Branch’s big plays break Steelers

Lee Jenkins

Monday, Jan. 24, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.

PITTSBURGH -- From the moment New England receiver Deion Branch hit the end zone, it was as if 50,000 Terrible Towels had hit the ground.

Mocking the Pittsburgh Steelers and mimicking their fans, Branch reached into his pocket for an invisible version of a Terrible Towel -- the symbol of Steelers jubilance -- and waved it violently over his helmet. But his celebration, however humiliating to the Steelers, could not have been as galling as his performance.

The last time Branch came to Pittsburgh, when New England lost at Heinz Field on Oct. 31, he did not catch a pass.

Last week against Indianapolis, he finished with one reception for 15 yards. But Branch, like many of his teammates, has developed a knack for emerging when the stakes are highest and his contribution is least expected.

A receiver best known for torching the Carolina Panthers in last year's Super Bowl, Branch made a 60-yard catch in the first quarter on Sunday night for the Patriots' first touchdown.

His 45-yard grab in the second quarter set up their second touchdown. His were the two most significant offensive plays of the game, and they came on almost identical routes.

First, Branch burned Pittsburgh cornerback Deshea Townsend down the middle of the field to stake New England to a 10-0 lead. Then he split the Pittsburgh safeties, Troy Polamalu and Chris Hope, to take the ball to the Steelers' 14-yard line.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who seems to have a different primary target for every game, was in sync with Branch. By the end of the first half, Branch had two receptions for 105 yards, and the Patriots had a 24-3 chokehold.

That Branch was one of the game's most valuable players served as further evidence of New England's depth and balance. The Patriots' receiving corps is difficult to defend because there is no superstar in the lot.

Branch can go an entire game looking like the fourth option, as he did against Indianapolis, then he can catch 10 passes for 143 yards, as he did in the Super Bowl last year.

The Steelers approached Branch more like the nonfactor he was on Halloween night. After Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis fumbled with 7 minutes 7 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Brady took over and went right to Branch, leading him to the end zone.

Bettis, meantime, who has fumbled in consecutive games after going more than two years without a fumble, shook his head on the sideline.

When the Patriots drafted Branch out of Louisville in the second round in 2002, many believed they were overspending, but coaches said Branch would fit into their short-passing offense.

He has evolved into a legitimate deep threat, just as Brady has developed into a better deep-ball passer.

Having helped wave the Steelers out of the way for the AFC championship, Branch can now return to the place where he has seemed most comfortable in his career: the Super Bowl.