Randy Moss vs Jerry Rice: One question proves who’s the best

Embed from Getty Images

The Moss effect

An entirely new stratagem of defense had to be created because of the Viking rookie wide-receiver. It is was called the ‘Tampa Two’ (a Cover-2 shell defensive zone that held two safeties deep), a flat-out necessity for then Tampa Bay head coach Tony Dungy, who, in the NFC Central at the time, would see the Vikings and Moss twice a year.

In that first season, the Vikings lost ONE game by a field goal, went 15-1, and missed the Super Bowl because a veteran placekicker cruelly shanked a chip shot in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.

The owner of the 1998 Minnesota Vikings was Billy Joe “Red” McCombs–a car salesman.

The quarterback for that crazy 1998 season was, for two games, journeyman Brad Johnson, then a recycled blast-from-the-past named Randall Cunningham, who would never have another meaningful season in the NFL

NINE seasons later, in 2007, after racking up incredible numbers in fleeting partnerships with quarterbacks like Daunte Culpepper, Jeff George, Gus Frerotte, Kerry Collins and a sundry of athletes who barely got bubblegum cards, Moss joined Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England.

Minnesota Vikings

The new Patriot wideout was a supernova of production during the 2007 season, catching an NFL record 23 touchdowns and leading the New England to the first undefeated regular season in NFL history.

Randy Moss was the tallest and fastest dude in the history of the game. He had great hands– as good as any receiver I’ve ever seen. He ran past the swiftest defenders in the game like they were running backwards. Moss didn’t just beat single coverage, he beat triple zone coverage. He beat everything, and with a 47-inch vertical leap, made the catches only Randy Moss could make.

He was so good that CBS broadcaster Howie Long once said of him: “He’s too good for this league. You got another league?!”

So–returning to the coaches.

Randy Moss comes around ONCE in a lifetime. You pick him.

So, congratulations, Randy. Minnesota Viking fans loved watching you play for our team. And if there are three things missing these days from our lives, they are these words:

“Bomb to Moss!”

You were the best.  Thanks for being a Minnesota Viking.