FanPost

How to defend Randy Moss...or not.

I've been thinking about this since the first Dolphins/Pats game.  Looking back on the two deep balls that Moss caught for TD's, it seemed that our d-backs were actually in pretty good position.  It's just that Moss is so damn strong and talented that he simply outleaps, outmuscles, and outcatches everyone around him.  The other Pats WRs are relatively human, so it is Moss that always draws the double-team, and yet he still catches the ball.  He even caught one TD against us with his friggin' elbow.

He's probably going to catch it anyway, so why not modify the philosophy when defending Moss?  When you have a truly special player out there, you have to develop a truly special plan.

(Dramatic Pause - music swells to a crescendo)

Here's mine:

Moss is going to draw the double-team anyway, so you divide the assignments into a "ball guy" and a "body guy".  The "ball guy" plays traditional coverage and tries to defend the pass.  The "body guy" basically tries to time out his hit and smack Moss when the ball arrives.  Call it the "Hack-a-Randy" or something like that.  He's going to get his catches no matter what so you might as well make him pay for it.  He's a strong guy and a freakishly-talented athlete, but maybe you wear him down a bit, or get him angry, or at least put the thought in his head that maybe the game just isn't that fun anymore.

I remember in the Pats first SB victory against the Rams that this is what they did against Marshall Faulk.  Crennel figured that he was their most special and talented player (and rightly so).  Well, anytime he made a move across the line of scrimmage, with or without the ball, someone was there to hit him in the mouth...usually Willie McGinest.  Faulk got his yards, but he was so beat up that he couldn't be the usual difference-maker that the Rams relied upon so heavily.  We all know how that game turned out.

Just thinkin'.

Go Dolphins.

P.S. Anybody know where I can find a Greg Camarillo gamer?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Phinsider's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of The Phinsider writers or editors.