FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Four years after leaving the Patriots, Deion Branch felt like — and played like — he’d never been gone.
New England reacquired Tom Brady’s old reliable receiver five days after trading Randy Moss and, with less than a week of practice, Branch sparked a comeback from a 10-point deficit to a 23-20 overtime victory Sunday over the Baltimore Ravens.
He capped that with two key catches that set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 35-yard field goal with 1:56 left in overtime.
“Tom and I have been away for four years, and I honestly don’t feel we missed a beat,” Branch said.
He had seven receptions after the Ravens took a 20-10 lead three seconds into the fourth quarter and finished with nine, the most he had in a regular- season game since catching 13 against San Diego as a rookie in 2002 after the Patriots drafted him in the second round.
“We’ve known each other for a long time, so I think the chemistry’s there,” Brady said. “It will be there.”
The Patriots (4-1) posted their eighth straight win after a bye. The Ravens’ three-game winning streak came to an end.
In overtime, the Ravens (4-2) punted three times and the Patriots punted twice.
“If we see them in the playoffs, we will be ready again,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said.
