Moss, Cassel hope film work pays off

RANDY MOSSJust 12 catches in 3 games (file/Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots are playing the San Francisco 49ers today in a game that marks Randy Moss's return to the Bay Area. You couldn't blame Moss if at times this season he has felt like he's back with the Raiders in Oakland, where he spent two frustrating and fruitless seasons before finding bliss with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

Last season, Moss hauled in an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes and set a franchise record with 1,493 receiving yards. He probably won't come anywhere near those numbers this season. Yet, while Moss has seen his opportunities dip through the first three games of this season without his buddy Brady, who is out for the season because of ACL and MCL tears in his left knee, at quarterback, the production of fellow wideout Wes Welker, who had a franchise-record 112 catches last season, is only down slightly from 2007.

Through three games last season, Moss had 22 receptions for 403 yards (18.3 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. Heading into today's game against the 49ers, the fourth of the season, Moss has 12 receptions for 163 yards (13.6) and a touchdown. Through the first three games last year, Welker had 20 receptions for 221 yards (11.1) and a touchdown. This year, he has 19 receptions for 178 yards (9.4) and no touchdowns. Part of the explanation for the decline in Moss's production is that he simply is not having enough balls thrown his way. Moss is not among the top 21 targeted receivers in the AFC or the top 50 in the NFL. He has been the intended target on 16 passes this season. Welker has been the target on 28 passes, 12th in the AFC. The NFL leader is Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs with 46 targeted passes in four games.

"[The Patriots offense] looks different just based on appearances," said 49ers cornerback Nate Clements. "Everybody is used to seeing [Brady] as the guy back there, but I think that they still run the same offensive philosophy without him in there. The only thing that's different is the personnel."

It's easy to blame backup Matt Cassel for Moss not getting the ball, but the quarterback switch is only one factor in the paucity of passes to Moss. The biggest one is that, in a continuation of a trend that developed toward the end of last season, teams are simply refusing to be beaten by one of Moss's highlight-reel receptions, consistently rotating safety help over the top to take him out of the play.

Teams are willing to concede the short, underneath pass to the Patriots, and that happens to be slot receiver extraordinaire Welker's specialty.

"You would always like to get Randy involved," Cassel said. "I don't really have much to do with that other than the fact that I go through my reads, and I let the coaches game plan and do the things to get Randy the ball."

While it would be tempting to just chuck the ball up for Moss, as Brady did at times last year, Cassel doesn't have the same leeway as an inexperienced passer.

"You have to go through your reads, and you have to make smart decisions because if you start forcing it into double coverage you will get into bad habits and that is when bad plays happen," Cassel said. "As much as you would like to get the ball to him as much as possible, you still have to be smart with the football, especially as a guy in there trying to make the right decisions with the ball."

To Moss's credit and befitting his status as a team captain, he was very receptive to Cassel's overtures this week to spend time in the film room together, discussing what quarterback and receiver are seeing on certain plays.

"We had some time off and so we were able to really talk more and get [it] down because the first few weeks are obviously just trying to learn game plans and stuff," Cassel said.

Moss hasn't taken the route of another great No. 81, Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys, who complained he wasn't getting the ball enough after his team suffered a 26-24 loss to the Washington Redskins last Sunday. In that game, Owens caught seven balls for 71 yards and a touchdown and was the intended target on 11 other passes. That's 18 targeted passes, two more than Moss has had all season.

Cowboys wide receivers coach Ray Sherman, who worked with Moss in Minnesota as wide receivers coach, said that it's a tough situation for Moss because the receiver had such a special relationship with Brady. In comments made before Owens's outburst, Sherman said both Moss and Owens have learned to manage their frustration and measure their comments.

"Both of them understand now, I think [that] if you're going to be a leader, all the things you say count, so you got to be careful," Sherman said. "They don't want to do anything that is construed a certain way, and since both of them are so honest, it's a challenge."

That was the case earlier this week when in response to a question about having confidence in Cassel, Moss offered a thoughtful answer that was intended to be encouraging toward Cassel, but could have been misinterpreted.

"Well, I think that first of all he has to believe in himself. I think it will trickle on down to the whole offense," Moss said. "We have seen Matt progress in these last couple of weeks quicker than we expected him to. We just have to put guys around him.

"Luckily, he is the quarterback so he gets the good and the bad. With the 10 guys that we put around him, we have to make it happen. Not really everything is on him or his shoulders. He has to be smart and distribute the ball but at the same time there are still 11 guys out there that have to get the job done. We like what we are doing as a whole offensive unit and, hopefully, we can keep it going."

Clements said with a player as dangerous as Moss you never can let your guard down, especially when he's teamed up with Welker. The 49ers cornerback said Welker and Moss are as good as any wide receiver tandem San Francisco has faced, regardless of the numbers.

"I think they are right up there at the top," he said. "As you've seen, Wes is doing an excellent job for them in the slot catching balls, and actually, where he's hurting you is the run after the catch. Randy, he's a threat. You have to be aware of where he is on the field because he can catch a ball and take it all the way."