FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When New England Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch was a healthy scratch for the team's Oct. 5 road victory over the Buccaneers, it was a similar situation to what unfolded last season with defensive end Jabaal Sheard. The question was if Branch would respond in the same way Sheard did.
He did.
Branch played 22 of 76 defensive snaps against the Jets as the No. 3 option on the depth chart behind Malcom Brown and Lawrence Guy and made several positive plays. Run defense was one of the highlights of the Patriots' win, as the Jets were limited to 74 yards on 24 carries (3.