Moss a diva receiver; had no impact on Vikings

The recent moves by the Vikings and Patriots have exposed some obvious truths about WR Randy Moss. I might get ripped for telling the truth on this one, but that doesn’ t change the facts. Politics aside, Moss had almost no impact on the field in four games for the Vikings.

Is that really saying anything that isn’t obvious?

When the Vikings acquired Moss, my first reaction was that opposing defenses would almost always have to keep a safety over the top of coverages to protect against the deep ball, which would benefit RB Adrian Peterson in a big way by keeping a safety away from run support.

That didn’t happen. It would have, except for two reasons. Moss shows defenses immediately after the snap if the play is a run or pass, due to his half-hearted releases from the line of scrimmage on plays when he’s not involved. He’s also a non-factor in blocking.

Moss is a limited receiver in that he really only runs a few different routes. Even in the street-ball style that Brett Favre can play, Moss never figured out how that could be a benefit for him. When a player in this league gets older and his talent begins to diminish, he has to work both harder and smarter. From what I can tell, Moss definitely didn’t work harder.

If Moss had helped the Vikings win just one game in a big way, the way that Kenny Britt did for the Titans against the Eagles, then I believe they should have kept him. But that’s not what Moss was bringing to the Vikings. Diva receivers don’t win championships, and when things are tough, they never help dig you out of the crypt, either.

– Brian Baldinger

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Has Childress lost the Vikings’ locker room?

The story that seemed to change by the hour during business hours Monday finally got some closure when Vikings released a statement during the evening to confirm the release of Randy Moss.

Here’s the full statement from head coach Brad Childress:

“This decision was made based on what we thought was in the best interests of the Minnesota Vikings, both in the short- and long-term. “We wish Randy the best as he moves forward in his career.”

So that’s how the story (almost officially) ends. Moss will be put on waivers Tuesday, opening the window for teams to put in a claim.

End of story? Not so fast.

The latest Purple Drama has several underlying currents, one of which breached the surface during Moss’ second exodus from Minnesota: Has Childress lost the Vikings’ locker room?

It’s not a new concept to hear such rumblings indirectly from Minnesota, but these rumblings also haven’t gone away.

“Clearly, in Minnesota, there is some disconnect between the head coach and a lot of the other players,” Michael Lombardi told NFL Network. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. I think you’re going to see more and more of this start to happen in Minnesota. It’s been permeating throughout the league about the unhappiness of some players there.”

Lombardi isn’t ruling out that the “disconnect” that exists between Childress and the rest of the Vikings could put him in danger of losing his job.

“Right now, I wouldn’t rule anything out in Minnesota,” Lombardi said.

It’s difficult to know how many of the players in Minnesota supported the removal of Moss, who has always been known as a great teammate. The question in Minnesota now seems to be whether Childress still has a hold on the players who remain.

– Frank Tadych

Follow The NFL Network on Twitter @nflnetwork.

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Monday Night Football Live Blog: Vikings @ Jets

Plenty of intrigue this evening as Brett Favre(notes), the most prolific Vikings quarterback since Sean Salisbury, teams up with Randy Moss(notes) to take on the Jets and Darrelle Revis(notes). If you're planning to watch, we'd be thrilled if you chose to do so right here with us.

We'll be here throughout the game with running commentary, observations, insights, polls, blatant lies and a high level of interactivity with you, our kind-hearted and appreciated reader.

We'll get it started a few minutes before kickoff. See you then.

Related: Darrelle Revis, Randy Moss, Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, We Live Blog Because We Are Men

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