The New England Patriots are officially 81 days away from kicking off their 2019 season. To pass the time until September, we here at Last Word on Pro Football are counting down the days by paying tribute to the greatest Patriots in franchise history by jersey number. While he wasn’t around for the longest time, Randy Moss had a remarkable run with New England and remains the greatest 81 in franchise history.
Wes Welker: 83 Days to Kickoff
81 Days to Kickoff: Randy Moss
Moss began his NFL journey with the Minnesota Vikings. Despite his ridiculous talent, character concerns caused him to fall to the 21st pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. However, Moss didn’t let his slide affect his production, as the Marshall product immediately became one of the best receivers in the league. Starting opposite Cris Carter, the 1998 Vikings went 15-1 thanks to their prolific passing game. Moss had a year to remember, finishing with 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns while earning First-Team All-Pro honors.
This was no one-year fluke, as Moss developed into the best receiver in football during his first seven years with the Vikings. During this historic run, Moss recorded 574 receptions for 9,142 yards and 90 touchdowns. Nobody had more touchdowns than Moss over this stretch and only Marvin Harrison had more yards. He made it to the Pro Bowl in five separate seasons and earned First-Team All-Pro honors on three separate occasions.
Minnesota traded the talented receiver to the Oakland Raiders prior to the 2005 season. Moss clearly wasn’t happy on a subpar Raiders team, and his stats showed it. During his two years with the silver and black, Moss recorded just 102 receptions for 1,558 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons. Oakland was a bad fit for Moss, and the Raiders shipped the disgruntled wide receiver during the 2007 NFL Draft.
Patriots Tenure
Bill Belichick decided to buy low on the embattled wide receiver, acquiring Moss in exchange for a fourth-round pick. This trade immediately paid dividends, as Moss and Tom Brady combined to have arguably the best season of all time at their respective positions. Moss finished 2007 with 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 touchdowns. Opposing defenses simply had no answer for Moss, as nobody could stop him and Brady from connecting. The former first-rounder recorded over 45 yards in all but one game and had multiple touchdowns in eight of the 16 regular season games. While that season obviously ended on a low note, Moss scored the go-ahead touchdown in Super Bowl 42. Were it not for David Tyree and Eli Manning, that catch would be right next to Julian Edelman’s catch in Patriots’ lore.
Brady missed the majority of the 2008 season with a torn ACL, but that didn’t stop Moss from being productive. While he took a step back from his ridiculous 2007, he still managed to record 69 receptions for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching passes from Matt Cassel. Moss followed this up with an 83-catch, 1,264-yard, 13-touchdown season in 2009 with a not-quite-himself Tom Brady.
Post-Patriots Career
Unfortunately, Moss ended his Patriots tenure on a low note. After voicing displeasure with a diminished role in the offense, Belichick traded Moss to the Minnesota Vikings just four games into the 2010 season. Moss played just four games with Minnesota, including one against New England, before Moss voiced his displeasure with then-head coach Brad Childress. Minnesota released Moss the next day and he spent the remainder of the season with the Tennessee Titans. In all, Moss finished his underwhelming season with just 28 receptions for 393 yards and five touchdowns.
Moss retired following his disappointing season and spent 2011 out of football. However, Moss decided he still had something in the tank and returned for 2012. Signing on with the San Francisco 49ers, Moss recorded 28 receptions for 434 yards and three touchdowns, including one against the Patriots. San Francisco made it all the way to the Super Bowl and nearly won it all. Moss hung the cleats up for good following San Francisco’s Super Bowl loss.
Moss finished his career with 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 82 touchdowns. During his three and a half seasons with New England, Moss recorded 259 receptions for 3,904 yards and 50 touchdowns. Despite his relatively short tenure, he’s tied for the third-most touchdown receptions in franchise history. While he never won a ring with New England, he’s one of the most important and impactful players in franchise history.
Wes Welker: 83 Days to Kickoff
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