Moss made his first comments regarding the game to the Boston Herald on Thursday, with the wide receiver telling Karen Guregian, "I don't really have a feeling [about returning to New England]. I'm just excited to be able to play football every week."
That's a slightly different attitude than that of the fans.
Then again, the sentiment in the Patriots' locker room is not vastly different than that — at least not publicly. Tom Brady joked about changing the signals and said his interaction with Moss will come postgame. And, while the Pats' secondary certainly wants to come up big against Moss, that would be the case against any top receiver in the league. But, realistically, they probably want it a little more against Moss. We're all human.
Notably, I asked Jim Souhan from the Star Tribune of Minneapolis if he thinks Moss will have a big game in front of all those costumed attendees. Souhan's not predicting it — not the way Moss has been playing, and, moreso, not with all the drama surrounding Brett Favre.
Wait, drama surrounding Favre? When does that happen?
Everyone I have asked this week about the 41-year-old starting this Sunday has said it shouldn't happen. But it will.
The latest reports out of the Vikings facility suggest Brad Childress may sit Favre. Will the head coach be the one to make the call? Or is this really up to the veteran quarterback? This relationship redefines the phrase "power struggle." It will be the trick-or-treat that all of Foxboro will be waiting for.
But it still doesn't change the sentiment this week in both New England and Minnesota: Favre will play, even though he shouldn't. And, in large part, it has nothing to do with those two fractures in Favre's ankle. It has to do with his inability to find success as quarterback this season. (Check out Souhan's column in the paper.)
Truth be told, in many ways I cannot help but agree. What does Favre want to be remembered for: his respect and love for the game or his inability to know when enough is enough? Then again, we've seen that struggle — and perhaps failure — long before Halloween 2010 crept up.
