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Monday, February 7, 2000
Among stars,
Moss the boss
The NFC's primary target
By Pat Bigold
did a number on the AFC's
helpless defenders
Star-BulletinTHEY say "the third time is a charm," and that was certainly the right number for Randy Moss in yesterday's 50th NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.
Moss had to catch three passes from each of three NFC quarterbacks, and run three patterns into the end zone before he was able to score his first touchdown in two consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl.
But that single touchdown clinched player of the game honors for the flamboyant Marshall alumnus and topped off the most spectacular day a receiver has ever had in the all-star game.
The 6-foot-4, 202-pound Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver, who was his conference's Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, caught nine passes for a Pro Bowl record 212 yards.
It blew away the record of 137 that Tim Brown set in the 1997 Pro Bowl. It even eclipsed the three-touchdown, 119-yard performance Jacksonville Jaguars' wide receiver Jimmy Smith had for the AFC yesterday.
Moss finally got on the scoreboard when he beat Cincinnati cornerback Sam Madison. Moss came across the end zone and Carolina quarterback Steve Beuerlein hit him on a drop-back pass from 25 yards out with 1:05 left to play.
It capped the NFC's 51-31 victory that ended the AFC's three-game win streak.
"I had fun even though my body is a little drained," Moss said in front of his locker, towel wrapped around his waist and diamonds gleaming from both earlobes.
"It's a privilege to be selected most valuable player of the Pro Bowl but without those 10 guys out there I don't think that touchdown would've come about."
There were 17 passes intended for Moss, thrown by Beuerlein, St. Louis' Kurt Warner and Washington's Brad Johnson.
Two of the eight he missed were in the end zone.
The first came on the NFC's second possession when Warner fired from 3 yards out on third down.
The second came with 2:07 left in the third quarter when Beuerlein threw from 5 yards out on third down.
"I had some good plays that I screwed up on that could've been six (points)," he said. "I think I was a little anxious to see the field wide open, to see the ball coming, and it being right there.
"I think the first time that I had the ball, it was thrown a little behind me. The second time, we came back with the same exact play and I was being a little lackadaisical, a little too calm, too relaxed, and the ball slipped out right from underneath my hip.
"Those were the things that pushed me to go out and make plays in the second half."
After both end-zone incompletions, though, Detroit's Jason Hanson followed up with field goals that gave the NFC 10-0 and 37-21 leads, respectively.
Moss had 108 yards on four catches in the first half and five more for 104 yards in the second half.
It was a deep passing game much of the day for the NFC with Moss in the picture. His longest receptions went for 48, 46, 30, 25 and 21 yards.
In the end, Moss had the AFC's number.
