Rethink Randy

After days of surviving slings and arrows of criticism, the problem still exists: How does the coaching staff get the ball to WR Randy Moss?

The problem isn’t loafing or quitting as some have accused Moss of. The biggest problem is he has two dates to the game virtually every play. Moss is double-teamed because he is the offense’s most dangerous threat. It’s like the thinking behind playing a Tampa-2 defense -- prevent big plays and make teams slowly work their way down the field, increasing the chance of a mistake by the offense.

Obviously in a pick your poison decision, teams would rather die by WR Wes Welker than by Moss. As Moss’s numbers decline week by week, the need to create more ways to get the ball to him increases. Short of running a Wildcat with Moss taking the snap, the coaching staff should try every idea they can think of to get more out of Moss.

Decoy: Welker has a realistic chance at breaking WR Marvin Harrison’s record for receptions in a season. As long as Moss is around to draw defenders, Welker will continue to stockpile receptions.

If the Patriots want explosive plays out of the passing game, they’ll have to try to get them out of other players first. In the second game against the New York Jets, Welker was in the slot with Moss outside. Randy ran an underneath route while Wes ran a seam. Four defenders were drawn to Moss as Welker streaked upfield for a 43-yard gain.

Having Moss lined up close to a teammate makes the other receiver better. The negative is the plays that would be touchdowns with Moss are just big gains when caught by someone else. But teams will be damned to let Moss break free. As long as Moss keeps getting double coverage, that means someone is singled-up. And any receiver that’s one-on-one should win that battle, especially against a reserve corner or a safety.

Switch: When Welker missed weeks two and three, other players had to step up and play his role. First it was Edelman with a stellar eight-catch 98-yard performance against the Jets. Then it was Moss with 116 yards on 10 receptions against Atlanta.

The idea isn’t a complete role reversal between Welker and Moss. But let them exchange routes with more frequency to pressure the defense. Moss going across the middle will draw a lot of attention, freeing up teammates. And there’s always the danger of Moss taking a short route the distance.

Last year against Arizona, it was Moss that caught a receiver screen. Once the ball was in his hands, Moss outran the defense down the sideline for a score. Whether on screens, hitches, or slants, if Moss stays short, he’s not running towards a second defender downfield. Moss one-on-one against virtually anybody is a mis-match. And with his speed, he can turn almost any short pass into an explosive play.

Scheme: Putting Moss in motion or lining him up in the slot are just two ways to try and create favorable match-ups. How about doing something extreme like lining Moss up in the backfield to run a route? Likely a linebacker or a safety covers a receiver out of the backfield. How quickly can a mis-match like that be exploited? Moss running an out and up against a ‘backer or safety sounds like an instant big play to me.

Lining Moss up as a tight end sounds unfair, but it’s guaranteed that the defense will get physical with him, preventing Moss from getting into his pattern quickly. But there other spots on the field Moss can line up at to create mis-matches. When’s the last time Moss ran a reverse?

There are three weeks left in the season. It’s time to let it all out and try everything. The offense can still generate big plays, whether Moss gets the ball or not.