NEW ORLEANS -- Randy Moss might have pro football's most bittersweet distinction.
In the 1998 Minnesota Vikings and 2007 New England Patriots, Moss was a star on arguably the two best teams in NFL history ... not to win a Super Bowl.
The explosive 15-1 Vikings were stunned in the NFC Championship Game by the Atlanta Falcons. The equally explosive 16-0 Patriots were knocked off by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. On Thursday, Around The League asked the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver if he agrees those were the best teams that missed out on the Lombardi.
"That's a good way to put it," Moss said. "If that's what you want to call it, yeah, because I think that, we put up numbers, but not just one side really wins. There's been Super Bowl teams that dominated the game with offense. I remember in the 49ers days they dominated the game with offense. The Chicago Bears dominated with defense.
Around The League asked who would win if the '98 Vikes met the '07 Pats in the Redemption Bowl.
"Woooo. I just think that the players today are a little bit more advanced as far as skill, and preparation, defenses and the scheme of things," he said. "Probably the '07 Pats would beat the '98 Vikings. Just the scheme of it, but if you take it all away, it will probably be a close game. But like I said, the game changes each and every year, players get bigger, players get bigger, they get stronger."
That Patriots team had already peaked by the time the postseason rolled around, but we suppose this hypothetical Redemption Bowl would take place when both teams were in full stride. Let's say New England after a 56-10 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 and Minnesota after a 50-10 stomping of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.
Hard to pick a winner, though we're confident both versions of Moss would be completely uncoverable.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
