After the team’s walk-through on Saturday afternoon, Moss expressed his optimism regarding the new scheme and also in the way he will be used in the offense. Moss said he has been extremely impressed watching film of the Houston Texans, who have used the offense in recent seasons, and that he believes the Redskins have a chance to be very successful within the scheme.

His strongest words came when describing his excitement at being moved around the field as opposed to the one-position only structure he played as the ‘X’ receiver in the past few seasons.

When asked if he liked being shifted around, Moss replied, “Hell yeah.” Asked then about his former role that was strictly as an ‘X’ receiver, he expanded on that idea.

“That’s ridiculous,” Moss said. “If you ever seen me with a ball in my hand there’s no way in the world that one guy, anybody on the field that’s a playmaker, that has been a punt returner half his life that can carry the ball well no matter what situation, [that] he should be used at one spot. You feel what I’m saying? It’s almost like putting Reggie Bush in the backfield all day and saying, ‘Just run the ball through the hole.’ He’s doing his thing by getting screen passes, lining up on the outside, running here, you know what I mean?

“You have to use those guys that can be game-changers and I feel like I consider myself one of them because that’s what I’ve been doing. I’m not saying it because that’s what I want to be. I’ve done it. You feel me? So when I have a chance to do that, then you’re suiting me best. When I don’t have a chance to do that then you’re not in my best interest. I’m just out there being a regular person.”

Moss said he was excited about the capability of the offense and its ability to mix things up to confuse defenses. Moss said the scheme prevents defenses from being able to predict what’s coming based on formations or splits. “We have a solution for everything that they going to bring to us,” he said.

Often double- and triple-teamed last year, Moss seemed optimistic that this offense would find ways to get him open.

“You know me, I like to let everything pan out and do what it do, but just seeing what it did last year I was impressed,” Moss said. “I am good friends with Andre [Johnson] and to watch him be the No. 1 receiver for two years in a row and everyone knows he’s the guy, to [still] get open, those guys will tell you I call those guys all the time. ‘What are y’all doing that we not doing?’ ‘Oh ‘Tana you just in one spot. ‘Tana you just playing.’ ‘Y’all vanilla.’ You know what I mean?

“And then ‘Dre breaks it down about who’s calling the plays and how he’s calling the plays off of what he sees that would separate him from any other guys in this league because his coaches put him in the best situation not to be the guy who is bracketed all the time. Or if you gonna bracket him then I’m going to have somebody else wide open so we can expose that side of the field and maybe they’ll even it out and play a little more disciplined defense or more disciplined football.

“When we was playing last year, it’s nothing against what he was doing but it was just, you know, it was evident. Y’all could see it from the sideline. That’s why I would say there’s nothing I can do but what I can do. So if I’m the clear out guy on that play, I’m going to be that clear out guy because I know hopefully somebody else should be open. But I think this offense is going to give us all totally a chance to disguise some things and get in some sets to make them guess a little bit.”

On his first impression of Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan:

“When I was at home and I heard about the changes and everything that was coming to the team I was excited. Me and [Texans wide receiver] Andre Johnson, we’re good friends. We rolled together in college and he was my roommate on the road for the games, and just to see his success last year, and the ways they used him. The first thing he told me when we was getting his coach was, ‘Man, I remember back in ’05 when he was my receivers coach. We used to talk about you all the time, and some of the things they were doing with you over there. So I look forward to him coming over there and doing the same thing with you.’

“Some of the things that they did as far as this past season [were] some of the things that [Shanahan saw] that I was good at back when I had my early success in 2005. So I was just thrilled to have that opportunity to get someone who has a bright offensive mind, and just knowing that he’s going to do some of the best things for our team, just for using the guys that we have on this team.”

On what Andre Johnson told him about the offense:

“We talked a lot about a lot of things, and it wasn’t one or two things that he said. He said they just watch the game very closely and know that the guys of our caliber, when it comes to being one of the best receivers, or being that receiver that’s going to get a lot of attention, they know how to move you around and get you to the point to where you don’t have to always worry about being on that island and being out there.

