Does Moss acquisition seal Super Bowl for Patriots?

Filed in archive NFL on May 3, 2007

Courtesy Patriots.com

For the Oakland Raiders, trading Randy Moss to the New England Patriots was addition by subtraction. For Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots, it might just mean yet another Super Bowl victory - their fourth since 2001.

Randy moss, one of the most dangerous wide receivers in recent NFL history, hit Oakland with a momentous thud. The only thing the media covered more loudly than Moss's ho-hum performance was his ridiculous commentary and his off-the-field trouble. New Raiders coach Lane Kiffin couldn't jettison Moss quickly enough.

Oakland's loss just might be the biggest gain for the Patriots, since they drafted Tom Brady, as an afterthought, with the 199th selection in the 2001 draft.

Now, New England has landed Moss who, with the addition of Donte' Stallworth, gives the Patriots one of the most dynamic pass-catching duos in the NFL.

The problems Moss had with Oakland, mainly his constant lazy play (because he didn't like didn't on a losing team) are unforgivable. That is, unless you are Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

Belichick is a hard-nosed, remarkably successful coach, who should have no problem reigning in Moss and getting him to play to his potential.

For Brady's part, it's hard to imagine just how good he can be with an excellent set of wide receivers, instead of the journeymen or inexperienced rabble he's had throughout his career.

In 2006, Brady led New England to the AFC Championship game with Reche Caldwell as his top receiver. To his credit, Caldwell did catch 61 balls, but this was just 15 less than he grabbed in his first four years combined.

Of course, in those seasons, Caldwell was with San Diego, which brings up another interesting query. If Tom Brady can make an average player like Reche Caldwell a very solid go-to receiver, what can Brady, one of the most accurate throwers in football, do with a monster like Randy Moss.

If Caldwell and Moss were being served as part of the same meal at a five-star restaurant, Caldwell would be wedding soup, while Moss would be pheasant under glass. The differences are virtually incalculable.

Moss has had 100-plus catches twice. He has 101 touchdowns in nine seasons. Moss commands respect from NFL defenders; he changes everything a defense does, with uncanny homerun potential.

When you factor in Stallworth, a solid offensive line, a wonderful running game and arguably the best playoff quarterback in history, it all stacks up to Tom Brady and Randy Moss leading the Patriots back to the Super Bowl.