Best NFL Players of All Time: Randy Moss. Ranking the Top Players in History. Place a bet on an NFL football game now.

Best NFL Players of All Time: Randy Moss

Randy Moss appears to have taken Charles Barkley’s declaration, “I am not a role model,” a step too far and made it into a manifesto.

It seems that Moss played when he wanted to play based on the entirety of his career. But he was a one-man wrecking crew when he felt the need to prove his mettle on the football field. Just by rushing down the field, throwing his hands up in the air, and then coming down with the ball while heading to the endzone, he could annihilate the opposition.

Four stages in Moss’s career may be distinguished, which seem to reflect his degree of interest:

• Phase 1: With an average of 87.5 catches for 1,395.8 yards and 12.8 touchdowns each season, he desired to play for the Vikings for the first six years of his career.
• Phase 2: Despite averaging just 50.3 catches for 775 yards and 8 touchdowns during his three seasons, he did not want to play in either of his final season in Minnesota or his two years in Oakland.
• Phase 3: He averaged 83.3 catches for 1,255 yards and 15.7 touchdowns in his first three seasons in New England, and he wanted to play.

Phase 4: After playing for the Patriots, Titans, and Vikings in 2010, missing 2011 due to injury, and then making an effort at a comeback with the 49ers in 2012, Moss appeared to have run out of steam and was no longer considered a game-changing player in the NFL.

Former Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer said of the player, “He’s a definite force when healthy.” He is clearly the target when he charges forward. You’ll know he’s not in the play when he doesn’t. You have to take him into account when he’s playing. He didn’t really have an impact on the two years he played against us when I was the coach in San Diego.

When motivated, Moss, a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro pick, performed like a machine. He posted numbers on the board that were higher than any of his colleagues’ and that only Jerry Rice could match. His career stats placed him fourth in total touchdowns, third in receiving yards per game, and second all-time in touchdown receptions (after Terrell Owens and ahead of Rice).

Though his first and third phase figures are excellent, his second and fourth phase numbers also tell a narrative. Moss told Sports Illustrated that he could barely have cared less about playing football and would have been more happy going shing or smoking a joint. Despite this, he performed admirably by NFL standards. A receiver with those kinds of averages would also have ended up with a $30 million, three-year contract.

Another story is also told by the final phase’s lack of production. Even though they have lost a few inches and a step in their vertical leap, the majority of astute veterans manage to make a contribution towards the end of their careers. The veteran’s overall experience gives him the wisdom and expertise that enable him to contribute significantly during crucial times. That was not Moss’s way to end his career.

For the majority of his career, Moss may not have had the traditional look, but he was unquestionably effective on the football field. He was also a strong presence in the locker room once he was inside the system. Moss was transformed after relocating to New England in 2007 for the ridiculously cheap cost of a fourth-round draft pick. Throughout the season, he made huge plays and scored an NFL-record 23 touchdowns. He played as if his life depended on it because he knew he was with a team that had a solid opportunity to win a title.

Moss was willing to demonstrate his dedication to his teammates and was supportive of them even though he may not have given much to the journalists present. In a Week 9 matchup between the NFL’s unbeaten teams in Indianapolis, Moss was in the locker room giving his teammates high fives and embraces, emphasizing their value to the club. The Pats defeated the Colts 24-20.

One year later, in the opening quarter of the team’s inaugural game against the Kansas City Chiefs, quarterback Tom Brady suffered a potentially fatal knee injury that may have ended his career. Still, Moss worked with backup quarterback Matt Cassel for hours in the film room, getting to know him and helping him get to know his quarterback. Despite finishing with an 11-5 record and missing the playoffs in 2008, the Patriots exceeded all expectations for a club that had lost its future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Kerry Collins, the quarterback for Tennessee who had played with Moss during their time in Oakland, was not surprised by Moss’s attempt to get along with his new quarterback. “New England made a terrific move by bringing Moss in,” Collins remarked. When I played with Randy in Oakland, one thing that really stood out to me was how much defensive attention he receives. The other receivers benefited from his presence on the field. He was a little banged up when we played in Oakland, but when he’s on the field and performing at his peak, he’s the most gifted receiver I’ve ever faced. His deep routes are a clinic, and his route running was better than I anticipated.