“I used to be out there sometimes just wanting help. I get a cover-2 shell or something, and there’s no way out of it, I just have to sit out there and play my part. And do what was best for the team, and that was take the guys away and hope somebody else makes a play.

“Just watching [Andre Johnson] play, I used to make calls all the time like, ‘How are you getting this wide open?’ ‘Dre will tell you, I used to scratch my head at night watching highlights, ‘Man you KNOW he’s getting the ball.’ He just told me they’re very creative. They’re creative with some of the things that they did offensively to help him to find a way to get open and get the ball. With that all said, I just thought back on what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard and just look forward to seeing some of those things around here.”

On the importance of wide receiver coach Keenan McCardell having played in the NFL:

“I think it’s a plus for us as receivers to have Keenan be our coach, because when it comes to this game some of the best players are the best coaches. I would watch his film and be able to be coached by just watching his film; you don’t have to say a word to me. Some of us pick [things] up like that. You don’t have to say a word to me, I can just sit back and see some of the things that he did as a player and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this more, I’m going to do that more.’

And now you have that coach, now you have him coming in being able to instruct you in that form, in that way. I think it’s a plus for us especially with the young guys that we have, the guys that need to get on the level we all want them to get on. I think it’s going to be great just because he’s going to be that guy that [will] be able to give it to us raw.

“He played the game, he knows how to be the best in the game, and he played the game for a long time. I was just playing with him a couple years ago here. Knowing that he’s seen some of the things that I can do, and some of the things that these other guys can do … he’s already drilling us now telling us what we need to do better, what he wants to see from us, and that’s great. I like when a coach can tell me to put everything to the side, who you are, what you do, how you’ve done in this league, and say, ‘I’m your coach, I’m going to tell you when you’re right, I’m going to tell you when you’re wrong, and that’s how it is.’ I respect people like that.”

On Clinton Portis:

“I just say, ‘Expect whatever you’re going to expect from Clinton.’ One thing I noticed about Clinton over the years is, you can only push a guy so far, and he’s one of those guys that year after year he proves to you what kind of back he is.

“Every year is not going to be perfect. He had a bumpy year where he didn’t perform to the caliber of what he has, and you can say because of injury, and when you have a year like that you have it in the back of your head that you want to come out and prove everybody wrong, or show everybody what you’re made of.

“He’s one of the best in this game. He’s done so much with less. He hasn’t had the best o-line, we all know that, he hasn’t had this, he hasn’t had the best passing game around, we all know that. And for him to go out and put the numbers he put up every year, you have to give him his credit, which I don’t think is always given because of the kind of person he is and some of the other things he does.

“But, with that all said I think Clinton is going to come out and just be him, and do what he do. I feel like he’s always a guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder because there’s always something out there said about him that he reads into, and he doesn’t like. But, they’re going to get him going some kind of way and he’s going to come out and play good football.”

On if Coach Mike Shanahan is trying to create a competition at all positions:

“Well whatever he’s doing, he’s doing a great job. He said that one thing he wants, he wants to win. And one thing he’s going to want are guys around that want to win. He’s going to get the players in here, and that means that by him getting those players in here we should be able to win. Whether you’re creating competition, that’s the way this game is played anyways. You’re not going to sit back and say, ‘Hey I got it all made.’ Bring the guys in. Have a battle. That’s the way you win games anyways. You have the best guys out there on the field. Whatever he’s doing, I think he’s doing a good job.”

On how it is different from an organizational stand point with Mike Shanahan as the head coach:

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to sit here and just say the last group that was here was just ….. I enjoyed Coach Zorn. I enjoyed his staff. I feel like we learned a lot from them. I just feel like right now some of the things that have been done here now are coming from our coach himself.

“That’s the attitude I get now. Anything that’s being done is being called in from upstairs and ‘I want this done.’ When you have a coach that’s that hands on with a team, then you know he is trying to take this team to the right place.

