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Talented New England Patriots defensive lineman Alan Branch won't need surgery to help fix a meniscus injury, but will be forced to miss a few games.
This report comes via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. From his Twitter:
#Patriots DL Alan Branch, who is dealing with a meniscus issue, does not need surgery, source said. But he is expected to miss a few weeks.
The news might seem bad, but it isn't as awful as your gut might originally tell you. Alan Branch has played under 30 percent of the defensive snaps for New England this season. That being said, and this is most certainly worth noting, he had seen his playing time go up in the weeks before he got hurt.
On the season, Branch only has 12 tackles, but his counting-stats don't do his game much justice. He's not used as a direct stopper or anything, as the defense mostly uses Branch as a dude who can eat up a ton of blocks at once, freeing up teammates behind him to make the plays.
While there's no specific timetable for his return, the Patriots will surely be hoping he is ready come the playoffs. If not early in it, at least as the postseason progresses.
