Randy Moss

es were record-breaking in their own rights: ’07 for Brady’s 50 touchdown passes and WR Randy Moss’ 23 TD receptions, and 2011 because Brady eclipsed Dan Marino’s 27-year-old passing yards record and Rob Gronkowski shattered tight end records for receiving yards and touchdowns in a season.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Divisionals"

Some envisioned a Randy Moss-like impact from Ochocino. But they are very different players acquired during very different situations. Moss was the centerpiece of a receiver corps overhaul that included Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker. With a full training camp to prepare, Moss and friends ran up the score week after week in 2007.

Continue reading "Ochocinco Time Is Now"

Sure Belichick took on RB Corey Dillon and WR Randy Moss before, but neither were cancerous like Haynesworth was.

Ochocinco is more like what Belichick dealt with – a past productive player unhappy with their current situation. By rescuing them from professional purgatory, Belichick breathed new life into Dillon and Moss and got productive years out of them.

Continue reading "Belichick Gambles Again, Dealing ..."

quo;07 was the record-breaking aerial attack led by QB Tom Brady’s 50 touchdown passes and WR Randy Moss’ 23 TD receptions. And in ’08 the offense was led by first time starter Matt Cassel.

Continue reading "Patriots On the Run in 2011 and Beyond"

How many of Brady’s scores were when the game was well out of reach? And WR Randy Moss caught his 23rd touchdown reception a play after he and Brady just missed on a scoring connection on the previous play.

Continue reading "Going for Records"

PN analyst Cris Carter made some disparaging remarks about WR Deion Branch as he compared him to WR Randy Moss:

 “(Branch) is just a guy. You guys have to be real about it. Great players, they don’t get hurt as much as the other players. There’s a difference between great ones and good ones and average ones.”

Continue reading "Branch Can, Though Carter Doesn't See It"

>He was the simple answer for an obvious question: 

Who will be the deep threat now that WR Randy Moss is gone? Brandon Tate. 

Why not Tate? He was the talk of training camp as teammates couldn’t help but gush about the fourth round pick out of the 2009 Draft. He came with a reputation as an explosive player that finished his North Carolina career as the NCAA career leader in kickoff and punt returns. 

Continue reading "A Show of Hands by Tate, Please"

xth pick or above, the Patriots robbed the Raiders like when they traded a fourth round pick for WR Randy Moss in 2007. If it was seventh or lower, Oakland got the better of the deal. 

Why sixth overall? Because Seymour was the Pats’ sixth overall selection in 2001. The idea is to come out ahead or at least get equal value in a trade. So since Seymour was sixth overall, you want at least the sixth pick in return. 

Continue reading "Raiders' Wrench in Patriots 2011 Draft"

the Patriots welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Gillette Stadium. 

We’ll hear about WR Randy Moss coming back to Foxborough to haunt the team that traded him over three weeks ago. Or the quarterback that just keeps coming back from the dead like Jason Voorhees. Brett Favre made his third comeback before the season despite not being fully healed from ankle surgery. Favre slowly limped off the field last week, looking like a zombie with two fractures in his foot. But everyone expects Favre to emerge from the grave (or cold tub) and be under center Sunday afternoon. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 8"

The Boston Herald reported WR Randy Moss and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had exchanged words before. ESPN Boston said Moss had an outburst towards quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien at halftime of the Monday night win over the Miami Dolphins. Before the season and after the season opening win against the Cincinnati Bengals Moss said he believed 2010 would be his last season with the Patriots. 

Continue reading "Patriots Had to Trade Moss"

hings I’m looking for: 

Slouching on Revis Island: The under card for this game is WR Randy Moss versus CB Darrell Revis. But winning the one-on-one isn’t as important as winning the game. Occupying the best defender for the afternoon could get other receivers open. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 2"

Veterans Randy Moss and Wes Welker are locks with Torry Holt very likely to secure a role. And youngsters Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman and Taylor Price have the potential to be great. Matt Slater and Sam Aiken, as effective special teamers, have extra value to the team. 

Continue reading "Quick Cuts"

rated for the Patriots’ need, with 1 not a need and 5 being ugent:Wide Receiver/Tight End

Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, Sam Aiken, Darnell Jenkins, David Patten, Matt Slater, Robert Agnone, Alge Crumpler

Continue reading "Draft Evaluation: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends"

these two issues in chronological order, one day at a time. 

