With Brady sidelined in 2008, Moss caught 69 passes for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns. Respectable numbers, but nothing like the 98 catches, 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns he posted in the Patriots’ we-don’t-need-to-spy-on-you-to-rip-out-your-heart-crush-your-spirit-and-take-your-dignity onslaught of 2007.
That was Moss’ first year in New England, and the Brady-to-Moss connection was more than a mild success. Brady took home MVP, and Moss was named to his sixth Pro Bowl. The Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII to the Giants, but every football expert from New York City to Timbuktu expected Bill Belichick and company to rise like a phoenix and wreak havoc on the NFL once again.
Then, the hit happened in Week 1. Brady was lost for the season, and career backup Matt Cassel became king of the huddle.
Brady-to-Moss was put on hold.
Cassel played well enough to earn a starting job in Kansas City and a $63 million payday, but he never clicked with Moss the way Brady did. In 2007, Moss had nine 100-yard games, eight games with two or more touchdowns and five games with eight or more receptions. Last season, he had four 100-yard games, three games with two or more touchdowns and one game with eight or more receptions.
Brady’s lost season hurt all of the Patriots, but no one felt his absence more than Moss. Unlike Brady, Cassel didn’t have the arm strength to air the ball out deep, and Moss and Cassel never developed the kind of chemistry that made all those jumpball catches and one-handed grabs such a frequent sight on highlight reels.
The grumbling you hear from Foxborough isn’t former Patriots teammates bemoaning the loss of Richard Seymour or Belichick offering a terse response to a question from a reporter. It’s the sound of Moss’ stomach, which has been on a fast for the past year on the football field.
If Brady can stay healthy for all 16 games, Moss could be the biggest beneficiary. He might be entering his 12th NFL season, but the 32-year-old proved in limited exhibition game action that he hasn’t lost a step, and his hands are as sure as sunrise.
On top of that, Moss has embraced the role of wise, old owl. While Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald represents the 21st century receiver prototype (big, fast and strong), Moss has become the elder statesman of NFL wide receivers. He isn’t too far behind those young bucks in athletic skills, and the veteran has an advantage by knowing every trick of the trade in the book. He’s come a long way from being considered the controversial and difficult rebel with character issues.
These days, Moss is a model teammate who’s most comfortable in the role of leader and hero. The only headlines he makes are for what he does on the gridiron.
As Moss adds to his credentials for Canton, don’t be surprised if his performance has the impact of Beethoven’s Ninth this season.
It took years for Montana-to-Rice to become part of the football lexicon. Brady-to-Moss is on the fast track to immortality. The dynamic duo gave the world a taste of what they could do together in 2007.
Now it's time for the main course.
