In Branch, the Pats and QB Brady trust
Receiver a major part of New England’s run to Super Bowl this season.
INDIANAPOLIS — When Deion Branch first set foot in the Patriots’ locker room four years after he left, the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP got more than his fair share of weird looks.
“For some of the younger guys that didn’t know me personally,” the wide receiver said Thursday, “they were just staring at me because they probably seen me play with this team in the past and it’s like, ‘This is the little dude that everybody was talking about on this team.’ ”
Branch, traded from Seattle to New England in October 2010, was brought back to help ignite a passing attack that was missing something — big-play capability. And the 5-foot-9, 195-pounder hasn’t disappointed. The 10-year veteran, who played collegiately just down I-65 from here in Louisville, Ky., seems to have a penchant for coming up with mammoth performances when the spotlight reaches white-hot proportions.
“Deion is a big part of what we do,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “As you saw in the Denver game (in the divisional playoff round), when he makes those big plays down the field ... he’s a very clutch player. He always seems to show up for the big games. I’ve always enjoyed working with him.”
In his 26 regular-season games since returning to the Patriots, Branch has 1,408 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“When you play with someone that long, it’s like an old married couple,” fellow wideout Chad Ochocinco said. “They’re good, man. They’re really good. They are always in sync.”