Randy. Randy. Randy. | Backslide Blog

So much excitement about the 2007 New England Patriots and all they have accomplished this season. For now, most of the excitement seems to be centered on numbers. And impressive numbers they are. Sixteen wins against zero losses, fifty touchdown passes, one hundred twelve receptions, and the list goes on and on. What's that? I've forgotten an important statistic? Of course, how could I forget about Randy Moss and his 23 touchdown receptions over the course of a 16 game season, breaking a record established 20 seasons past. An impressive accomplishment. But how impressive? What if the person who set the mark prior to Moss did so in 25% fewer games? And what if the rules this man played under allowed a level of contact that may cost a defensive back a game check in today's NFL? And what if the man, renowned for his work ethic and unending pursuit of perfection, ran, with precision, all 9 routes of the passing tree, and not just those that kept him outside of the hash marks? Would his 22 TD receptions be as impressive as Moss's 23? For those who believe the NFL was born on a snowy night in Foxboro, MA in January of 2002, the 23 TD receptions is probably more impressive than the mark of 22 established in 1987 by the greatest receiver of all time**, Jerry Rice. For those who have been watching the game for a few years longer than that, Rice's record still remains a much more impressive accomplishment. This is not a question of hating a person or a team. It's not even a question of like versus dislike. Facts people. Simple facts. What Moss accomplished does not compare to Rice. To truly have equaled Jerry's accomplishment, Randy would have to have reached the milestone in week 12 or have scored 28 TD's. It's easy to dismiss these points as simple dislike. Instead, why not try to explain why it is that I am wrong? **And save yourself the embarrassment of arguing that Moss is the greatest of all time. Any player who routinely takes plays off and has a history of quitting on teams and teammates does not warrant discussion in debates about the "greatest" anything.

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January 2, 2008 09:52 PM ET

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Your hatred of the Patriots and Randy Moss just oozes off the page. Hope it made you feel better.

Tracy00214-Is back!

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January 2, 2008 10:12 PM ET

what a joke if it was a player you liked it would have been different, who is saying moss is the greatest rec.

azcardsfan

Wilmington, M

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January 3, 2008 01:31 AM ET

I completely agree, Moss ruined his reputation already; he's maybe the most GIFTED receiver to ever play however. He makes those tough, jump ball catches look way too easy, and he has incredible hands. Rice's accomplishment was in just 12 games as you said, which just shows he is the greatest of all time.

PhillyPhanatic

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January 3, 2008 01:32 AM ET

January 3, 2008 06:23 AM ET

While I agree that Rice will probably be considered greater in history than Moss, I don't agree with some of your logic:

It is very possible that Rice could've scored just 1 or 2 touchdowns in 4 games, but there is simply no guarantee. At the beginning of the year, Brady was on pace for over 60 touchdowns and ended up with "just" 50. So the argument that Moss had to reach a projected score of 28 TDs rings a bit false to compare, although it certainly would have been more convincing.

Also, by calling Rice's achievement "much more impressive," you're trying to heavily downplay Moss's achievement. "More impressive" maybe, but strike or not, Moss is still the first player to reach 23 touchdowns in a season, which is incredibly hard especially against the coverage he had all season. Regardless of whether you think Rice is the better receiver, Moss does deserve some recognition.