Moss hopes his professionalism results to championship

There comes a time when a person has to grow up in life. Randy Moss experienced that moment came when the Vikings released him in 2010 after he indirectly trashed then-Vikings coach Brad Childress by praising how great Bill Belichick was and how much he missed his old teammates with the Patriots. The wide receiver finished the season with the Titans. With Moss’ lack of productivity and his behavior problems, he made it easy for no team signing him last year. He decided to retire. That lasted only a year. He still felt he had something to offer for a team. He wanted one more chance. He did not want to leave the game on a bad note. Moss clearly had a year to think about what he has to do to get back in the NFL. He needed to change his approach. That means the days of demanding the ball and berating his own quarterbacks were over. That means he has to play all out at all times rather than play when he wants to. He was ready to make the adjustments to prolong his career. He was looking for one team that would take a chance at him. The 49ers were that team. They signed the 35-year old receiver last March. They hoped he would be a game-breaking receiver, which he would be a recipient of a long throw from Alex Smith and run for a touchdown. That never materialized. He had 28 catches for 434 yards and three touchdowns. He was basically an afterthought in the offense. This couldn’t have been surprising if one watched Moss two years ago. He was getting up there in age. He was not running like he used to, and he was dropping passes that he normally makes. It’s stunning Harbaugh took a chance oN Moss. He thought he could get the most out of his mercurial wide receiver. It shows the 49ers head coach is not perfect. Despite Moss’ low productivity, all was not loss. Moss did things that is not noticed on the boxscore or highlights. He actually blocks, and he does a good job of being a decoy. He makes it easy for other receivers to be open. It’s not something he loves doing. He admitted that years ago when he was at his prime. No wide receiver likes to do that. They want to be an impact player by being open and catching the ball. Moss realized that he has to do the little things to win football after realizing he is not the player he used to be. It’s something he learned during his time with the Patriots. Give the 49ers wide receiver credit for accepting his role. It couldn’t be easy for a proud guy that used to be the man for most of his career. He realizes it’s the only way he can stay in the league. After being unemployed last year, he knows this is better than nothing.  He also realizes how fortunate he is to even play in the NFL after there were no takers. Moss handled his situation better than Brandon Jacobs did. Harbaugh did not use Jacobs as a primary running back. In fact, he did not even use his running back much to the point he was on the inactive list.  The 49ers running back expressed his unhappiness about being a 49er on Twitter, and that got him suspended for the season. Moss gets it. He knows it’s not about being the guy anymore. It’s about sacrifice. It’s about being a team player. It’s about being a strong influence to the young guys. That’s where he should be commended. This is why Harbaugh and his teammates respect him. Moss accomplished everything as a wide receiver, but it’s about the ring. That’s what he is playing for.  That’s why he decided to give it a college try one more time. It’s why he was willing to be a team player this season. He knows this is his last opportunity of winning a championship. He could have won a ring five years ago when one look at the Patriots as unbeatable, but they lost to the Giants with 39 seconds to go in the Super Bowl. It’s something that is been gnawing at him for a long time. He gets his chance now. He hopes he will be rewarded for what he did this year. If he can win a Super Bowl, it would be a nice storybook ending of what has been a mercurial career. It’s why he came back from retirement and be a team player. The post Moss hopes his professionalism results to championship appeared first on Bay Area Sports Nut.