24-21

The Tom Brady-to-Deion Branch connection is alive and well. Oh, so are the Patriots as an AFC contender.

Ever since the New York Giants shook up Patriot Nation with their shocking 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII, things have not been right in Foxboro. Brady was injured in the first quarter of the next season's first game and was lost for 2008. The Patriots defense got very old over night. They posted back-to-back mediocre seasons (11-5, 10-6) and have not recorded a playoff win since knocking off the Chargers in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. It was time to question if the Patriots had turned into also-rans in the NFL.

After starting 3-1, it looked like there was life in the 2010 Patriots. But following their impressive 41-14 win over the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 4, the team traded its star receiver Randy Moss to the Vikings and replaced him by trading for Deion Branch who was a hero of the Super Bowl XXXVII and XXXVIII winning teams. There were doubts that the offense could score enough points without Moss and with a young defense that was having some glaring growing pains, that could have cost the team a chance to contend.

With the 4-1 Ravens coming into Gillette Stadium today, the Pats had a chance to prove they were stil an elite team. The Ravens had a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter but then Brady began looking Branch's way and after reaching the two-minute warning in overtime, the Patriots took an important 23-20 win.

Branch caught 9 balls for 98 yards and a touchdown, the running game amassed 127 yards, and that young defense made some key stops in the fourth quarter and overtime. Rookie punter Zoltan Mesko boomed a critical 65-yard punt on overtime which gave feld position back to the Pats and a few minutes later Stephen Gostkowski booted the game winning field goal.

It was a throwback victory, just like the ones Brady and Branch celebrated during the team's glory years from 2001-2004. If the offense can maintain that kind of balance and production and the defense and special teams can keep coming up with big plays in the clutch, the AFC will have to once again worry about the Patriots.