FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Veteran defensive tackle Alan Branch, who spent the majority of the season as the New England Patriots' No. 3 option in a three-man rotation, headlines the team's inactive players for the AFC Championship Game.
Branch, who hasn't played since injuring his knee in a Dec. 11 game against the Miami Dolphins, said leading up to last week's divisional-round playoff game that he feels healthy enough to play. But veteran Ricky Jean Francois got the nod over him, and played well in the playoff win over the Tennessee Titans.