DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals learned Monday night what I learned 10 years ago.

Whenever you think you have Randy Moss figured out, he'll surprise you.

Take Bengals' young cornerback Johnathan Joseph who had to think he had Moss pinched enough along the end zone sideline that the veteran New England receiver wouldn't be able to burn him on a touchdown catch in the second quarter.

Instead, Moss used just enough of a fake to redirect Joseph's focus, then leaped skyward, his hip and thigh pinning the smaller Bengals defender to the ground.

Even though he had to twist his body, it was like taking candy from a baby. Moss snared the seven-yard TD pass from Tom Brady.

In the fourth quarter, it was Moss burning the Bengals' other young corner — rookie Leon Hall — for a 14-yard touchdown catch.

The Patriots clobbered the Bengals, 34-13, Monday night. Moss finished with nine catches for 102 yards and two scores. Most of all, he again showed that chorus of detractors he had at the end of last year's dismal season with Oakland — the folks who whispered "He's lost a step," "He's not a team player" — that you better not write him off.

Back in October 1997, he won me over just when I had dismissed him as a jerk. Still playing for Marshall University, he was the talk of college football when I called Herd coach Bob Pruett and asked if I could come down to campus and watch practice.

Pruett tried to prepare me for Moss' petulance with strangers, but said he'd do what he could.

When practice ended, he brought Moss over to me on the sideline for what he said would be "a few questions." As I introduced myself, Moss put his helmet back on his head. Then he turned away from me so I was talking to the back of his helmeted head. I circled him so we would be face to face and he turned again. This went on for a few minutes and finally I told him that was enough. I didn't need the story that bad.

He headed to the dressing room, but a little while later he reappeared and said he heard I was going up to Spring Hill Cemetery, where a granite cenotaph memorializes the 37 Marshall players, eight coaches and 25 boosters who were killed in a 1970 plane crash as they returned from a game.

He told me he'd go along. Once there — standing on the hallowed ground where many of the players were buried — he shared his thoughts. At that moment, Randy Moss showed just what he can be.

The same thing has happened this year with the Pats, where he's become a beloved reclamation project much the way Corey Dillon was when he came to New England from Cincinnati a few years back dragging a lot of Bengals baggage with him.

While Moss made five Pro Bowls in his first six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he seemed disinterested during his 2005 and 2006 seasons with Oakland, and the Raiders unloaded him to New England for a draft pick last spring.

And that's when he showed himself again. He volunteered to take a $6.25 million pay cut in hopes of finally winning a Super Bowl ring. And in four games now, he has 31 catches for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. Most of all, he has the embrace of his new team.