It's funny that two of the most important Minnesota Vikings had little or no training camp with the team. Brett Favre talked into coming back at age 40 halfway through camp and Randy Moss traded for after week 4 of the NFL season. You have to be in shape to play in the league, but why is Minnesota banking all of it's season around a pair of Hall of Famers in the twilight of their careers? Because they're Hall of Famers! Would you rather have Tavaris Jackson and Bernard Berrian and the full compliment of camp or Favre and Moss together for the final 13 weeks of the season? I mean is that even a question?
Favre has admired Moss's talents for years. Everyone remembers how he openly campaigned for Green Bay to bring Moss in when his talents were wasting away with the Raiders. Instead the Patriots picked Moss up for the price of a 4th round pick and watched Tom Brady have his most explosive season as the team started the season 18-0 before losing in the Super Bowl to the Giants. Favre may rub some the wrong way, and so does Moss for that matter, but Favre knows just how dangerous a combination Moss can be with a quarterback who just puts it up for him. Favre sat on the sidelines for years in GB watching Moss catch bomb after bomb from Dante Culpepper twice a year when the two were the elite tandem in Minnesota. He longed for somebody so special that not even his cannon could overthrow. Now, years later, Moss and Favre get a chance to show what a couple of guys with Hall passes can do with more yesterdays than tomorrows together.
Does anyone really expect this not to work? Moss may have been a petulant ass during his first go around in Minnesota, but does anyone expect a motivated Moss and Favre to not be successful? To add Moss to a squad that has Favre, running back Adrian Peterson and fellow wideouts Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice (once he gets back from a hip injury in about a month) seems unfair. The price for Minnesota was a 3rd-round pick. How many times do teams miss on third round picks? There are some great guys selected in the 3rd round true, but how many surely pan out? The Vikings had to make this deal. After getting off to an 0-2 start and watching their 16-million dollar investment on Favre start to spiral down the drain, they HAD to make the move. The Vikings were talking to San Diego about Vincent Jackson, but ended up getting a much better receiver for a less expensive price tag. You know the adage, sometimes the best move is the move you don't make.
For Moss this trade is a slap in the face. He proved when the Patriots brought him in that he can indeed perform in an environment that's conducive to winning. Was he problematic in combustible (losing) situations? Absolutely. That being said, I don't remember any negative reports about Moss when the Patriots were putting together their near perfect run to the Super Bowl. This offseason when Moss watched Tom Brady get a contract extension, he wondered aloud "what about me?" You can't blame him. Moss is in the final year of his deal. He watched the Patriots trade defensive lineman Richard Seymour (ironically to the Raiders) in the final year of his contract rather than pay him. Moss wants another big pay day, so expect to see Moss look over to Favre at some point realize he's single covered, take a step off the line and throw his hand up to show he's open and make catches like this.
In a season where there is not a dominant team to be found, the Vikings just became must see television.
For the next few weeks at least we will watch to see how Favre and Moss is working. We'll watch to see if the Vikings can indeed rebound to put themselves in contention for a playoff spot after starting 0-2. We want to know if a guy who turns 41 in a matter of days can turn back the clock and can be a money combo with the guy who's "straight cash homie" .
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