The course of NFL history might've changed had the New England Patriots been kept out of the Monday Night Football slot during Week 8 of the 2006 season.
According to Randy Moss, the Patriots won more than just a game over his original NFL employers that Monday. They also won his services. Moss detailed his unconventional New England origin story on "Cold as Balls," the celebrity web series hosted by Kevin Hart.
At the time, Moss' career was at a bit of a crossroads: after an electrifying start to his career with the Vikings, he was struggling to live up to expectations with the Oakland Raiders during a brutal rebuilding period. Shortly after the Raiders earned their second ... and eventually final ... win of the season, Moss returned to Minnesota, where he still owned a house from his time with the Vikings. The Patriots, in their familiar spot atop the AFC East thanks to the antics of Tom Brady, were in Minneapolis to close out the Week 8 slate at the Metrodome.
With the help of an unnamed former teammate, Moss arranged for an audience with Brady after sneaking his way into the Patriots' hotel, one that would lead to a rewriting of the receiving chapters of the NFL record book.
"I tell my old teammate like, hey, man, can you do me a favor? I said man, could you go knock on Tom's door?" Moss recalled. "Give me five minutes. So Tom comes in and I say, look, I'm gonna cut to the chase, I know you got a big game tonight, look, I want to play with you, walked out the door. First time in his career, he throws five touchdowns that night."
Moss is exaggerating ... Brady threw "only" four in the 31-7 victory ... but it laid the groundwork for one of the most lucrative offensive connections in NFL history.
During the 2007 season, Moss put up 1,493 yards on 98 receptions, which included an NFL single-season record 23 touchdowns en route to a perfect regular season record. Brady missed most of the ensuing 2008 season with an injury but Moss led the league in aerial touchdowns again upon his return with 13. Moss even played a part in Brady's first five-touchdown game that season, picking up the first in a 48-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
At the time of Moss' inquiry, Brady was in the midst of his lengthy prime and New England won 13 games before falling in the AFC title game to eventual champion Indianapolis. His receivers, however, left a bit to be desired, as New England's leaders in catches at the time were Reche Caldwell, Ben Watson, and 35-year-old Troy Brown. Together will fellow newcomer Wes Welker, Moss and Brady embarked upon one of the most dominant offensive seasons in league history before they fell to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
In his conversation with Hart, Moss did not disclose the identity of the teammate who made the meeting possible but potential candidates include fellow receiver Doug Gabriel, who played a single season with Moss in Oakland the year prior.
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