Over the past several seasons we've grown accustomed to hearing all the groans that come along with trying to defend Randy Moss in Madden. No matter what team Moss was on, people knew that team was going to be a threat on the virtual gridiron. Before this season, Moss had always been the second-most dangerous player in Madden, until Michael Vick decided to pick up a second, illegal job. Now, Moss is the most dangerous offensive weapon in both Madden and the NFL. There's never been a single player who could change an entire team's offensive chemistry within a single season the way Randy Moss has.
Most of this season's accolades have gone to New England quarterback Tom Brady. Brady took home the NFL MVP as he threw for an NFL record 50 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Also, Brady completed a ridiculous 68.9 percent of his passes, threw for over 4,800 yards, and managed a quarterback rating of 117.2. All of these stats are mind-boggling, and it's easy to see why so many voters found it simple to crown him as this year's most valuable player. But what did Brady's numbers look like pre-Moss? For starters, Brady never threw more than 28 touchdown passes in a season. Moss caught 23 touchdowns by himself in just this season alone. Obviously, the 28 TDs from Brady is a far cry from what we saw this season. Also, without Moss, over the past six seasons Brady has averaged 3,593 yards passing. With Moss, Brady netted over 1,200 more yards in just their first season together.
Some people may say that New England throws the ball more than they have in the past, and that's why Brady's numbers are so inflated this season. It may seem like the Pats threw more (578 attempts) this year, but actually, Brady threw more passes (601 attempts) in 2002. So, really, why has Tom Brady become such a fantasy stud overnight? I'm sure it's partly because he's grown as a player and has an unbelievable understanding of their offense by now. Also, having Wes Welker and Donté Stallworth as your number two and three receivers doesn't hurt. However, the overwhelming reason that the Patriots offense has catapulted into another stratosphere is because of Randy Moss.
The 2007 New England Patriots (#1) and the 1998 Minnesota Vikings (#2) are the top two NFL teams of all time for single-season scoring. Guess what the only common denominator from those two teams happens to be? Randy Moss. Moss can proudly claim that he is the only player in NFL history to play on the two best offenses that this league has ever seen. I'm not trying to take anything away from Brady, but Moss has certainly taken him to another level--a level that former NFL star Daunte Culpepper achieved at what seemed like only a short time ago. But the very first year that Moss left for Oakland is the exact point where Culpepper starting struggling (and hasn't stopped). Granted, some of Culpepper's poor play can be attributed to injuries. However, most coaches and TV analysts will tell you that from the very moment Moss was gone, Culpepper just seemed lost out there. Almost every team needs two defenders accounting for Moss on nearly every play. Culpepper found out it's not as easy to find an open target when your opponent doesn't always have to commit two players to the same side of the field on every play.
The bottom line is we have never--and will most likely never again--see another player like Randy Moss. I find it odd that in every NFL draft we see running backs consistently go ahead of receivers. There are so many teams using two-back sets now, plus the position is basically interchangeable if the team has a solid offensive line in place. Just in this season alone, we saw Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson go down with an injury, then Chester Taylor comes in and does great. Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai gets hurt, but the Colts don't miss a beat as Kenton Keith takes over the load. Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Cadillac Williams tears up his leg, and backup Earnest Graham steps up and plays like a veteran all season long. Quarterback, receivers, and offensive linemen are your most important positions on offense. Being able to find that one stud receiver can change the entire scheme for an offense. Defenses are not only forced to use multiple players to guard your star receiver, but they also almost always have to keep additional players back deep to avoid getting burned. Randy Moss forces every defensive coordinator he plays to use two to three defenders against him consistently. Even if Moss isn't catching passes, he's opening up the run and providing the other receivers on his team with man-to-man coverage. It may seem like Moss has been quiet this postseason, but I think it's safe to say that he has a major effect on the offense every time the Patriots touch the ball.
