National Football League

Extra credit;Brady, Branch just like old times

Published Oct. 19, 2010 10:16 a.m. ET

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It had been four years - four years, nine months and three days to be exact - since Deion Branch caught a pass from Tom Brady, but watching this adoring pair play yesterday, it was as if no time had passed at all.

In his first game back in New England, Branch had nine receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown and Brady engineered his 30th career game-winning performance, helping lead the Patriots back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit for a 23-20 overtime win against the Ravens. Stephen Gostkowski won it with a 35-yard field goal.

So far, life without Randy Moss is good.

Branch, who played here from 2002-05, received a warm ovation from the Gillette Stadium crowd when he was introduced before the game, and after hauling in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady in the fourth quarter, he took a well-deserved bow.

"It's like I never left," a truly appreciative Branch said after the game. "I think the biggest thing is I just wanted to win in my debut. It wasn't all about what I did."

Branch returned to the Patriots, the team that drafted him, in a trade last Monday after four inconsistent and injury-filled seasons in Seattle. Branch left New England because of a contract dispute, but was willing to re-work his deal, which he did this week, in order to come back.

During his first stint in New England, he and Brady developed an amazing on-field chemistry, a bond that remained strong even after they had been 3,000 miles and 68 regular-season games apart.

Brady targeted eight receivers yesterday, but like in the good old days, Branch was his favorite. Brady threw the ball his way 12 times, including on New England's first play from scrimmage, a throw that was tipped incomplete by Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs. He threw again to Branch on the Patriots' second possession, this one grabbed by Branch for an 8-yard gain.

"I've been throwing balls to him for a long time," Brady said. "He made some good plays, so it's great to have him out there."

Branch's nine receptions were the second most in a game in his career, surpassed only by a 13-catch performance against San Diego in his rookie year.

Branch was still familiar with a lot of the Patriots' offense and he was not surprised to be so heavily involved in the game plan.

"He did a great job of getting open," wide receiver Wes Welker said. "He's a great player and he showed it all week in practice, and he really came in here and showed up and made some great plays for us. He's a great addition to our team and we're lucky to have him."

Branch's touchdown - his first in a Patriots uniform since the 2005 regular-season finale against Miami - cut Baltimore's lead to 20-17 with 11:02 to play.

"It was just a great play by Tom," Branch said. "He was telling me, `Good job,' but once you see the play and you see him moving around in the pocket, that's what enabled me to get behind the defense and then pull back out. It's something we worked on all week in practice - one of the plays."

On the Patriots' winning drive in overtime, Branch had two key receptions, a 23-yarder and a 10-yarder on third-and-2 from the Baltimore 31. He said if he hadn't messed up on a play late in the fourth quarter, the Pats might not have needed OT.

"It was one of those things that (Brady) checked to a protection on the front line and I thought he was checking into a run play," Branch said. "And he came out looking for me and I'm over there blocking because I thought he checked to the run. But those are some of the things that I, personally, have to clean up on."

The Patriots went three-and-out on their first possession, but showed some creativity on a touchdown drive later in the first quarter. Brady's 30-yard completion to Aaron Hernandez got the Pats going and Brandon Tate's 22-yard gain on an end around set up a 2-yard TD run by BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Those were the Patriots' only points of the first half, however.

"The first half we didn't play well and the second half we were sporadic," Brady said. "We had some opportunities there and those are the things we are going to kick ourselves on. I missed some reads and some open receivers, so I have to do a better job of getting those guys the ball and keeping those chains moving."

Early in the third, Brady was pressured into an interception that led to a Baltimore TD and a 17-7 lead. Seven seconds into the fourth quarter, Billy Cundiff's 25-yard field goal put the Ravens up, 20-10. The Patriots responded with an eight-play 60-yard drive, highlighted by sparkplug Danny Woodhead, who had back-to-back runs of 14 and 12 yards, and finished with the Brady-to-Branch TD.

Brady completed 16 of 24 passes for 156 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime. It was Brady's seventh career comeback when trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter.

"I'm used to being in this situation with this team and that guy," Branch said. "I don't want to talk about the past, but I haven't felt this way in four years. That's kind of crazy. I truly felt like when we got the ball on that last drive we knew, `Hey, we're going to go down. We're going to get some points out of this and win this game.' That's the feeling we had. I just truly haven't had this feeling in a long time."

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