Whos Will Cover Randy Moss?

McFadden, new to Steelers' secondary, challenged by Moss

By The Associated Press
Sunday, October 29, 2006

Bryant McFadden hadn't been on Florida State's campus for more than a day when he began hearing Randy Moss stories.
Moss, the Oakland Raiders receiver who will go against McFadden and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, had a short but eventful stay with the Seminoles without playing in a game. That didn't mean he left without creating lasting impression, as McFadden found out.
"They used to call him '14.' That was his nickname because every time he practiced he guaranteed 14 points," said McFadden, a Seminoles defensive back from 2001-04.
As McFadden learned from the other defensive backs, Moss often kept that promise in practice.
"They have a bunch of tall tales about him when he was there that kind of followed him," McFadden said. "When I got there everybody was still talking about him."
Just as the Steelers (2-4) are talking about Moss, a player they consider to be one of the most difficult-to-defend players they'll face this season. They discount Moss' routine statistics — he is only 13th in the AFC with 24 catches — and speak of him with the same respect that McFadden's former Florida State teammates do.
Moss was recruited by Notre Dame, but had his scholarship revoked in 1995 after receiving a 30-day jail sentence for a racially motivated fight at his West Virginia high school.
He transferred to Florida State but had to sit out his first season, then had his scholarship taken away for testing positive for marijuana. He landed at Marshall, where he had a remarkable 55 touchdown passes in his first two seasons.
The Steelers know that any time Moss is on the field, he can easily be good for 14, or even 21 — the number of points Atlanta tight end Alge Crumpler effectively produced against them last weekend in the Falcons' 41-38 overtime victory. Moss had his best game of the season that day, with seven catches for 129 yards and a touchdown against Arizona.
"You've got to make sure you've got a lot of people around him," McFadden said. "He's still one of the best in the NFL."
McFadden, a second-round draft pick in 2005, wants the responsibility of trying to shut down Moss in what has become a more important game to the Super Bowl champions than they might have imagined before they lost four of five games.
McFadden started the last two games because Deshea Townsend was bothered by a sore hamstring, though Townsend played in both games. Townsend signed an $8 million, four-year contract in March, yet there is no indication he will return to the lineup Sunday.
Coach Bill Cowher is hinting McFadden and right guard Chris Kemoeatu will start after getting more playing time recently due to injuries. Kemoeatu split time last week with Kendall Simmons, who was out the game before with an ankle burn.
"It was an opportunity both those guys seized," Cowher said of McFadden and Kemoeatu.
"I was just trying to fill in and be dependable. I think I did a couple of positive things," McFadden said. "There's a long way to go. It's still a learning process. ... We are trying to compete and make each other better because the more competition we have in that unit the better we can be."
How is McFadden doing?
"I thought Bryant did OK," Cowher said. "We'll see how that goes this week."
"I'm my toughest critic," McFadden said. "I had a pick against Kansas City, a couple of pass breakups, just trying to be where I need to be. I always try to set a high standard and be a difference-maker and do something that stands out, whether it's something big or small. I'm still pushing to be consistent."
So are the Raiders, who were winless before beating Arizona 22-9.
Oakland (1-5) has the potential to be dangerous offensively with receivers Moss and Jerry Porter together again.
Porter (140 receptions, 14 TDs the last two seasons) was suspended Oct. 15 for insubordination after being kicked out of practice by coach Art Shell. He returned to practice Wednesday when his four-game suspension was cut in half.