Sports Commentary
Randy Moss is one of the greatest athletes to ever grace an NFL field.
Blessed with a rare combination of size and speed, he holds several NFL receiving records, including most touchdowns in a season (23), he boasts some of the most dominant offensive performances, including six, three-touchdown games, and he touts the distinction as the common denominator in the two highest-scoring offenses in league history.
A regular-season Joe, he is not.
In the postseason, though, Moss is more of a mortal.
On Saturday, in a 31-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Moss caught one pass for 14 yards. The catch came midway through the first quarter, on the Patriots’ opening offensive drive, on a fourth-and-five from the Jags’ 40-yard line. For the remainder of the game, Moss was cast a decoy, nary a pass entering his zip code.
The Moss I covered for six of his first seven NFL seasons would have had a meltdown, or moped on the sideline. He would have mentally checked out of the game, as he did in the NFC Championship game in January 2000, when his Minnesota Vikings were embarrassed 41-0 by the New York Giants (he finished the game with two catches for 18 yards).
For all of the gaudy statistics, Moss hasn’t asserted himself when it matters most: in January.
His signature games transpire before the New Year, with the lone exception a nine-catch, 188-yard, two-touchdown outburst in a shootout playoff loss to the St. Louis Rams on Jan. 6, 2000. In his three other playoff losses, Moss has a modest 11 catches for 144 and just one touchdown.
If the Patriots punctuate the most dominant season ever by defeating the San Diego Chargers Sunday and the NFC champion on Feb. 3, in Super Bowl XLII, Moss will earn the ring he has long coveted, and he will receive a fair share of the credit. Another quiet postseason cannot erase arguably the best season an NFL receiver has ever had: 98 catches for 1,493 yards and 23 TDs.
Moss is doing his part, commanding double teams, which provides everyone else, at most, single coverage. That opened up the field for slot receiver Wes Welker (nine catches for 54 yards and a touchdown), tight end Ben Watson (two touchdowns) and the running backs (seven catches for 76 yards).
And how did Moss react?
Maturely.
He never got frustrated or flustered, even throwing key blocks on running back Laurence Maroney’s three longest runs (nine, 22 and 29 yards).
Just to bolster my impression, I watched a replay of the game, although my perspective was limited by the television footage. So I sought the unfiltered opinion of ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski, who watched the entire game from coach’s tape, which enables him to see all 22 players.
“For the most part, their game plan was to shut Randy Moss down,” Jaworski said of the Jaguars, “and they did.
“But (Moss) did not become disinterested.”
A critic of Moss’ effort in the past, including this season, Jaworski said the All-Pro receiver gave a consistent effort on Saturday, noting that he was elated when Welker scored his touchdown. That was telling, Jaworski said, because Moss appeared to be the primary target on that first-and-goal play from the Jaguars’ six. Lined up in the shotgun, running back Kevin Faulk appeared to take a direct snap. But quarterback Tom Brady sold the fake, holding onto the ball for a moment, and he darted a pass to Welker in the back of the end zone.
“That was designed to get the ball to Randy,” Jaworski said. “ But (safety) Sammy Knight didn’t take the cheese, and Randy was covered. But Welker busted his tail on the backside.”
Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme, left, and Josh McCown, right, sit on the bench in the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. From Delhomme's 11 turnovers in two games to backup Josh Mc Cown's leg injuries, the Panthers are in disarray. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Runningback Tim Hightower #34 of the Arizona Cardinals walks with teammates to the lockerroom prior to the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Hightower
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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Arizona Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill speaks before the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Bidwill
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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals stands on the sidelines during the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Larry Fitzgerald
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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Quarterback Shaun Hill #13 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Darnell Dockett #90 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Shaun Hill;Darnell Dockett
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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 13: Runningback Tim Hightower #34 of the Arizona Cardinals leads teammates onto the field prior to the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Hightower
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GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 13: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears walks off the field following a loss to the Green Bay Packers on September 13, 2009 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bears 21-15. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Cutler
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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes against Charles Johnson #95 of the Carolina Panthers at Bank Of America Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Kolb;Charles Johnson
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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Philadelphia Eagles heads off the field after being injured against the Carolina Panthers at Bank Of America Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Donovan McNabb
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GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 13: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears runs against the Green Bay Packers on September 13, 2009 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bears 21-15. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Forte
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Jaworski said Moss was doubled for nearly the entire first half, as the Jaguars allocated all of their resources to forcing the Patriots to dink and dunk their way down the field. Brady did just that, completing an unheard of 26 of 28 passes, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Brady was content to dump the ball off underneath, with his first and only deep passing coming with nine minutes remaining in the game, on a 53-yarder to receiver Donte Stallworth.
By the time the Jaguars started to blitz Brady, thus giving Moss more single coverage, they were trailing by at least 11 points.
Jaworski said Brady missed Moss twice, once when the receiver beat a linebacker and had space in the middle of the field. But both times, Jaworski said, Brady was under duress.
And how did Moss react?
“You didn’t see him throw his hands up,” Jaworski said. “He played a great game.”
Afterwards, Moss provided the perfect spin, insisting he wasn’t ever frustrated.
“They just didn't really want me to bust the game wide open, putting two or three guys on me,” Moss told reporters. “But, like I said, we win as a team. I've never been a greedy guy; I'm not going to start now. So hats off, 17-0, what else can you ask for?”
But surely Moss wants to make an impression during the Patriots’ championship run, with an eye toward challenging the plethora of postseason records owned by Jerry Rice. On Sunday, though, Moss may have the most challenging individual matchup he has yet to face this season. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie is 6 foot 2, 203 pounds, with long arms, and he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds.
A second-year player, Cromartie was a first-team All-Pro after intercepting a league-high 10 passes.
The spotlight will be squarely upon Moss, and he can take a step toward joining Rice among the elite receivers who excelled in the postseason, or he can take another step toward joining Marvin Harrison among the elite receivers who disappeared in the postseason (62 catches for 863 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games).
Either way, everybody will be watching.
Sean Jensen covers the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He can be reached at nothinbutlovefor@aol.com.
