Until now. Until here.
Since Moss arrived in New England, he has been, by all accounts, a terrific teammate, a dutiful student, a Bill Belichick disciple. He has mastered the complex offensive system, has adopted a low profile, has deflected praise on the few occasions when he has spoken publicly.
In exhibition season, he predicted he would not be a distraction or a detriment. He told his doubters he would prove to them New England had done the right thing by taking him on.
Last night, in the wake of his finest performance yet as a Patriot, Moss was told he had every right to declare, "I told you so."
"I'll take a pass," he said.
"I'm past all that," he continued softly, shortly before an onslaught of media descended on his locker. "By me showing up at minicamp, I think I put that all behind me. Everything's going good now. It's working out. I don't even want to dwell on any negatives from the past.
"What we're doing as a team, I think it speaks for itself. I don't need to be in the paper. I don't need to say anything. I think what we're doing out there says it all."
So here is what Moss had to say in upstate New York last night, in case you couldn't keep up with the offensive barrage he and one Thomas Brady laid on the overmatched Bills.
With his 13th touchdown reception of the season (and his first of the night), Moss set a team record, eclipsing Stanley Morgan (12 in 1979), who once was the standard by which all New England receivers were measured. Nice to know you, Stanley. This rolling stone will gather more Moss before it's done, and you might have to get used to being second fiddle in the record books.
Moss also set a Patriots record with four touchdown catches - all in the first half. That wasn't just a team record, it was also a personal record.
Moss now has surpassed 1,000 yards for the season (1,052) and is well within range of Morgan's regular-season mark of 1,491 yards, which has been in place for 21 years.
He recorded his seventh 100-yard game of the season (128 yards in all) and the 53d of his career, putting him well within range of the idle and injured Marvin Harrison (59), who is third all-time on the list and better get well quick if he plans to stay there.
