Branch snares MVP award

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Deion Branch managed to outshine Terrell Owens on football's biggest stage.

And that was no small feat in this Super Bowl.

The leader of New England's unheralded receiving corps, Branch tied a Super Bowl record with 11 catches, accounting for 133 yards Sunday night in a 24-21 victory over Philadelphia that gave the Patriots their third championship in four years.

While Branch didn't make it to the end zone, he played a role in all four scoring drives. The biggest catch might have been the last one -- a leaping 19-yarder over the middle that set up Adam Vinatieri's 22-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Branch leaped off the turf and defiantly signaled a first down, the sort of brazen move that Owens is known for. New England pushed its lead to 10 points, enough to hold off the Eagles.

And when it was done, Branch was named the MVP.

Philadelphia's All-Pro receiver had a remarkable game, too, defying his doctor by playing just 6 1/2 weeks after surgery. With a metal plate and two screws in his right ankle, Owens somehow had nine catches for 122 yards.

But Branch was even better, tying San Francisco great Jerry Rice and Cincinnati's Dan Ross for catches in a Super Bowl.

While most of the attention was on Owens in the days leading up to the big game, Branch had a nice, quiet week in Jacksonville -- not drawing nearly as much attention from the media horde.

Everyone knows him now.

Branch came up huge on a tone-setting drive to start the second half, making four catches for 71 yards. Linebacker Mike Vrabel finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown catch, but Branch did all the heavy lifting.

Eight of his catches -- for 106 yards -- came on New England's scoring drives.

Branch was a second-round pick out of Louisville in 2002, catching 43 passes his rookie year. He improved to 57 receptions the following year, but missed seven games this season with a knee injury. He finished with just 35 catches for 454 yards and four TDs.

In last year's Super Bowl, Branch had 10 catches and a touchdown in a 32-29 victory over Carolina. Now, he's helped the Patriots become a team for the ages -- just the second to win three Super Bowls in four years.