What If The Patriots Had Drafted Randy Moss?

[Soul_Survivor88]

Forget Moss in the '06 AFCCG, if they just had Branch there's no way they'd lose.

LOL, this is definately true

 

[NashuaPats]

Forget Moss in the '06 AFCCG, if they just had Branch there's no way they'd lose.

I don't think he would've sucked in NE, nor been so amazing that he'd have saved Pete Carroll or Drew Bledsoe's job. But I think it's unlikely he would've stuck around under BB any longer than he did in real life. '07 was amazing, '08 was fun but...y'know, '09 was transitional, and by the time that transition started to manifest itself in '10 he didn't even make it to October. While the Patriots era through the Moss tenure was strange, it was hardly a poor situation for a superstar WR with a high football IQ. The offense was being re-tooled but he was always going to get his, he was playing with the GOAT QB and HC (and he knew as much), and could've helped that team in '10 in particular over the top. The better angels of his nature just only hold out for so long.

Moss ended up in the right place with Dennis Green and Cris Carter. I feel ridiculous saying it in retrospect because those guys (RIP Denny) kinda come off as douchebags but he toed the line and thrived as a football player while that structure was in place in Minnesota. Once it was gone and he had Mike "Randy Ratio" Tice in place and Carter was retired to Miami, Randy was supposed to be the veteran leader and the wheels eventually came off. That being said, the "mooning" in Green Bay that probably cemented his way out of MIN to OAK and then NE led to maybe 2 of the best NFL moments ever - 1) Joe Buck's lame outrage as the scene unfolded, and 2) If you don't write checks how do you pay these (NFL) guys, Randy?: "Straight cash, homey". And I will always love the guy because he was as fun to listen to and watch off the field as he was mercurial on it.

If they had just gotten their flu shots they would have won that AFCCG. Half the defense couldn't play the second half because they were cramping up from the flu.

 

[Gronk]

If they had just gotten their flu shots they would have won that AFCCG. Half the defense couldn't play the second half because they were cramping up from the flu.

I know that's a real thing and had an impact on the game.

Buuuuuut...Devil's Advocate.....if some other team said that about losing to NE we'd all laugh and call them ****ies.

Shoulda had the original #83 around to score more points then. The knife in the heart of the "better a year too early..." credo. They had no one to catch the damn ball.

 

[NashuaPats]

I know that's a real thing and had an impact on the game.

Buuuuuut...Devil's Advocate.....if some other team said that about losing to NE we'd all laugh and call them ****ies.

Shoulda had the original #83 around to score more points then. The knife in the heart of the "better a year too early..." credo. They had no one to catch the damn ball.

**** happens to everyone, but it was real. They couldn't stop Peyton in the second half because they had, not just backups, but special teamers playing on defense. It is what it is. Excuse or not, it happened. They were up 21-6 at halftime and lost 38-34. It wasn't the offense that let them down. They gave up 32 points in the second half with most of defense unable to play after giving up just 6 in the first.

 

[Gronk]

**** happens to everyone, but it was real. They couldn't stop Peyton in the second half because they had, not just backups, but special teamers playing on defense. It is what it is. Excuse or not, it happened.

It is.

I don't say that lightly, or flippantly. That game broke my heart as much as 42 the next year. But if they had built out the WR corps more seriously on the level of a SB-caliber team, the AFCCG flu would have been a footnote to a win. I mean Troy Brown was pretty much done except for spot WR duty and CB duty, and Gaffney was probably their best WR at that point. He was signed mid-season. It was, and will remain in perpetuity, a total joke that probably cost them a Super Bowl title.

 

[Gronk]

**** happens to everyone, but it was real. They couldn't stop Peyton in the second half because they had, not just backups, but special teamers playing on defense. It is what it is. Excuse or not, it happened. They were up 21-6 at halftime and lost 38-34. It wasn't the offense that let them down. They gave up 32 points in the second half with most of defense unable to play after giving up just 6 in the first.

I see your edits and raise you. No it wasn't the offense alone that let them down. It's a team game. But the offense alone didn't put them up 21-3 either, remember 7 of that was Samuel's INT-TD. Point being, Brady didn't have anyone to throw to to bail them out when the game tightened up, which is kind of his thing. He didn't need Randy Moss to throw deep to, just Deion Branch (for example) who could sneak into a crease in the defense and catch a first down. Game over.