Over the weekend wide receiver Randy Moss said he believes this will be his last season with the Patriots after his contract runs out. He takes no offense to it, as it’s the business of the NFL and he’s familiar with how New England does things, not just from a Patriot perspective, but from his viewpoint at his previous stops. 

Continue reading "Stayings or Goings Part 1"

And while Welker is recovering from surgery, Holt can start opposite to WR Randy Moss. The offense shouldn’t lose much, if anything, with Holt in the starting lineup. 

Besides the on-field appeal, Holt won’t cost the team much. With back-to-back 700-yard seasons (and no TDs last year), he might get a little extra out of respect for his career body of work, but Holt’s leverage for a rich contract is gone. 

Continue reading "Window Shopping"

WR Randy Moss and S Brandon Merriweather will attend as injury replacements.

Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com

Continue reading "Pick Six: Wild Card"

Without him, WR Randy Moss will star in the NFL version of “Three’s Company.” 

Of course, Baltimore’s emotions can backfire. When playing so close to crossing the line, it’s not surprising that the Ravens were flagged often. B-more finished the regular season with 203 penalties, and if they are focused on revenge instead of winning the game, playing with emotion can backfire and work in the Patriots’ favor. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Wild Card"

Under that line of thinking, Edelman gets promoted to starter opposite to WR Randy Moss. Julian will execute Welker’s plays for the afternoon. 

I understand the desire to keep the continuity as best as possible, but I hope the offense goes the unpredictable route that QB Tom Brady suggested. The first step would be to start WR Sam Aiken. 

Continue reading "Welker Remix"

Is it better to rest players for the playoffs or play the final game to stay sharp? This has been heavily debated since Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell withdrew his starters during the third quarter of last week’s game. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 17"

In 2005, the Patriots “lost” the season finale to the Miami Dolphins. Because of that “loss,” the Pats hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card game instead of facing Pittsburgh. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 16"

Imagine a transcript of a conversation between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills. Only the Pats' words had been recorded: 

Oh my goodness…is that who I think it is? Oh snap! Buffalo Bills! I can’t believe it’s you! It’s so good to see you! How long has it been? A couple of months or something, right? Since week one? Daaaaaaaaaaamn! That long? Man, time really flies, right? Fo’ real! 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 15"

s and arrows of criticism, the problem still exists: How does the coaching staff get the ball to WR Randy Moss? 

The problem isn’t loafing or quitting as some have accused Moss of. The biggest problem is he has two dates to the game virtually every play. Moss is double-teamed because he is the offense’s most dangerous threat. It’s like the thinking behind playing a Tampa-2 defense -- prevent big plays and make teams slowly work their way down the field, increasing the chance of a mistake by the offense. 

Continue reading "Rethink Randy"

It’s a moment of truth for the Patriots. Do they rise to the occasion or crumble down the stretch? With four games left, there’s almost no margin for error. Winning out ensures a place in the playoffs. Stumble once, and they may need help. Considering what happened last year, they want to control their destiny and not depend on others. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 14"

if the bridge was half done, resembling a path to walk the plank. 

On Wednesday morning, WR Randy Moss, LBs Adalius Thomas and Gary Guyton, and DE Derrick Burgess were late for an eight AM team meeting, because of bad weather and resulting traffic. Head coach Bill Belichick doesn’t accept excuses and he sent the quartet home for the day, missing the game plan installation meetings and practice. 

Continue reading "The Message?"

figured out how to stop it. 

It’s not just the lack of a reliable third receiver when Randy Moss and Wes Welker are covered. Whether it is a slot guy or the tight end, QB Tom Brady doesn’t trust them. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 13"

He’s tied with rookie safety Pat Chung and receiver Randy Moss in interceptions. Rookie corner back Darius Butler has twice as many interceptions and the same number of passes defended as the third corner. 

Continue reading "Left Wanting"

Who came up with that stat? 

2. On the other side is WR Randy Moss. He had a touchdown, but CB Darrelle Revis kept him in check all game long and even forced Moss into an offensive pass interference. Give Revis his due, Moss. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 11"

RB Laurence Maroney fumbled near the goal line. And there’s that whole Randy Moss-Darrelle Revis tiff you might have heard about. 

