Santana Moss was a staple of the Washington passing attack throughout much of his tenure with the team, spanning ten years from 2005-2014. His ability to take the top off the opposing defense was the perfect fit for a run-heavy scheme that prevailed throughout his time in Washington. Moss had a knack to make a timely big play downfield, using his blazing 4.31 speed to burst past defenders. Moss is undoubtedly Washington’s best receiver of the 2000s, but he deserves more recognition. In this article, we’ll take a look at Moss’ career in Washington to demonstrate why he has become one of the more underrated Washington Football players in franchise history.
Remembering Santana Moss: An Underrated Washington Football Team Wide Receiver
Washington acquired Moss in 2005 in a trade that sent wide receiver Laveranues Coles to the New York Jets in a rare player-for-player, pure football trade. Moss joined former college teammates at Miami in running back Clinton Portis and the late, great safety Sean Taylor to create a formidable trio that really enhanced team chemistry. At the peak of his career, Moss was one of the premier deep threats in the NFL, particularly in his debut season. Throughout his time in Washington, Moss was able to provide strong production despite catching passes from declining veterans, developing rookies, and mediocre passers. He also had one historic and unforgettable moment on Monday Night Football against the rival Dallas Cowboys in his first season.
Career Production
| Year | Quarterback | Games | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards per Reception | Touchdowns |
| 2005 | Mark Brunell | 16 | 134 | 84 | 1,483 | 17.7 | 9 |
| 2006 | Mark Brunell/Jason Campbell | 14 | 101 | 55 | 790 | 14.4 | 6 |
| 2007 | Todd Collins | 14 | 115 | 61 | 808 | 13.2 | 3 |
| 2008 | Jason Campbell | 16 | 138 | 79 | 1,044 | 13.2 | 6 |
| 2009 | Jason Campbell | 16 | 120 | 70 | 902 | 12.9 | 3 |
| 2010 | Donovan McNabb/Rex Grossman | 16 | 145 | 93 | 1,115 | 12.0 | 6 |
| 2011 | Rex Grossman/John Beck | 12 | 95 | 46 | 584 | 12.7 | 4 |
| 2012 | Robert Griffin III/Kirk Cousins | 16 | 62 | 41 | 573 | 14.0 | 8 |
| 2013 | Robert Griffin III/Kirk Cousins | 16 | 79 | 42 | 452 | 10.8 | 2 |
| 2014 | Robert Griffin III/Kirk Cousins/Colt McCoy | 10 | 15 | 10 | 116 | 11.6 | 0 |
Moss finished his Washington career with a total of 581 receptions (3rd in franchise history) for 7,867 yards (4th) with an average of 13.5 yards per reception and 47 touchdowns (7th). His 1,483 yards tallied in 2005 were the highest total in franchise history. The fact that Moss was able to put up such a lofty yardage total despite catching passes from Mark Brunell – who only averaged 6.7 yards per attempt – in a run-heavy offense was highly impressive. Moss was also the only viable threat on the perimeter that year, so he attracted a ton of attention from the opposing defense.
Moss turned in three seasons of 70+ receptions for 1,000+ yards despite catching passes from declining veterans like Brunell and Donovan McNabb, as well as developing passers such as Jason Campbell mixed with subpar quarterbacks like Rex Grossman. Just imagine what Moss could have done in his Washington career if there was stability at the quarterback position, or even better, a franchise quarterback who would bring out the best in Moss.
Career Highlight
Let’s flash back to September 19th, 2005. Monday Night Football. The 1-0 Dallas Cowboys, coached by Bill Parcells, took on the 1-0 Washington Football Team, led by Joe Gibbs. It was a clash of division rivals and legendary coaches. It was a scrappy game, where the Cowboys led 13-0 late in the fourth quarter. There were less than five minutes remaining and it looked like the game was out of reach, as Washington had really struggled to move the ball all game. Washington faced a 3rd and 27, but Brunell scrambled for 25 yards. After converting the fourth down, Brunell threw three consecutive incompletions, which led to 4th and 15 from the Cowboys’ 39-yard line. TOUCHDOWN to Santana Moss for 39-yards! There was hope.
On the next drive, the Cowboys converted one first down and trimmed just under a minute off the clock before punting it back to Washington. Brunell took the huddle and handed it off to Portis for a 10-yard gain. Next play: Moss gets loose again, this time for 70 yards! Unbelievable. Let’s recall that prior to this outburst, Washington had failed to score a touchdown for almost eight quarters. They had defeated the Chicago Bears 9-7 in Week 1 and were shutout in this game before Moss exploded. It really was shocking to witness at the time from an offense that looked so inept. Washington went on to win that game and carried that momentum to a 10-6 season and wild-card berth. I’ll never forget this game as a 15-year old fan struggling to muffle my cheers in a house full of sleeping family members. This was one of my favorite moments as a fan of Washington.
Final Thoughts
Moss is one of the most underrated players in franchise history, deserving of more praise for his longevity and production. That Monday Night Miracle was such an incredible win in what turned out to be quite possibly the best season for the franchise in the last twenty years. Moss should definitely be considered as a top three wide receiver in franchise history. Just imagine what the team’s receiving core would have been like without him in the 2000s.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
