Moss' legacy when compared to Jerry Rice

[Xzibit23]

I pretty agree with the last several posters....Mpss is comparable to Rice statistically when talking about individual seasons or "in their prime", but for him to reach Rice's career totals he would need to be healthy and perform at a high level for 6-7 and that's extremely hard. I think he'll be #2 on most WR career stats, but a close #2, unlike now where the #2 guy cant even see Rice.

The one record I think he has a decent shot at is the 197 TDs, I could see Randy still being a redzone TD threat in his late 30s, but not quite the 100 YPG player he used to be.

 

[broadwayjoe]

You can't compare Moss to Rice. I know you prefaced it by saying let's see what happens if he stays in NE for a few more years. But, still. Not even close. Moss pissed away more season than Rice pissed away games. Total professional vs immature modern athlete. He're a comparision in another sport.
That would be like saying Kobe is better than MJ. MJ did it his whole career. Well, at least until he came out of retirement to join washington. Kobe was his equal physically. But, nowhere near the drive/maturity of MJ. My .02

I believe you said it as well as it can be said. No comparison. I would like to add that a sports writer asked Bum Phillips was Earl Campbell in a class by himself and Bum paused and said "I don't know if he is in a class by himself but whatever class he is in it doesn't take long to call the role". Well thats the way I feel about Jerry Rice.

 

[Satchboogie3]

Yes and No. I don't like bringing in personality into this discussion. The only thing that should matter in that respect is their leadership abilities and how they interact with the team. Right now, Moss is showing us that he is in fact a great teammate and leader. All the crap you heard about him being a "locker room cancer" was sensationalized media garbage.

You also can't compare what Moss went through in OAK to Rice. Rice was on a great 49ers team for most of his career and then went to OAK for a couple of years before they got bad (he played one year when they were bad). Moss went from a great Vikings team to the horrible OAK WHILE in his prime. Talk about a waste. Oakland didn't do anything to make a winning team, so why should have Moss "cared" and gave it 100% if his organization didn't care. Also, many people are forgetting that he had an injured hamstring for much of his 2 years there, so that is a good chunk of why he missed games and didn't give it his all, etc. I just don't think you can hold that against him. Rice didn't face any situations like that in his career.

 

[cstjohn17]

Moss: 113 TDs in 147 games (.769 TDs per game)

Rice: 197 TDs in 303 games (.650 TDs per game)

303 games is a lot, longevity counts it is called sustained excellence. Moss is great but Rice is the greatest of all time.

 

[Satchboogie3]

And one good thing to think about is the QB situations. Moss put up rediculous numbers with a good QB in Min. Now with the Pats, he is putting up even more rediculous numbers with one of the best QB's ever.

Jerry Rice had HOF QB's throwing to him throughout his career. He had Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Rich Gannon throwing to him throughout his career. Montana is one of the best ever, Steve Young is probably top 10 or 15, and Rich Gannon was a great QB.

Just look at the numbers Moss is putting up now that he has a future HOF QB throwing to him. Who know what he could have done his first 7 years had he had a HOF calibre QB. I honestly think that Moss is as good as he has been this season and can keep doing this for 5 or 6 more years.

 

[FrontSeven]

No offense but they call it the Fred Belitnikoff award for a reason.

Personally, I would take Randy Moss over any other receiver to play on this particular team with Tom Brady. They have a certain j'eune sais quois, if you dig, and I think it's the tandem that is as special as it gets.

This is like Larry finding Kevin McHale: BOING .... gee, we're unbeatble out there together!

 

[BbRrUeSwCsHkIe]

Randy Moss is the greatest receiver in 2007 history. That should be sufficient until 2008 AFAIC.

 

[Michigan Dave]

If I was told that I had one play, and on the success of that play rode my house, my belongings, everything I own, and I can choose one person to be the go-to receiver and one person to throw the ball, it's Moss and Brady. Hands down.

 

[wpdougie2180]

There is a reason everyone considers Rice the GOAT. Rice not only did in college(look up all the NCAA records he owns) he played at a Pro Bowl level into his 40s even when people thought he was washed up in Seattle he had a 200 yd. game against Dallas. Rice receiving yards by itself is the most yards in NFL history all-purpose or otherwise, and scored 23 touchdowns in 12 games in '87 no one has even come close to this. I think Moss may go down as the second best receiver ever and is more physically gifted than Rice but Rice is in a class by himself there is a case that he is the best football player ever

 

[Stratos]

You can't compare anybody to Randy Moss, he is a unique talent like we've never seen before.