 

[VJCPatriot]

If we drafted Moss then Brady's career numbers would be higher but 2007 wouldn't happen because he would have left for bigger money elsewhere due to having amazing numbers playing with Brady.

Chicken-egg-chicken.

 

[meatface]

Bledsoe would have balled out

 

[meatface]

If we drafted Moss then Brady's career numbers would be higher but 2007 wouldn't happen because he would have left for bigger money elsewhere due to having amazing numbers playing with Brady.

Chicken-egg-chicken.

assuming that Brady would have even gotten a chance, Bledsoe might have never lost his job

 

[TBR]

If they had just gotten their flu shots they would have won that AFCCG. Half the defense couldn't play the second half because they were cramping up from the flu.

Some of the most weird, flukey sh*t on Earth has happened to this team in AFCCGs.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

For all of Moss' skill and production, he had off field concerns. This includes going to Marshall because these concerns prevented him from attenting other schools with bigger programs.

In passing, I'm not a big fan of "would of".

It shouldn't, but it irks me. I skipped school a lot, but I must have made it to class that day.

 

[PF_SU]

I don't say that lightly, or flippantly. That game broke my heart as much as 42 the next year. But if they had built out the WR corps more seriously on the level of a SB-caliber team, the AFCCG flu would have been a footnote to a win. I mean Troy Brown was pretty much done except for spot WR duty and CB duty, and Gaffney was probably their best WR at that point. He was signed mid-season. It was, and will remain in perpetuity, a total joke that probably cost them a Super Bowl title.

The game turned on the OPI call against Troy Brown (was that one legit? don't have it in my mind right now) late in the second quarter that erased a Benjamin Watson first down on 3rd and 6 from the Colts 28. An illegal motion and sack later the Patriots had to punt with Manning having enough time to drive for a Vinatieri FG. Even if they don't score a TD there they'd still have gone into halftime up 24-3. I feel fairly safe saying that they wouldn't have given up a 21 point halftime lead. Let alone a 25 point lead if they had gotten a TD.

EDIT: That game is on Youtube in its entirety. The call against Troy Brown is at the 44:55 mark.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Good points, and this just occurred to me: if it's 1998 Pete Carroll is his coach. Randy would have run over Pete the Poodle like he was prime roadkill...

Throw in the variable of the Boston sports press who love to stir the sh*t and you have the ingredients for blowup after blowup....

 

[DarrylS]

I thought Robert Edwards was a very good pick.. 1115 yards as a rookie.

Always think these hindsight drafts are folly.. thought the '98 team, on paper, was a pretty good team. Their 9-7 record, imo, did not reflect the quality of that team..

 

[zoostation]

For all of Moss' skill and production, he had off field concerns.

true dat - Everyone knew Moss had freakish abilities (like we all new Dez was good when the Pats took DM... but even more). Moss would have been top 5 pick. Pats needed a back to replace Curtis Martin and Robert Edwards out of Georgia was very good.

 

[OhExaulted1]

I thought Robert Edwards was a very good pick.. 1115 yards as a rookie.

Always think these hindsight drafts are folly.. thought the '98 team, on paper, was a pretty good team. Their 9-7 record, imo, did not reflect the quality of that team..

Yup. What if Edwards never played on that stupid meaningless flag football game? That kid was superb. He may very well have donned a gold jacket someday. Him coming back and actually playing in the NFL was a testament to his character and determination. The talent was obvious.

When BB actually had a superstar RB with Dillon look what happened. He was as impressive to me in 2004 as Moss was in 2007.....only we sealed that deal with a SB win.

 

[NashuaPats]

I see your edits and raise you. No it wasn't the offense alone that let them down. It's a team game. But the offense alone didn't put them up 21-3 either, remember 7 of that was Samuel's INT-TD. Point being, Brady didn't have anyone to throw to to bail them out when the game tightened up, which is kind of his thing. He didn't need Randy Moss to throw deep to, just Deion Branch (for example) who could sneak into a crease in the defense and catch a first down. Game over.

I don't disagree with you that if they had better receivers that year that they would have won. I'm not sure if any of their receivers would have started for another team. They made things very difficult for Brady that year. I tend to think of that season as Brady's most impressive season considering what he was working with. My point is that they still had enough that they should have won that game. I followed the team closely (not as much as I do now) and I didn't know the names of some of the guys playing defense that second half. They shut the Colts down in the first half and then gave up 32 second half points. Ten years later and I'm still venting, lol.