Randy Moss is coming back to the NFC North, and that's not good news for the Bears.
The last time Moss wore purple and gold, he caused numerous problems for Chicago.
In his seven seasons at Minnesota:
- Moss made the Pro Bowl in five of them.
- He didn't miss a game.
- He averaged more than 15 yards per catch.
- He led the league in touchdowns three times.
During those years, he put plenty of hurt on the Bears. During his rookie season in 1998, the Vikings beat the Bears both times they met. In the second game, Moss caught three touchdowns, leading the Vikings to a 48-22 beat-down of the Bears. This continued throughout his career.
Though Moss has been in the NFL for 12 seasons, his production has not declined. In his past four seasons, he has still averaged close to 15 yards per catch. Moss' play is rarely the problem. Coaches have gotten rid of him because of off-the-field problems.
One coach who knows those problems better than most is on the Bears sidelines. Offensive line coach Mike Tice was the head coach who took over after Dennis Green was forced out as head coach in Minnesota. Tice created the Randy Ratio -- a plan to throw the ball to Moss 40 percent of the time --and tried to handle the cantankerous star's attitude before Moss was shipped to Oakland.
Lovie Smith didn't recruit Tice for his knowledge of Moss, he recruited him for his proficiency with training offensive lines.
But now it's an added bonus. Few people can get into the head of Moss, but Tice should be able to give some insight on how the Bears can stop Moss. The Bears will get reacquainted with him when the Vikings come to town on November 14.