“When you have someone that’s here but he can’t say this-and-that and do this-and-that, you don’t get what you want. You get what we had. I just feel like Coach Shanahan, he’s one of those guys that if he’s going to be here, he’s going to be here to say that’s what I want for my team, this is how I want it done and that’s what I see right now.”

On if he has seen a difference in owner Daniel Snyder:

“I haven’t seen him but you never see him all the time. I haven’t seen him. I haven’t talked to him. I am pretty sure he is going to be the same guy.”

On how the veterans feel about having to compete for a spot on the team:

“That’s every year, though. I feel like every year you step on the field you don’t sit out there and say ‘I got this made, I got it made in the shade, this is my job.’ You feel like you have to go out there and compete because every year in this league there is someone new coming in. You’re going to have some of those guys that you say, ‘Hey, they’re our guys. They are the guys that have done it and they have done it for this long.’ I feel like it’s still a level of competition every year you step on that field because that guy who played behind you or that guy who plays on the side of you, he wants what you had or he wants to be that guy that they can call on. So, it’s always that way anyway. I don’t sense any difference when it comes to that.”

On if there is a difference between the amount of work and effort that is being put into the conditioning program this year as compared to previous years:

“The one thing I can see about the offseason workouts now, the whole thing seems a lot [more] organized. It’s better organized. You can see the guys coming in on time even from the training room. [Head athletic trainer Larry Hess] is doing a great job with making sure we are on time. If you’re not on time, you got to fill in the next spot. There is no coming in five minutes late, a minute late and saying you’re going to just jump into the treatment or the workout or whatever.

“You have to be on time, and that’s the thing that you see an instant change in right there. I think that can take us a long way too with just everyone being accountable for some of the little things. When it comes down to this game, it’s the little things that’s not seen and not done that really cause you to be in the situation that we were in last year. You can play good football and not win games, and that’s some of things I have seen around here for a lot of years because of some of the little things we let slide away.”

On where he thinks wide receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas are now in their development as compared to the beginning of last season:

“I feel like last year that was their year to really take over what was given to them. With all that they had last year, now they come into a year with just knowing that ‘Hey, I had that year to start, I had that year to get all of them games under my belt.’

“Now it’s up to them to just play football. I hope they just tune you all out and don’t listen to you all and just play football. That is some of the stuff that gets young people, young players, they kind of listen. It’s not wrong because like I tell them, ‘That’s [the media's] job: to talk. Let them talk. Regardless of what it is, right or wrong, they’re going to say it, they have to. Be their friend and maybe it won’t sound so bad. Just say hi to them. Don’t be mad at them all the time.’

“I had some of the worst things said to me when I was in New York. I was mad with them every day. It’s just seemed like it became worse and worse. I was like what do I got to do. What I have learned, to be honest with you, it’s your job. It’s their job to be able to give the world their intake on what’s going on and what’s needed or what we should be doing. It’s your job, as a player to just go out there and do your job, play football.”

On his decision to be at Redskins Park for the offseason:

“It wasn’t a big decision. Same thing I did when Coach Zorn came in. You want to be around the new staff, you want them to get to know you, and you want to see what is going on. When you get to the point in your career to when you get up into those years where you just want to make sure that wherever you’re at, you are doing the best thing for you. It wasn’t really hard. Every other year I swapped. I might stay down one year, I might not. This was a year that I felt like I needed to be around, new staff, and new coaches. You want to learn everything. I don’t want to be away from the learning sessions that we have as far as the receivers, picking up the plays and learning the new formations and stuff like that. I just wanted to be here just so I can get ahead on some of the stuff that I might miss out on if I wasn’t.”

Source: Redskins Blog

The faces staring down the Redskins’ big play receiver weren’t 300-lb. defensive linemen, but a group of young juvenile offenders at Thompson Academy who hung on his every word.

“I tried to let them know that right now is a wake up call for them,” said Moss late Thursday night. “I let them know it’s ok though, because everyone makes mistakes and gets a second chance.”

