On Sunday, the Patriots will host a Jets team that squeezed out a 17-16 victory against the Colts in a wild-card game Saturday night. Last season, Jets coach Rex Ryan led his team to the AFC Championship game. The Patriots went home after a first-round loss to the Ravens.
The Patriots may have a league-best 14-2 record, but that is not where they want their accomplishments to end. Wide receiver Deion Branch was around for the Super Bowl celebrations in the previous decade. And while he can remember that feeling, he knows nothing can be achieved simply by reflecting on the past.
“It doesn’t seem that far away, honestly,’’ said Branch of the Super Bowl championships. “I wouldn’t say it’s a thousand years.
“I think, back in the day, we took advantage of the opportunities at the time, and I think you still have that sense of urgency that it’s right here in our palms. The biggest things right now are taking advantage of the Jets, going out and executing our plays.’’
Branch isn’t walking around Gillette Stadium wearing his rings; he and his teammates keep them at home. He may have been around for the postseason wins, but Branch wasn’t around last season when the Patriots suffered the first-round loss to the Ravens at home.
Now that the Patriots are preparing for the Jets, Branch said he can sense that some players want to get over last season’s disappointment with a victory Sunday. But regret can’t be their motivation.
“I think the biggest thing is we try not to focus on the stuff that happened in the past,’’ Branch said. “That’s why you don’t hear a lot of guys talking about the Super Bowl.
“I’ve been other places. There were times in Seattle where guys talked about the Super Bowl so much in ’06, but you lost. That’s the big difference. I think here, we’ve won in the past, but guys don’t harp on it. They don’t talk about it. That doesn’t matter anymore; the game is over.’’