If the team doesn’t feel like they have something to prove after last week, they can always look at the loss to the Jets in week two for a reason to have a chip on their shoulder. If the Pats want Belichick’s respect, they have to earn it. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 11"

Play-action passes killed Indianapolis in the first half. WR Randy Moss burned the Colts secondary on 55 and 63-yard receptions. 

2. Two firsts: WR Julian Edelman’s first touchdown reception and WR Isaiah Stanback’s first catch as a Patriot. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 10"

While all great receivers, the Dolphins had one man in mind when they selected Davis and Smith: Randy Moss. 

It’s hard enough trying to control a receiver about once every four years. But Moss was a problem twice a year. The ‘Fins haven’t been able to shut down Moss since he arrived in New England in2007. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 9"

The offense’s big three of QB Tom Brady and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker will get their share of votes. Beyond them…good luck. 

As much as we like ILB Jerod Mayo, his injury set him back. He’s eighth on the team in tackles. No one from the front seven has a chance of getting voted in. 

Continue reading "Pro Bowl Ben?"

Brady also has to see the whole field better. He had real problems when the Broncos took away WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker. 

Lastly, Tom must answer whether big, physical corners a problem for Brady and Moss. Jets’ Darrell Revis shut down Moss and had an interception. And Aqib Talib had enough reach to pick off a deep pass to WR Brandon Tate. Certainly Moss has to step up and beat his man if he’s one-on-one with anybody. Then it is up to Brady to put the pass where only Moss can get it. 

Continue reading "The Real Tom Brady"

Watching teammate after teammate congratulate him after the play was cool. And WR Randy Moss had his first career interception. Unfortunately he had just as many receptions. 

Hopefully LT Matt Light is alright because once he went down, an offense that was struggling in the second half pretty much died as the offense played cautiously pretty much the rest of the way. 

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 5"

Will Light get help? 

Star Search: If CB Champ Bailey plays WR Randy Moss all day, another receiver will have to step up. Outside of Wes Welker, who wants to steal the show? 

De

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 5"

Maybe the week two Jets game was like a flash forward of this game against Baltimore. 

Obviously the Ravens’ defense will play much like Gang Green’s crew that kept the Patriots offense out of the endzone. Baltimore will rely on many of the principles taught by Cocky Green Giant, with a few twists naturally. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 4"

At least twice WR Randy Moss corrected the alignment of teammates.

Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 2"

He’s not going to start over Randy Moss or Wes Welker, but Joey Galloway is here for just one year. If Tate returns to his former self, he could have a breakthrough as the third receiver and returner. 

Continue reading "Waiting on Tate"

he coaching staff often gets the most out of their players. 

If Burgess can be half of what Randy Moss became after being traded from Oakland to New England, the Patriots got a heck of a player and another steal of a disgruntled Raider. 

Continue reading "A Burgess Believer"

vin O’Connell, and Brian Hoyer at quarterback. 

The receiver position is stocked with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Brandon Tate, Sam Aiken, Greg Lewis, Matt Slater, Shun White, Terrence Nunn, and quarterback-turned receiver Julian Edelman. 

Continue reading "Signing Vick ?"

New England traded a fourth round draft pick for the disinterested Randy Moss after two disappointing years with Oakland. Sparked by being on a championship-caliber team, Moss set a new record for TD receptions in a season. 

Continue reading "Another Oakland Okie-doke?"

matter of one season. 

Expecting that O’Brien will do similar things with Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and new third receiver Joey Galloway is unfair to O’Brien. But if New England doesn’t consistently put points on the board, then O’Brien isn’t doing a good enough job. 

Continue reading "Camp Countdown"

Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh is the top seed. New England is second. 

Receiver Randy Moss believes the offense could be even better than 2007’s record-breaking unit because the offense will have another year in the system and Brady’s return makes completes the offense. 

Continue reading "Brady Back, but Patriots Still Not Complete"

e will draw comparisons between Burgess’ situation with the trades for RB Corey Dillon and WR Randy Moss: players hungry to escape losing environments and play inspired ball now that they are in winning situations and games have meaning. 

Continue reading "Derrick Burgess Not a Big Deal"

h Philadelphia for WR Greg Lewis.

Before any reserve receiver gets on the field, he must wait for Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Kevin Faulk to be targeted. Galloway has name recognition, but he's no better than Lewis or Sam Aiken because the number of opportunities won't be great.

Continue reading "Mike Wright Done Right"

th, RB Sammy Morris, and two trades for receivers that played beyond the price paid, Wes Welker and Randy Moss.