Like Collins, there are some who stand up for Moss, arguing that his two years in Oakland were largely affected by injury. Even with those injuries taken into consideration, Moss has demonstrated a great deal of indifference on the field when the play is not centered around him. The cameras have occasionally centered on him as he strolls off the field without even trying to trick the defense by running a throw pattern.

It has never pleased Moss to have to justify himself in front of the cameras. He claims that his teammates have never shown dissatisfaction with his work, and that suffices for him. “I find it difficult to respond to inquiries of that nature since most likely the people asking the questions have never played football or been on the same level of prominence as me,” he told the Boston Globe. “My microscope is really large, and I have it on me.

“The best thing I can tell those who criticize me for my work ethic, competitive spirit, and football playing is that all they have to do is line up against me and watch what transpires. The players and coaches I’ve played for have never appeared to have an issue with me or my character; the media does.

Despite his flaws, Moss has been the second most dominant receiver in the history of the NFL since the 1970 merger, and in his prime, he was almost as good as the legendary Jerry Rice. But Rice never had those days of seeming indifference, which gives him the advantage over the incredibly gifted Moss.

Best NFL Players of All Time: Randy Moss Stats

Regular Season

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Succ%	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt	Att	Yds	1D	Succ%	Lng	Y/A	Y/G	A/G	Touch	Y/Tch	YScm	RRTD	Fmb	AV
1998	21	MIN	WR	84	16	11	124	69	1313	19	17	51	50.8	61	4.3	82.1	0.556	10.6	1	4	0	100	4	4	0.3	0.1	70	18.8	1317	17	2	18
1999	22	MIN	WR	84	16	16	137	80	1413	17.7	11	53	51.8	67	5	88.3	0.584	10.3	4	43	3	100	15	10.8	2.7	0.3	84	17.3	1456	11	3	15
2000	23	MIN	WR	84	16	16	129	77	1437	18.7	15	57	57.4	78	4.8	89.8	0.597	11.1	3	5	0	33.3	9	1.7	0.3	0.2	80	18	1442	15	2	17
2001	24	MIN	WR	84	16	16	154	82	1233	15	10	59	46.8	73	5.1	77.1	0.532	8	3	38	2	100	18	12.7	2.4	0.2	85	15	1271	10	0	11
2002	25	MIN	WR	84	16	16	185	106	1347	12.7	7	67	48.6	60	6.6	84.2	0.573	7.3	6	51	3	66.7	25	8.5	3.2	0.4	112	12.5	1398	7	1	13
2003	26	MIN	WR	84	16	16	172	111	1632	14.7	17	77	54.7	72	6.9	102	0.645	9.5	6	18	1	50	11	3	1.1	0.4	117	14.1	1650	17	1	18
2004	27	MIN	WR	84	13	13	86	49	767	15.7	13	43	54.7	82	3.8	59	0.57	8.9									49	15.7	767	13	1	8
2005	28	OAK	WR	18	16	15	123	60	1005	16.8	8	46	43.1	79	3.8	62.8	0.488	8.2									60	16.8	1005	8	0	8
2006	29	OAK	WR	18	13	13	96	42	553	13.2	3	27	42.7	51	3.2	42.5	0.438	5.8									42	13.2	553	3	0	3
2007	30	NWE	WR	81	16	16	160	98	1493	15.2	23	74	58.8	65	6.1	93.3	0.613	9.3									98	15.2	1493	23	0	19
2008	31	NWE	WR	81	16	16	125	69	1008	14.6	11	46	48	76	4.3	63	0.552	8.1	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0.1	71	14.2	1008	11	3	11
2009	32	NWE	WR	81	16	16	137	83	1264	15.2	13	62	57.7	71	5.2	79	0.606	9.2									83	15.2	1264	13	2	13
2010	33	3TM	WR		16	11	63	28	393	14	5	40	41.3	37	1.8	24.6	0.444	6.2									28	14	393	5	0	4
		MIN	WR	84	4	4	25	13	174	13.4	2	10	52	37	3.3	43.5	0.52	7									13	13.4	174	2	0	1
		NWE	WR	81	4	3	22	9	139	15.4	3	6	36.4	35	2.3	34.8	0.409	6.3									9	15.4	139	3	0	2
		TEN	WR	84	8	4	16	6	80	13.3	0	4	31.3	26	0.8	10	0.375	5									6	13.3	80	0	0	1
2011		Missed season – Retired
2012	35	SFO	WR	84	16	2	50	28	434	15.5	3	22	52	55	1.8	27.1	0.56	8.7									28	15.5	434	3	1	4
Career					218	193	1741	982	15292	15.6	156	704	51.1	82	4.5	70.1	0.564	8.8	25	159	9	64	25	6.4	0.7	0.1	1007	15.3	15451	156	16	162
8 yrs		MIN			113	108	1012	587	9316	15.9	92	417	51.8	82	5.2	82.4	0.58	9.2	23	159	9	69.6	25	6.9	1.4	0.2	610	15.5	9475	92	10	101
4 yrs		NWE			52	51	444	259	3904	15.1	50	188	54.3	76	5	75.1	0.583	8.8	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	261	15	3904	50	5	45
2 yrs		OAK			29	28	219	102	1558	15.3	11	73	42.9	79	3.5	53.7	0.466	7.1									102	15.3	1558	11		11
1 yr		SFO			16	2	50	28	434	15.5	3	22	52	55	1.8	27.1	0.56	8.7									28	15.5	434	3	1	4
1 yr		TEN			8	4	16	6	80	13.3	0	4	31.3	26	0.8	10	0.375	5									6	13.3	80	0		1