He took along close friends Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson to help spread the message.

Later that night, the trio lounged at Gulfstream and Casino’s MI-VI nightclub where Moss reflected on what he calls the most “rewarding aspect of being blessed with NFL ability.”

“Knowing that I can show those kids a positive alternative is an amazing feeling,” said Moss.

Moss’s passion for helping kids in Miami’s inner-city seems only rivaled by his desire to land in the end zone after one of his signature acrobatic catches.

Maybe it’s because like them, the Carol City native has always found himself hoping for that one shot. As a walk-on at the University of Miami he went on to become the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards. His name shines alongside Michael Irvin as UM’s most prolific wide receivers.
These days Moss is more focused on being “that light in his community” through the plethora of charity initiatives founded by him and his younger brother New York Giants wide receiver Sinorice Moss.

“When I was growing I was praying that someone who I looked up to would come to my neighborhood and teach and show me something, but that never really happened,” said Moss.

“I told myself if I ever got that chance I would be that guy for my neighborhood. I would be that guy for my city.”

Currently the Moss Foundation has an award winning program in place, Santana’s 30/30 Club at Mt Vernon Senior High School in Virginia. Two Miami-Dade County cities, Hialeah and Miami Gardens, have official “Moss Day” during the last week in February, due to the enormous and continuous contribution to both cities throughout the years. 2010, Marks a major milestone for the Moss Foundation, while it was hard work and a dedicated vision that brought the Moss Foundation to fruition, it is the message of “PEACE, DETERMINATION, and HOPE” that will contribute to its legacy for years to come.

To further commemorate its 10th season of “giving back”, the Moss Foundation has taken on the mission of spreading the message of “PEACE” across the country. It all begins in Miami on Sunday, January 31. The Moss Brothers are hosting children at the South Florida FanFest in the Miami Beach Convention Center.

AND THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING!!
Monday, February 1st , they welcome golfers to their 2nd annual Celebrity Golf Tournament with a cocktail reception at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort.

Tuesday, February 2nd, all golfers are invited to participate with their hosts Santana Moss, Sinorice Moss, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne and many other celebrities and professional athletes.

Tuesday February 2nd, Join the Moss Brothers along with Ed Reed Reggie Wayne and all of their NFL friends to a VIP after party at Passions night club at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

To sign up now
http://www.bcf.org/content/files/customcart/reedchallenge.aspx

Friday, February 5th, everyone is invited to join the Moss Brothers along with Andre Johnson at Karu and Y for a blowout party unlike any other.

Moss’s eight catches and 92 yards were his second-best totals in both categories this season. He was Washington’s only offensive weapon. He produced the Redskins’ longest play of the night out of nothing, a screen right that he cut back across the field. He broke Dallas CB Terence Newman’s tackle on quick pass in the second half and gained 17 yards. Moss also did a nice job adjusting to a pass that was behind him near the left sideline early in the third quarter. He was able to gain seven yards and set up a manageable third-and-2, which the Redskins converted.

“Those guys were prepared,” Moss said. “They knew everything. I remember guys calling my routes off of my alignments. It’s very interesting. When we play the Giants, they come up with a whole different game plan. I’ve never seen the same thing playing them. Out of all the times we’ve played them, they come up with something different the first and second game.

“Those guys knew more than us and knew things that we were doing before the snap. It’s hard to do something if someone is waiting on you to do it. Or they’re putting you in a situation where they want you to check into it so they can get you to do what they know you’re going to do. You can’t get off the ball here and there and you can’t be yourself at the quarterback position. If he’s out of whack, we’re out of whack.”
Moss said other teams do not call out the Redskins’ pass routes at the line.

“You might see it now and then, where a team might look at something, but to hear it wows you at times,” Moss said. “Before you’re running routes, you hear guys saying they’re looking for this. We ran a route one time where I knew they knew my alignment so I changed it and when they called out … I heard the guys talking, saying I thought he would do this. I was shaking my head.”

