When the Patriots traded for Randy Moss, it was widely considered a steal, but with one condition. Randy Moss had to get the ball as much as he wanted, or everyone thought that he would become the locker room cancer that he was perceived to be in Oakland.

When Tom Brady went down, some people voiced concerns that Matt Cassel wouldn't be able to get Moss the ball often enough to keep him happy, and Moss would stir up trouble. The first of those concerns has been valid. In the Patriots game against the Jets, Moss caught only 2 passes for 22 yards. He had another huge opportunity, but Cassel's pass was under-thrown, giving Darrelle Revis an opportunity to knock it out of Moss' hands.

As for worries that Moss will become a malcontent, there are certainly no signs of that happening any time soon. In fact, quite the opposite is happening. Moss is stepping up as a leader on the team, and is buying into Bill Belichick's win-first attitude. Moss summed it up excellently after the Jets game:

"That’s how this team is really designed. They really emphasize that this organization is really a team. That’s how they build it. If one guy goes down, we rely on someone else to step up and make it happen. Today was definitely a team victory."

He's confident that the Patriots can win without Brady, whether or not he's the focal point in the offense. In fact, he gets a bit offended when anyone doubts the Patriots. Although Moss didn't light up the stat sheet on Sunday, he (as always) took plenty of the Jets defense's attention away from guys like Wes Welker (7 catches, 72 yards) and Kevin Faulk (4 for 50), as well as the Patriots surprisingly potent running game, led by Lamont Jordan's 62 2nd-half yards on 11 carries.

Is Randy ready to shed his bad-boy image and take on a leadership role for the rest of the season? The Patriots definitely need that, with their unquestioned offensive leader out for the year. Moss is the most talented veteran on that offense, and is able to change the team with his demeanor. As long as he stays positive and focuses on winning, the Patriots have a very real chance to beat anyone in the league, no matter who is under center.

At the end of this season, you just might see another Patriots team waltzing into the playoffs with a first round bye and an MVP. It's really all up to Moss.


Randy Moss Takes A Lead Role [Boston Herald]