2006 was another visit to the bargain bin that yielded just WR Jabar Gaffney and a out of retirement LB Junior Seau.

Continue reading "The Bi-annual Free Agency Splash"

Receiver Randy Moss will return to the city he gave two lackluster seasons to after being traded from Minnesota to the Raiders. While Moss turned in one 1,000-yard season, Moss was indifferent playing on a bad team going nowhere.

Continue reading "It Will Be An Emotional Game Sunday"

But the Patriots’ drops were very costly. One was a drop by WR Randy Moss in the endzone. Two other drops would had resulted in gains of at least 30 yards and the ball deep in Pittsburgh territory. There’s no excuse for the receivers and one team didn’t benefit more from the nasty conditions. But when Moss drops two passes, then it’s hard to ignore the conditions. 

Continue reading "Another Shot at the Steelers for the Patriots"

Matt threw a pin-point touchdown to Randy Moss at the front corner of the endzone. Cassel became the first player in NFL history to pass for 400 yards and rush for more than 60 in one game.

And maybe, if the Patriots won the coin toss, Cassel would had finished the job and led a game-winning drive. But that wasn't the case as the offense never returned to the field.

Continue reading "Cassel to Follow an Old Path to the Playoffs"

The first target would probably be WR Randy Moss as Moss doesn't do well against bump and run. Considering Moss incinerated the Jets secondary last year to the tune of 262 yards and a TD on 14 receptions, anybody would be an improvement over last year's coverage.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 11"

They wanted the Patriots to sign Daunte Culpepper from out of retirement to reunite him with WR Randy Moss. Some even said give rookie Kevin O'Connell a chance because they believed anyone could play better than wack Matt from USC.

Continue reading "Looks Like We Got a Quarterback"

y by his overall performance but also his strike to Gaffney and another on-the-money bullet to Randy Moss on a key third-down slant play.

Cassell is no longer the concern. The concern now is injuries in the offensive and defensive backfields, the defense's inability to slow anyone down for long periods of time, and - after Sunday - Belichick's ability to close out a game mentally.

Continue reading "Not one for the film vault"

ge the game, but he can't do that if the D isn't keeping the game close.

Did Cassel underthrow WR Randy Moss once and throw over the wrong shoulder another time? Yes. Did Cassel not see a wide open TE Ben Watson in the endzone? Absolutely. Well why isn't the offensive line being taken to task for being unable to push forward one measley yard on two plays or not giving Cassel time in the pocket to spot Watson?

Continue reading "Any Bright Ideas?"

After the QB Tom Brady injury, I wrote a column about WR Randy Moss fulfilling his role as a team captain. Just two weeks later, there are reports of Moss exhibiting the bad behavior that the Minnesota Vikings tired of and the Oakland Raiders wouldn't deal with.

Continue reading "The Randy Rules"

QB Matt Cassel hesitated on a few passes. If he threw it on time to WR Randy Moss deep, that would had been a score (but Moss still should had caught that pass - bounced off his chest). There was a curl ran by Wes Welker that could had been a first down. And finally TE David Thomas beat the coverage but Cassel held on a beat too long. By the time he threw it, Cassel had to throw a bullet. If Cassel released it on Thomas' cut, the required touch would had floated the pass over LB Calvin Pace's hand and to the target just before LB Eric Barton arrived. That's 14 points the offense missed out on, not including the other trips into the red zone.

Continue reading "Monday Morning"

It extended a drive that resulted in the 10-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Randy Moss. Even more relevant, the receiver on the play was Kelley Washington.

I have to admit I was scratching my head over who caught that ball. But when I saw the name on the back of the jersey, it hit me. "Oh yeah! Kelley Washington! Wait a minute...Washington's playing offense?"

Continue reading "On offense"

Well, it appears Tom Brady will be out for the season. I think I speak for all of Patriot Nation when I say, 'dang'.

To call the loss of Brady a blow would be a seismic understatement. This is something more along the lines of a cataclysmic bazooka blast from outer space. Kamikaze Pollard, as the Chief's safety shall from now on be known, took out the central nervous system of the finely tuned Patriot machine and reduced the team to a motley assortment of loose parts.

Continue reading "Reaction to the Brady Injury"

I have a strong feeling he will go deep to WR Randy Moss early.

