David Givens and Deion Branch sidebar for the Boston Herald
Givens, Branch deliver
By Denis Gorman
Monday, December 27, 2004
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Going into yesterday's tilt with New York, Patriots [stats, news] skeptics centered on the Jets' defense. How could the Pats, who were stymied by the Dolphins Monday night, score on a defense that had pitched seven second-half shutouts?
Deion Branch [news] and David Givens [news] provided the answer.
The Patriots' receivers continually got open against the Jets' cover-2 scheme, making life easy for Tom Brady [news] and Corey Dillon. And Charlie Weis made sure his wideouts got the ball.
Branch caught seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Givens caught two balls for 64 yards. Givens' 35-yard reception on a post-corner route in the second quarter set up Brady's 16-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham [news], which gave the Patriots a 10-0 lead and all the scoring they needed in their 23-7 victory.
Givens had been phased out of Weis' offense, much to his displeasure. After last night, Weis will likely go to Givens next week against San Francisco and throughout the Pats' playoff run. Givens declined comment after the game, but Brady spoke glowingly about the resurgent receiver.
``We were anticipating that type of play, where David can get behind the cornerback,'' Brady said of the former Notre Dame star. ``He was behind (the corner) just enough and made a great catch.''
Weis' game plan took advantage of the Jets' greatest asset: speed. Repeatedly, Brady hit Branch and Givens on wide receiver screens and post-corner routes after the Jets' defense bit on Brady's play action fakes.
Branch ended any hopes the Jets might have had for a comeback - and clinching an AFC wild card berth - with a 6-yard touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter.
On second-and-goal, Brady faked a handoff to Dillon, rolled to his right, and spotted Branch all by himself for a Pats touchdown, prompting a mass exodus by the Meadowlands crowd.
``It was just game planning,'' a grinning Branch said. ``They came up and bit on the fake to Corey, which they would do the majority of the time, and I ran a good route. The play fake did it.''
By Denis Gorman
Monday, December 27, 2004
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Going into yesterday's tilt with New York, Patriots [stats, news] skeptics centered on the Jets' defense. How could the Pats, who were stymied by the Dolphins Monday night, score on a defense that had pitched seven second-half shutouts?
Deion Branch [news] and David Givens [news] provided the answer.
The Patriots' receivers continually got open against the Jets' cover-2 scheme, making life easy for Tom Brady [news] and Corey Dillon. And Charlie Weis made sure his wideouts got the ball.
Branch caught seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Givens caught two balls for 64 yards. Givens' 35-yard reception on a post-corner route in the second quarter set up Brady's 16-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham [news], which gave the Patriots a 10-0 lead and all the scoring they needed in their 23-7 victory.
Givens had been phased out of Weis' offense, much to his displeasure. After last night, Weis will likely go to Givens next week against San Francisco and throughout the Pats' playoff run. Givens declined comment after the game, but Brady spoke glowingly about the resurgent receiver.
``We were anticipating that type of play, where David can get behind the cornerback,'' Brady said of the former Notre Dame star. ``He was behind (the corner) just enough and made a great catch.''
Weis' game plan took advantage of the Jets' greatest asset: speed. Repeatedly, Brady hit Branch and Givens on wide receiver screens and post-corner routes after the Jets' defense bit on Brady's play action fakes.
Branch ended any hopes the Jets might have had for a comeback - and clinching an AFC wild card berth - with a 6-yard touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter.
On second-and-goal, Brady faked a handoff to Dillon, rolled to his right, and spotted Branch all by himself for a Pats touchdown, prompting a mass exodus by the Meadowlands crowd.
``It was just game planning,'' a grinning Branch said. ``They came up and bit on the fake to Corey, which they would do the majority of the time, and I ran a good route. The play fake did it.''
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 2:56 AM
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