheduled appearance with WEEI Monday morning to respond to Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

"He had his chance. Maybe if he gets another chance he can try to back those words up. But he had a chance yesterday."

Suggs and Brady were seen face mask-to-face mask, screaming at each other late in Sunday's game. The verbal jarring continued afterward, with Suggs saying that Brady "just better hope he doesn't see us again."

"You know, we've played guys a lot, and they've beat us one time in all the times that I've played them. They talk a lot for beating us once in nine years."

Baltimore is 1-4 against Brady and the Patriots since 2001, with the lone win coming in last season's Wild Card round. 

Ravens At Patriots: Stephen Gostkowski Gives New England Win Against Baltimore In Overtime, 23-20

Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - Stephen Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal, on the first play after the two-minute warning in overtime, lifted New England past Baltimore, 23-20, at Gillette Stadium.

Tom Brady threw for 292 yards and one touchdown -- to new acquisition Deion Branch -- on 27-of-44 throws with two interceptions for the Patriots (4-1), who rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to win for the third straight time.

Danny Woodhead gained 63 yards on 11 carries and BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a score, while Branch posted 98 yards on nine receptions in his first game back with New England since coming over from Seattle earlier in the week.

Joe Flacco completed 27-of-35 passes for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Ravens (4-2), whose three-game win streak was snapped.

Derrick Mason caught eight balls for 100 yards, Anquan Boldin had four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown and Todd Heap added a 16-yard TD reception in the setback.

New England's third series of overtime began on its own 38, and Brady hit Branch for 23 yards on first down, then connected for 10 yards and a first down on 3rd-and-2 from the Ravens' 21. Two rushes from Green-Ellis placed the ball on the 17 before Gostkowski's winning kick.

Billy Cundiff hit from 26 yards out to cap an 81-yard drive on Baltimore's initial series, then the Patriots worked a 66-yard drive on their second possession and took a 7-3 lead on a two-yard TD run by Green-Ellis.

The Ravens took a 10-7 edge on a 16-yard scoring reception by Heap on their initial drive of the second quarter and Baltimore and guarded the advantage until halftime.

Chris Carr picked off Brady on New England's first drive of the second half and the Ravens took over on the Pats' 36. Three plays later Flacco hit Boldin for a 25-yard touchdown and 17-7 lead.

Gostkowski booted a 38-yarder on the following series and the home team got within seven.

Cundiff's 25-yard boot on the second play of the fourth quarter provided Baltimore with a 20-10 advantage.

Brady then found Branch on 3rd-and-goal to make it 20-17 with 11:02 to play. For the nine-year veteran, it was his first regular-season touchdown reception with the Patriots since January 1, 2006.

New England reached the Baltimore six prior to the two-minute warning, but Brady's try for Branch was incomplete on 3rd-and-3. Gostkowski then was good from 24 yards out for a 20-20 deadlock with 1:51 to go.

The Pats defense produced a three-and-out, then Wes Welker returned the punt 22 yards to the home team's 47. New England reached its own 44 with one play left, and instead of a long field-goal try, Brady's heave for the end zone was picked off.

The Ravens won the toss and received to start the extra session, but went three-and-out, as did the Patriots on their first drive. Baltimore failed two more times and New England once before the home team's successful drive.

New England has won all six meetings with Baltimore since the Ravens arrived there in 1996...Flacco's 285 yards passing vaulted him into first-place on Baltimore's all-time list with 7,985, surpassing Kyle Boller's original mark of 7,846...The Patriots defense held the Ravens to 99 yards rushing but allowed 377 total yards...The Pats had running back Fred Taylor inactive...Baltimore listed defensive tackle Haloti Ngata as active despite suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee last Sunday against Denver...Ravens cornerback Josh Wilson was also inactive with a hamstring injury.

Ravens At Patriots: S James Sanders Among New England's Inactives

The New England Patriots released their inactive players for Sunday's game with the Baltimore Ravens, and safety James Sanders was included, suffering from a hamstring injury. 

RB THomas Clayton
LOT Mark LeVoir
NT Kyle Love 
ROG Rich Ohrnberger
WR Taylor Price
S James Sanders
RB Fred Taylor
RCB Terrence Wheatley

This marks the second straight game Fred Taylor has missed with his toe injury. 

Meanwhile, the Ravens will have tackle Haloti Ngata, who was questionable with a knee injury but will play against the Patriots. 

Ravens inactives for Sunday: 

WR Donte' Stallworth
LCB Josh Wilson
LB Tavares Gooden
RG Scott Kooistra 
DT Arthur Jones 
ROT Jared Gaither
DT Lamar Divens
DE Paul Kruger

Baltimore Ravens At New England Patriots: Final Week 6 Injury And Practice Report

Just like the title suggests, here's your final and official Week 6 status and practice report for the New England Patriots.

Fred Taylor Confirmed Out For Ravens Game

After missing practice all week, Fred Taylor has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Ravens with a toe injury, per an Ian Rapoport tweet.

While the Patriots would definitely prefer to have Taylor available for every game, with the emergence of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the loss of their starting running back does not seem nearly so critical as it did earlier in the season.

Ravens At Patriots: Thursday's Injury Report, Where Fred Taylor Misses Another Practice

The Patriots' Fred Taylor was once again held out of practice on Thursday, because of his toe injury. Additionally, safety James Sanders found his way onto to the team's injury report for the first time in 2010 because of his hamstring -- he was limited in today's practice. 

Thursday's injury report: 

Patriots

Did Not Participate
Fred Taylor, RB (Toe)

Limited Participation
James Sanders, S (Hamstring)

Full Participation
Tom Brady, QB (Right Shoulder)
Terrence Wheatley, CB (Foot)

Ravens

Out
Jared Gaither, LB (Back)
Tavares Gooden, LB (Shoulder)
Donte' Stallworth, WR (Foot)

Limited Participation
Ken Hamlin, S (Ankle)
Edgar Jones, TE (Thigh)
Paul Kruger, LB (Knee)
Jameel McClain, LB (Knee)
Le'Ron McClain, RB (Shoulder, Knee)
Haloti Ngata, DT (Knee)
Ray Rice, RB (Knee)
Josh Wilson, CB (Thigh)

Baltimore Ravens At New England Patriots: With Revenge On Their Minds, Pats Host Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens -- 4-1 and atop the AFC North -- visit the New England Patriots -- 3-1, second in the AFC East -- in a battle of two NFL heavyweights, and a rematch of last season's Wild Card Game. 

In that contest, the Ravens stormed Gillette Field and rush for 234 yards en route to a lopsided 33-14 win.

SB Nation's Joel Thorman calls it the game of the week in his preview of Week 6's action: 

Breakdown: The game of the week in my mind. You've got the fourth ranked defense in the Ravens facing the No. 1 offense in the NFL in the Patriots. Tom Brady and Co. always have a hard time against the Ravens, as evidenced by the beating they received in the playoffs last year. This game will be all about how the Ravens defense can handle the Patriots offense.

Player to Watch: Deion Branch. Will he play Sunday? He's back on the Patriots after being traded a few years ago. The Patriots don't have Randy Moss so we're eager to see what that Patriots receiving group looks like.

Thorman's pick: take the Patriots at home.