Four Ups, Four Downs From Patriots-Eagles Preseason Game

" Meanwhile, Patriots fans faced the tall task of trying to stay awake to watch it.

With Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Vince Wilfork, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Brandon Lloyd and others out of action, watching the Patriots’ game on Monday was significantly different from watching most Patriots games.

Still, there were takeaways — good and bad — from the 27-17 loss. Let’s take a quick look at the positives and negatives.

Four Ups

1. Deion Branch

Given how much he’s done in the past, and given how much Tom Brady can rely on him, you’d think it would take a dramatic dropoff in skills and ability for Deion Branch to get cut from this team. But what he did Monday night just might have been enough to secure his spot.

Granted, he didn’t blow anyone away with any particular play, but he looked like, well, Deion Branch. He had three catches for 51 yards, as well as some good timing. When it came time to convert a third down, the quarterbacks looked to Branch. And it worked "

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