Randy Moss is on pace to catch only 26 passes for 510 yards. He’s listed as a starter on the team’s official depth chart but he’s started only one game and he plays a little less than a third of the offensive snaps.
Mostly, Greg Roman uses Moss as a decoy off the bench.
To Moss’ credit, he’s caught two touchdown passes. He also got himself open for a touchdown against the Vikings and Alex Smith overthrew him, and against the Seahawks, Moss was open in the back of the end zone but Smith never saw him.
For the first seven games, Moss would fall to the ground after catches apparently to avoid hits, but against the Cardinals he made a couple defenders miss on a 47-yard TD run. Perhaps he’s hitting his stride halfway through the season.
Still, he has not established himself on the 49ers as a deep threat, a red zone threat or a third down threat. He once was great, an A-plus. But he’s become just another receiver. Average across the board.
MIDTERM GRADE: C-.
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Play on field, I’d say a C to C+, he’s not making craploads of plays, but he’s drawing the attention they expected, and although he’s “protected” himself, most of his receptions have been for decent gains.
Including all his contributions on the team, I’d say B to an A-, maybe an A. While what the coaches and players say should be taken with a grain of sodium chloride, I think the things we see from players in games, and when he showed up in the Joe Show say a lot about his contributions to the team as a whole… and speak to how well liked he is.
So yea, he’s not the Moss of old when it comes to the numbers he’s put up… but it also sounds like he’s not the Moss of old when it comes to team interaction.
And I’m ok with that.
I think he’s doing exactly what the coaches want him to do at this point in the season. Command attention, lead, block and when called upon, be able to deliver straight cash homey.
He’s blocking like a champ.
Let’s face the truth, Alex Smith would make Megatron look like an average receiver.
Amen…..
Thought of THIS when I read that post!! LOL
Staffords doing a good job of that this year.
So if Moss were to play about double the snaps, (which would still only be about 65 percent) he would project to over 1000 yards. Not bad. I’m ecstatic with moss’ controlled snaps. He has played a limited amount of football in the last two years, so taking it slowly with an aging player allows him to remain fresh, and to avoid the little injuries that creep in from rushing back in to things. Even when he would go to the ground, it was when he had 2 or 3 guys about to lay some wood on him.Solid B+ for a guy we got on the cheap in my opinion.
I agree with you that so far Moss has been average across the board, so wouldn’t that be a C? C- would indicate average to below average.
I’m a tough grader.
Kind of like my Geometry teacher. Have you ever found a need to use the Pythagorean Theorem in outside of school?
I’ve forgotten all math I’ve learned since high school.
EXACTLY!! ; )
How about in navigation, building a roof, or aiming a gun?
Some folks are too serious…
Grant,
I get you need to create controversy with your stories. This one just doesn’t have much thought behind it. AS’s game doesn’t fit Moss’s game period. As soon as they acquired Moss I said it didn’t make sense.
His best route is Alex’s biggest weakness. RM was brought on board to entice PM period. It didn’t work. RM was the most dynamic receiver in camp. Still has wheels as he recently demonstrated. Put him on the Patriots, the Texans, the Packers, the Giants, Broncos, Saints, Chargers, Steelers, Lions, Colts, Falcons, Ravens, Bengals and Panthers and he is guaranteed 1000+ and 8-10 TD’s. Grossly unfair for you to judge him being that he is on an offense where his value is to be a decoy.
How about instead of Moss being average, the coaching staff’s use of him has been average at best?
Those teams didn’t want Moss, did they?
That’s a different point. Those teams anticipated that he would be a cancer. If they knew he’d work hard and be a model player they might have.
Or maybe the coaching staff set Moss straight with their vast knowledge of the game as he has indicated. If Moss was brought here to lure Manning, and then it didnt happen, dont you think he would be raising cain by not getting the ball and not getting it from Manning
>>If Moss was brought here to lure Manning, and then it didnt happen, dont you think he would be raising cain by not getting the ball and not getting it from Manning
Axel, you are asking logic to interfere with bay’s reasoning. That is WAY too much to ask.
“he is guaranteed 1000+ and 8-10 TD’s”
Don’t you remember what he accomplished in 2010? A bit of an overstatement eh?!!
What about what Moss brings to the meetings? To the Locker room? Some of the things that Moss has excelled in doesn’t show up on stats. What most people said was that he would blow up once he wasn’t catching passes from AS, which means he would’ve blown up by now. I think our passing game is coming into its own now. Smith is getting comfortable with the wr’s on the team. The big picture is the playoffs. Keep that in mind!
Of those 14 teams that Moss is guaranteed to get 1000+ yards and 8-10 tds, he’d be the number one guy on maybe 2 of them, the Pats and Chargers.
The Pack, Giants, Falcons and Ravens he’s number 3, at best. He isn’t getting those stats.
And how would he get that with Cam “he throws guys open” Newton? Now that there’s some good film on him he’s looking to be a bigger version of Vick. Athletic but a bad qb.
Why not include his capability to block, which is one of the key attributes a WR needs on this team? That to me raises his grade to a C if not C+.
For those of you who did not see this video interview of Moss:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/pages/ninersvideo?PID=hXWM2-cERliVzU07kCbK3G2Wnmg1J_xzxFuq8G
Shows you a guy who totally loves the game and is who is happy to learn at the foot of an offensive coordinator with an alternative approach to scoring points. I love this guy and hope he can play at a high level for many more years. I understand the circumstances that made him available to us, but maybe Bill Walsh had the ear of the Man upstairs, who must be a Niner fan.
Amen, George!
Based on the offensive scheme that rarely targets him, I would give him a grade B.
A grade B is fair when given the fact that he has either been missed by a pass or not thrown to at all when opened.
RM has been an invaluable assist as a decoy, blocker, and mentor to the WR corps. And because he seems to have settled into this situation without the typical RM sulking he get’s the B from me.
Also, as seen last Monday, Moss still knows what to do with the ball when given a chance. I would like to see RM receive more targets now that MC is beginning to establish himself.
I know that RM has a small sample to date, but his value needs to be measured on many levels (as previously mentioned) that don’t necessarily involve catching.
*asset
He has been open plenty but has a limited QB and offensive coord, he still has plenty in the tank.
That doesn’t seem to be what Moss is saying. Hmmm? More gobble gobble turkey!
No hard feelings soldier but you are not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Respectfully, Grant, gotta disagree. Randy shook Corey Webster at the line of scrimmage on a little jive shimmy gooey move, took a step inside and if Alex had seen him, he would have been off to the races, TD for sure. Also had a TD that we all saw along the back end line against Seattle, again, on Alex for that miss. If the QB continues to see the field like he did last game and pulls the trigger even when his WRs only have a little separation, Randy might come through with 8 TDs in the final 8 games. You gotta give him more credit.
Moss made his living hauling in contested jump balls and plucking perfectly thrown bombs out of the air.
This year he’s a glorified tight end and decoy. The 49ers don’t have the tools to take advantage of his talent.
We still have 8 more games for Moss to score some TDS and rack up some yards. I think he will have his share in the near future. GO NINERS
8 more REGULAR SEASON games…
I agree, Chicago, Randy’s patience and demonstration of still-present skills will help down the stretch, but I think it’ll be the post season when he really catches fire!
Some video highlights here in this article on Randy fri&*ng Moss
http://mattwaldmanrsp.com/2012/10/31/randy-moss-and-exceptions-to-the-rule/
Moss is like a b+
He is stretxhing the fiield
Crabtree is on fire bexause of moss
Our backs avearge like 6 yards cause the dbs are deep so often with moss
B+