Moss Leaves His Mark in Patriots Debut

With newest weapon Randy Moss, New England stomped the New York Jets 38-14.

ByABC News
January 8, 2009, 1:24 AM

Sept. 10, 2007 — -- Sidelined for a month in training camp by a nagging hamstring injury, and having logged zero snaps in his first preseason with the Patriots, wide receiver Randy Moss approached Sunday's opener with a nervousness he hasn't often confronted in his mostly electrifying NFL tenure.

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But after seeing Moss and the Pats dismantle the Jets, 38-14, it's the rest of the NFL that figures to experience some queasiness this year when confronted by the Patriots' newest offensive weapon.

"When I came [to the Patriots]," Moss said of the April trade that rescued him from his humbling two-year experience in Oakland, "I said that I wanted to showcase my talents again. And I think, today, that I did that."

The Jets tried to use single coverage on Moss for most of Sunday's opener. It didn't work.For those who questioned how much his skills eroded during his Oakland exile, 30-year-old Moss turned back the clock, and turned the overmatched New York secondary inside out. Quarterback Tom Brady threw nine passes to Moss (who participated in 38 of New England's 65 offensive snaps), and the wide receiver caught them all, for 183 yards and one touchdown. All but one of his catches went for double-digit yardage, and five were for 18 or more yards.

On Moss' touchdown grab, a 51-yard deep crossing route in the third quarter, he got a quick release against Jets rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis. He then beat a trio of defenders -- cornerback David Barrett, who was his foil much of the day; inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma; and strong safety Erik Coleman -- to Brady's adroitly lobbed pass.

The touchdown snapped a seven-game scoreless streak for Moss, the longest such stretch of his career. And it should quell talk -- including rumors that the Patriots were so disenchanted with the injured Moss this summer that they considered releasing him -- that his career is in a perilous spiral. The 183 receiving yards represented the third-most in New England franchise history and are the fourth-most of Moss' career.