Despite having one of the all-time great quarterbacks in NFL history at the helm, the Minnesota Vikings’ passing game was on life support.

Enter Randy Moss.  A third round pick was the price that Minnesota had to pay to inject life into their offense. 

That’s seemingly not much of a price for a 7-time Pro Bowl selection, and a player selected to the NFL’s 2000 All-Decade Team.

The scoop was that Moss and the Patriots fell out of love with one another.  Translation – Moss wasn’t enjoying not being the primary playmaker this season.  The disdain on his face was clear – even during a blowout New England win at Miami in which he didn’t catch one pass (the first time that has happened in his tenure with the Patriots).  So far in 2010 (4 games), Moss has only 9 receptions for 153 yards.  While his three touchdowns put him in good company, the receptions and yardage are what we might expect in a single game for Moss.

Of course, the media and fans are up to their usual banter about how Moss is a ticking time bomb – and that eventually he was going to blow up.  But what we have witnesses over the last few years – Moss’ ‘rebirth’ in New England – was enabled by a team that was enamored to have him.  What’s going on this year is what happens when the love fades away.  The extra effort to incorporate Randy into the game plan has not been there, and frankly, there’s no excuse for that.  Game after game, coordinators are challenged to manage their resources in a manner that yields the best predictable shot at winning.  It’s not uncommon knowledge that Moss is a guy who wants the ball in his hands.  And why shouldn’t he?  He is one of the most physically gifted receivers (along with the Johnson’s – Andre and Calvin) in the league. 

So who’s to blame? 

The Vikings' addition of Randy Moss will help both of these guys in a big way.

Placing blame is not always critical – but if you are New England, you just let your ego (as an organization) get in the way of smart decision-making.  You basically just let your vertical passing game walk out the window.  And Moss probably took your chances to stay atop the division with him.  The Patriots need not let their recent Monday night win go to their heads – they are not going to make a lasting imprint in the playoffs (if they get there) without a player like Moss.  The bottom line is that they lost Moss because they didn’t want to succumb to his competitive nature and give him the amounts of reps that his talent justifies.

Just think about that.  The most competitive players are traditionally the most suuccessful, because they want to do more than just win…they want to dominate.  For example, football is certainly more of a team sport than basketball…but could you imagine the Lakers telling Kobe Bryant – the one player on their roster who can consistently create mismatches every game – to cut his field goal attempts by 75%?  How well would Los Angeles fare in that scenario?

Regardless, Moss will be welcomed with open arms in Minnesota, who now boast a complete set of offensively skilled players in Favre (QB), Moss (WR), Adrian Peterson (RB) and Visanthe Shiancoe (TE).  Even more importantly, the re-orders the receiver depth chart for the Vikings and gives them a true #1 receiver.  Wideouts like Percy Harvin, Greg Camarillo and Bernard Berrian will become more dangerous will a lessened degree of dependency on their productivity.

Favre has go on record to say that he has “admired” Moss from afar, and is understandably elated to have the league’s premier deep threat on his side.  Although they got out to a slow start, Minnesota is looking to heat up.

As for New England, this fall and winter could be both very long and cold.

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