Who knew?

Moss, the talented but tainted wide receiver, made his New England Patriots debut Sunday afternoon and was better than anyone could have hoped. He caught nine passes for 183 yards (20.3 per catch) and a 51-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter that began the exodus from Giants Stadium.

The Patriots won 38-14, dominating in many ways, but Moss was the story after the game.

Acquired from Oakland on April 29 for a fourth-round draft pick, Moss didn't look anything like the petulant player we saw in Oakland and Minnesota the last several seasons. Instead, he looked like the game-changing receiver he always has been – when he's wanted to play.

And that didn't surprise any of his new teammates.

"What did you expect?" asked running back Laurence Maroney. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Randy Moss."

Maybe, but to hear his new teammates talk about Moss – quarterback Tom Brady called him a role model, receiver Wes Welker called him a great teammate, tackle Matt Light called him a great worker – one wonders where this guy came from.

He certainly wore out his welcome in Oakland and Minnesota. Here, however, he appears to be a changed man.

"I think he does want to fit in," said Brady. "He loves playing football. Being a Patriot and playing on this team, it's about being smart, being tough, being physical and putting the team first. And he fits in so well.

"He's been a great leader for this team. He's been a great leader for that receiver group. He set high expectations for everybody. He's a guy at that position that all the guys look up to. And Randy knows that, and he presents himself as a great role model."

The 30-year-old Moss, in his 10th NFL season, doesn't really want to have to answer any questions about revitalizing his career here, but he knows the question will come every week if he continues to play like this.

"I've been in the league long enough, man, so catching balls and running after the catch and doing things come natural," he said. "The biggest thing I wanted to focus on this week was making sure my mind was mentally fresh and tough enough to play because I haven't played this season. I didn't really want to let my team down and put them back, so I just wanted to go out and see what I had and give it my all."

Moss didn't appear in a preseason game and was seldom seen at practice. There were concerns he didn't have enough time to develop a connection with Brady, but those concerns were dispelled Sunday.

Brady threw to Moss often and in different situations. He made tiptoe catches on the sideline. He caught high lobs over the defense.

And then there was the touchdown: Brady and Moss read the defense, Moss used his speed to get behind the defense and Brady threw the ball "as far as I could throw it" for the score.

"It wasn't exactly the way we drew it up," said Brady. "But maybe we should draw it up that way."

Brady wasn't concerned about Moss' lack of practice. He said Moss, being a 10-year veteran, doesn't need the same amount of practice time a young player needs. That touchdown proved it.

"Football is very natural to him," said Brady. "He was born to play football. He is very smart as a player, he's very gifted. He understands defenses, understands what the quarterback is looking for."

Defensive back Ellis Hobbs laughed when he spoke to the media about Moss. He chided them for wondering where Moss was all preseason.

"Well, he's here now," said Hobbs.

The 5-foot-9 Hobbs, incidentally, is glad he doesn't have to cover the 6-4 Moss anymore in practice, but is appreciative for what Moss has taught him. Going against Moss helps him prepare for game day and that, he said, has made him a better player.

Brady's not surprised. Moss, he said, is just the latest example of star players coming into the Patriots' system and learning there's more...