Check this name out, James Hardy WR, he what Randy should be. He is Randy, but with a work ethic, and desire. He is Randy without the bagage..


"Despite his tremendous talents, Moss's accomplishments have often been overshadowed by his much-publicized misbehavior, both on and off the field, which included incidents in which he squirted a game official with a water bottle, was arrested for bumping a traffic control officer with his car, and pretended to "moon" Packers fans at Green Bay's Lambeau Field."

 

[Xzibit23]

There is a reason everyone considers Rice the GOAT. Rice not only did in college(look up all the NCAA records he owns) he played at a Pro Bowl level into his 40s even when people thought he was washed up in Seattle he had a 200 yd. game against Dallas. Rice receiving yards by itself is the most yards in NFL history all-purpose or otherwise, and scored 23 touchdowns in 12 games in '87 no one has even come close to this. I think Moss may go down as the second best receiver ever and is more physically gifted than Rice but Rice is in a class by himself there is a case that he is the best football player ever

I think most agree that it would be hard for Moss to reach Rice's cumulative stats, mainly because Rice had unprecedented success and health between 35-40. But I definetely think you can argue that he's comparable to Rice at peak levels. Yes, the 22 TDs by Rice in 12 games are beyond amazing, and will probably not be matched, but its not that simple when comparing them.

As others have mentioned, the fact that Rice had great QBs throwing to him is important, especially after seeing what Moss is doing this year. As amazing, quick, and freakish Moss is now, a 25 year old Moss was quicker and even more of a freak. I'm serious, he was on Minnesota teams with Gus Ferrotte throwing him the ball and no other offensive skill player to speak, and he still got his, on sheer talent and playmaking ability alone. If the 25 year old Moss was playing today with Brady, the NFL would have to call the season, seriously.

 

[Stratos]

If the 25 year old Moss was playing today with Brady, the NFL would have to call the season, seriously.

I will say, that if Moss would have came to the Pats, Steelers, or Colts (just to name a few), out of college. We would be talking about him in a different light. The above teams coaches wouldn't have tolerated his nonsense. I believe his stats would be even more impressive than they are now, and there wouldn't be that added baggage of his years prior to 2007.

 

[Xzibit23]

I will say, that if Moss would have came to the Pats, Steelers, or Colts (just to name a few), out of college. We would be talking about him in a different light. The above teams coaches wouldn't have tolerated his nonsense. I believe his stats would be even more impressive than they are now, and there wouldn't be that added baggage of his years priot to 2007.

That is true..as much as I love the Vikings, when vets like Chris Carter and Robert Smith left, the place had no leadership and there was no authorative figure because Denny Green eventually lost the ears of his players. When Mike Tice took over it even became worse, the first he did was coddle to Moss with the Randy Ratio, and Moss nor his teammates really had respect for him as an authority figure. Then people started going to Moss for the veteran leadership, and he's never wanted to be that, even though he was obviously the best player on the team. So even though MN wasn't anything as bad as Oakland, it was not perfect for Moss and it showed.

 

[Xzibit23]

Also, I think his rep as a troublemaker while with the Vikings was such a sensationalized media exaggeration. The biggest things he did wrong as a Viking:

1)Walk off the field with 2 seconds left
2)Fake Moon the Green Bay crows
3)Saying "I play when I want to play"
4)Squirting a referee with a water ball

Compared to other "troublemakers" those are harmless, and in the case of the fake moon, that was funny more than anything. But this is why I think Moss is unfairly lumped with TO. They're completely different, TO is irrational and has destructive behavior, both to himself and to teams he's played on. Moss is actually a rational person who happened to be a tad immature in his ealry years and was never great at taking charge at moments of crisis. He's never taken a great situation, like TO had with Philly, and completely blown it up. He's never made uninstigated, out of left field comments about his QBs sexuality, Basically TO's behavior has always been independant of his environment, while Moss has always been someone whose actions reflected the situation he was in.