Playoffs

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Succ%	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt	Att	Yds	1D	Succ%	Lng	Y/A	Y/G	A/G	Touch	Y/Tch	YScm	RRTD
1998	21	MIN	WR	2	2	20	10	148	14.8	2	10	50	45	5	74	0.5	7.4									10	14.8	148	2
1999	22	MIN	WR	2	2	20	14	315	22.5	3	12	65	58	7	157.5	0.7	15.8									14	22.5	315	3
2000	23	MIN	WR	2	2	14	4	139	34.8	2	3	28.6	68	2	69.5	0.286	9.9									4	34.8	139	2
2004	27	MIN	WR	2	2	20	7	121	17.3	2	5	35	34	3.5	60.5	0.35	6.1									7	17.3	121	2
2007	30	NWE	WR	3	3	18	7	94	13.4	1	7	38.9	18	2.3	31.3	0.389	5.2	1	14	1	100	14	14	4.7	0.3	8	13.5	108	1
2009	32	NWE	WR	1	1	7	5	48	9.6	0	3	71.4	19	5	48	0.714	6.9									5	9.6	48	0
2012	35	SFO	WR	3	3	13	7	112	16	0	6	53.8	32	2.3	37.3	0.538	8.6									7	16	112	0
Career				15	15	112	54	977	18.1	10	46	47.3	68	3.6	65.1	0.482	8.7	1	14	1	100	14	14	0.9	0.1	55	18	991	10
4 yrs		MIN		8	8	74	35	723	20.7	9	30	45.9	68	4.4	90.4	0.473	9.8									35	20.7	723	9
2 yrs		NWE		4	4	25	12	142	11.8	1	10	48	19	3	35.5	0.48	5.7	1	14	1	100	14	14	3.5	0.3	13	12	156	1
1 yr		SFO		3	3	13	7	112	16	0	6	53.8	32	2.3	37.3	0.538	8.6									7	16	112	0

 

 

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