On Thursday, Moss offered the strongest defense of Portis of any Redskin. The running back was placed on the season-ending injured-reserve list Tuesday, and he hasn’t played since suffering a concussion Nov. 8 at Atlanta. But even before that happened, Portis’s production was down, and analysts and fans questioned whether he had lost a step or if his career might be coming to an end.

“People always say stuff when you’re not doing something,” Moss said. “But you look at what we had this year. What do you expect? What do you expect from a running back to be going through what we [are] going through season-wise, and not getting the carries that he’s normally getting to get himself going? You can’t do nothing.

“I mean, people are always going to have their mixed views, and that’s what you hate about this game, because it’s never up to you to say what you really [are] going through, or what you have going on. It’s always someone else’s opinion.”

Moss’s opinion: Portis will be back next year. “When it comes down to his situation, health is more important than anything,” Moss said. “He’ll get his time to rest, and I’m sure, if everything goes well, he’ll be badder than ever next year.”

Portis acknowledged on ESPN 980 earlier this week that his career might be over. But Moss believes the challenge presented by those who doubt him could serve as a motivator to Portis.

“Knowing the competitor in him, if Clinton [is] ready to go, he’s going to be ready to go,” Moss said. “He loves the challenge. I remember last year, when they started talking about different things last year with him about the year before, and you see what he did out there,” when he ran for 1,487 yards.

“If you look at it, Clinton never had the line that he had back in Denver. That’s not saying nothing against our line; it’s just it’s a different kind of league over here. The lines over here [have] been pretty good, but when it comes to what he had in Denver, man, you would pay for that. He’s been grinding it out. He had to gain weight to be able to take on the load. He had to do a lot of different things that he wasn’t accustomed to doing, and is still one of the greatest backs of this time. I always get caught up in it. I’ll stand up for him.”

But …

“He always finds some kind of way to have an astronomical game against us,” linebacker Bradie James said. “We know those guys real well. We know Moss. For you guys that don’t have twin turbos, it’s a sixth gear. He has a sixth gear when he plays against us.”

James is right. Moss has made a living off of torturing the Cowboys. In seven games he has 41 catches for 711 yards and four touchdowns. He has had more than 100 yards in four games. The cruelest, of course, was the five-catchy, 159-yard, two-touchdown game in 2005 when the Triplets were inducted into the Ring of Honor.

In his first three games against the Cowboys since Wade Phillips took over, he had 25 catches for 381 yards. But in the last game, he had just five catches for 29 yards thanks to Terence Newman, who shadowed him all over the field.

Earlier this season Newman shadowed Carolina’s Steve Smith and limited him to four catches for 38 yards and three of those catches came on the Panthers’ first drive.

EDGE: Newman

“Obviously, when I’m out there, I want to be out there,” Moss said. “I just take it the way they give it to me. I don’t want no more than what they give to me. I think I still have a knack for doing it. I love the position because it got me to this level, but when it comes to being out there fulltime, I don’t really care for that. I’ve had my share of fulltime duties in New York [for the Jets]. I did enough of that. Now my focus is bigger and different. But when it’s asked upon, I’ll go out there because I know it’s for the team.”

Moss said it’s not a question of returning punts hurting him as the team’s No. 1 receiver.

“Especially when you haven’t had the ball a lot offensively, it helps me get into the game,” Moss said. “It kinda breaks the ice a little bit if I hadn’t had a catch yet. It’s just something that certain guys can do. I relish teh moment just to be out there because I know that I’m one block here or one missed tackle from making a big play. A good punt returner is a guy who can make most of the guys miss. Our goal is always to make the first guy miss and get 10 yards.”

“You just got to be ready,” Moss said. “They showed … that they was going to cloud me, have a safety over the top. Just when they didn’t, we had the perfect play dialed up.”

The last Redskin to have 50-yard touchdown catches in back-to-back games was Gary Clark on Dec. 6 and 13, 1987.