Finally, Something To Slow The New England Patriots Down

Surrounded by controversy and achievement, lovers and haters, and an indestructible team, finally an incident happened that could slow down the team morale.

Has anyone noticed how poorly Randy Moss played last week? That's not a coincidence.

Randy Moss joined the Patriots this season determined to avoid off-field problems. Now he's in the middle of one, just days before Sunday's AFC Championship Game. A temporary restraining order was issued Monday requiring the star wide receiver to stay at least 500 feet from a woman who alleged he committed "battery causing serious injury" to her at her Florida home on Jan. 6.

Moss denied the allegation by Rachelle Washington, which he called "this situation of extortion," and said he was "furious" about it. The restraining order was issued in the Broward County 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida.

A hearing on whether to issue a permanent restraining order is scheduled for 3 p.m. Jan. 28, six days before the Super Bowl.

"I want to make something clear," Moss said. "In my whole entire life of living 30 years, I've never put my hand on one woman, physically or in an angry manner. This is a negative," he said of the latest allegation, "a black cloud hanging over my head, and that's something that I did not want coming into the season. ... Everything I tried to do from getting here early, to make sure I eat the right food, all the way to practicing and playing, I wanted all of that to be A-plus.

Undefeated New England plays the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game in Foxborough on Sunday, thanks in part to Moss, who was named to the All-Pro team. During the season he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns, breaking Jerry Rice's single-season mark of 22.

He had one catch in Saturday night's 31-20 playoff win over Jacksonville, which resorted to double and triple coverage on him.

Randy Moss may be the best wide receiver in football, but he is human like you and me and does have emotions which may effect how he plays. You can't argue with that. However, you can argue the fact that the Patriots and Brady did win 3 Super Bowls without him.

Include MVP In The List Of Tom Brady's Accomplishments This Year

Was their any doubt? Tom Brady rewrote the NFL record book in 2007 and earned all but one MVP vote.

The New England Patriots' record-setting quarterback drew all but one vote Saturday in romping to The Associated Press 2007 NFL MVP award in the same manner his team romped through its schedule, going 16-0. On the way to the first unbeaten regular season since Miami went 14-0 in 1972, Brady put on a performance for the ages.

"I have always been a huge football fan and will always have great respect for the history of this game," Brady said. "I am grateful to all of the voters for any consideration I was given. It is a tremendous honor and I am sure it is one that my family will one day look back on with great pride."

The eight-year veteran who already has won three Super Bowls helped the Patriots tear through the record books by throwing for 50 touchdowns. He beat Peyton Manning's league mark by one, and also threw 23 of those TD passes to Randy Moss, which lifted the receiver past Jerry Rice's record of 22.

New England scored 589 points, another record, as was the Patriots' 75 touchdowns. Brady led the NFL with a 117.2 passer rating -- no, not another record, but close to Manning's 121.1 in 2004. Only one full-time AFC starter, Jacksonville's David Garrard, had fewer than Brady's eight interceptions. And Brady threw 253 more passes than Garrard.

Brady also was tops with a 68.9 completion percentage, and his 4,806 yards were 383 more than runner-up Drew Brees of New Orleans.