2. What, we worry? - Whenever a member of the defense was interviewed during the preseason, the constant theme seemed to be, "We'll be OK when the season starts." Time to back up that talk. As good as Kansas City RB Larry Johnson is, he's running behind a offensive line without much experience or time playing together. If the front seven doesn't dominate this game in all aspects, New England's D better have more to say than "We'll be OK."

Continue reading "Hours Until Kickoff: Week 1"

It would be nice reuniting Culpepper with WR Randy Moss, but it won't happen. Find an active vet if the Pats desire more experience behind Tom Brady.

Talking about Brady, at this point no one knows for sure if he's healthy or not. The latest rumor is Brady has a broken foot. But on the injury report, for the first time since forever, Brady is not on the injury report. Not even his chronic bum shoulder is mentioned. He's been touched by a healer! It's a miracle!

Continue reading "Stick with Plan A"

I also want to see record-setting WRs Randy Moss (NFL-record 23 TDs) and Wes Welker (team record 112 receptions) take the field with Brady. On defense, a return to action by LB Mike Vrabel

Continue reading "First look at Brady"

eal
RT Ryan O'Callaghan
QB Tom Brady
RB Laurence Maroney
FB Heath Evans
WR Randy Moss
WR Wes Welker
TE Ben Watson

Defense

LE Ty Warren
NT Vince Wilfork

Continue reading "Looking too far ahead"

Favre even spoke about how badly he wanted the Pack to trade for Randy Moss.

Hey, wait a minute! What does Moss have to do with your beef with the Packers? Don't drag his name into this. Leave the Patriots' ultimate weapon out of this.

Continue reading "Keep the name out your mouth"

or utterly bizarre sports figure in Boston.  Not Pedro, not Schilling, not Pierce, Belichick, Randy Moss or anyone else can even come close to Manny.  If you don't believe me, you just don't learn (I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you all, especially Benny, that it is a tall order to argue with me about Boston sports teams, figures or events that have happened within my lifetime).

Continue reading "Just Hit"

struggled to adjust. We began to see a lot more 3 & outs, less successful lobs to Randy Moss, and much less points scored.

But here are three reasons why this offense will be more efficient if not better:

Continue reading "Less Prolific, But More Efficient"

p>If he's trying to compare Jones' situation to the likes of running back Corey Dillion and Randy Moss, you couldn't be any further off base. These guys aren't even in the same class as troubled individuals.

Continue reading "Four corners"

Much can be said about the Patriots recent offseason loses. Much like what can be said about me posting nothing in 2 weeks. They're both not good.

Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, Roosevelt Colvin, Eugene Wilson, Donte Stallworth, and of course, Oscar Lua are the recent casualties of the Patriots Super Bowl... attending 2007 team. When you look at the contracts taht some of these guys have gotten, (17.6$ Million for Gay, anyone?) it's easy to see how the Patriots justify letting them go.

Continue reading "Pats Keep Moss, Lose Everyone Else"

First, of course, is the resigning of wide out Randy Moss. It took longer than most wanted, leading to days of anxiety as various news outlets put out stories that Moss was insulted by the Pats' offer and was fielding other offers. There was even the story that he talked to Daunte Culpepper, his former quarterback when they were in Minnesota, about reuiting for a team. How true were these stories, we might never know (although, upon reflection, that Moss-Culpepper package deal is really absurd). The point is the record-breaking combo of Brady-to-Moss should continue to connect for at least three more years.

Continue reading "Good News Times Two"

    When the Patriots picked up Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth in the off-season I predicted 19-0. After the spy gate incident I felt even more confident about an undefeated season. What happened then? The Patriots steam rolled teams around the league on their way to smashing records including the first ever 16-0 regular season. 

Continue reading "The New England Patriots and Thier ..."

se be if Tom Brady went down with an injury? Is Matt Cassell ready to step in and win a game? Or if Randy Moss sustains an injury, is the receiving corps anywhere near as potent? Suddenly there isn’t the need to double cover him, and a defense can better protect itself against the slot receivers. Wes Welker’s production, while well earned, would not be possible without Moss split out wide. The Giants have a team that resembles the Patriot’s championship teams of the last five years: a cohesive unit that doesn’t lose stride if one piece is missing. However, with the Pats’ defense as porous as it currently is, perfecting the “bend but don’t break” approach, the team would be in trouble if their offense couldn’t be counted on for thirty points per game. 

Continue reading "Giant Upset"