JACKSONVILLE – Tom Brady was his usual magnificent self in last night’s 24-21 Super Bowl XXXIX victory over the Eagles.
His 23-of-33 passing performance for 236 yards, 2 TDs and a 110.2 rating surely could have been enough to earn him a third Super Bowl MVP trophy, matching the feat of his idol, Joe Montana.
But there was actually a more important, more valuable player on the Patriots’ offense who warranted the MVP even more than Brady and that was his receiver Deion Branch, who caught 11 passes to tie a Super Bowl record for 133 yards.
“Deion set the tone for this team,” Patriots RB Kevin Faulk said. “We came out real flat-footed in the first half and the way he played just really set the tone for the entire team. He let the team know, ‘Hey, this guy is ready to play.’ ”
Asked if there were a play in particular that ignited the team, Faulk said, “Are you kidding? Did you see that catch? Look at that catch the guy made in between people.”
“The catch” was a brilliant one, a 20-yard reception Branch picked out of the air away from two Eagles defenders. That was one of four catches he made on an early third-quarter drive for 72 yards on that series, one that ended in a New England go-ahead TD for a 14-7 lead.
“After he gets the ball in his hands he can really do some great things,” Brady said.
For Branch, his play in big games is becoming uncanny. In last year’s Super Bowl, Branch caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a TD, certainly MVP-worthy numbers. And don’t forget the back-breaking TD catch he made to give the Patriots the early lead over the Steelers in the AFC title game two weeks ago.
“It’s funny,” Branch said. “One of my coaches asked me yesterday about the MVP thing. I’m just so thankful to be a part of this team. It didn’t make any difference who won the MVP. We all wanted this game so badly. As a player, this is what you want. They say big players step up for the big games.
“Hey, we had a bunch of guys who stepped up and made plays in this game.”
None, however, were bigger than the humble 5-foot-9 Branch.
“He’s just a playmaker,” fellow New England WR David Givens said. “He’s got great quickness, great speed, good hands and he knows how to get open. I think Deion kind of put the Patriots’ receivers on the map a little more with (last) night’s performance. He got us probably a little more respect that we didn’t have.”
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Branching out
MVP Deion Branch tied a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions last night, and has two of the top seven performances by a receiver in Super Bowl history.
Most receptions in a Super Bowl
11 DEION BRANCH, Patriots vs. Eagles, XXXIX
11 Dan Ross, Bengals vs. 49ers, XVI
11 Jerry Rice, 49ers vs. Bengals, XXIII
10 DEION BRANCH, Patriots vs. Panthers, XXXVIII
10 Tony Nathan, Dolphins vs. 49ers, XIX
10 Jerry Rice, 49ers vs. Chargers, XXIX
10 Andre Hastings, Steelers vs. Cowboys, XXX