Moss wants his straight cash, homey

Randy Moss, in his postgame press conference after the Patriots 38-24, season-opening victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, said he feels unappreciated by some in the New England area.

And he's right.

Since coming here to start the 2007 season, Moss has been nothing but productive. In his first season with the team, he set a single-season record with 23 touchdown catches. When Brady went down for the entire 2008 season, he caught 11 TDs from Matt Cassel and had 13 last year. All while drawing little attention to himself.

Until Sunday, when he talked for 16 minutes about his contract issues. He didn't wait to take a question before saying what he had to say.

While most feel that Moss was justified in his claims, they questioned the timing of it. So when is a good time to say such things? He certainly got everyone's attention. No, Randy Moss isn't like Tom Brady, who keeps talk about money and contracts behind closed doors.

But Moss has sat idly by while Tom Brady, Leigh Bodden, Stephen Gostkowski and others have received big pay days. Put yourself in the same situation. Imagine you're one of the top employees at your company, and a co-worker, who has been no less productive the last three years, received a huge pay raise, making him the highest paid person on staff. Wouldn't that be stuck in your craw?

ESPN.com writer Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Logan Makins, who had some choice words for the Patriots ownership back in June, likely won't play another game for the team. It appeared the two sides finally had a deal worked out before team brass asked Mankins to issue a public apology, which the offensive lineman refused to do.

Mankins, a restricted free agent, has been a hold out while Moss has been in camp and working hard. Moss, who unjustly has been accused of "dogging it" on the field in recent years, said he'll play out the remainder of the season. And there's little doubt he'll put up big numbers. We have no reason to believe he won't.

And I sure hope Bob Kraft and the suits realize what they have. Moss said he likes New England, he likes playing here and wants to continue doing so. But he added that if an extension isn't reached by the end of the season, it'll be "a smack in the face."

Everything Moss said, all of which caught the media in attendance by surprise, is right. And I have little issue about the timing. His intention was to be heard, and his words carried plenty of weight after a nice victory.

Don't hate the player, hate the game. In this case, the business end of the game. And if you have to point fingers, maybe they should be pointed toward the luxury suites, and not in the direction of No. 81.

Too little and too late

It looks like time is going to run out on the Bengals today. After a horrid first half in which they barely moved the ball, Carson Palmer and company put together a few good scoring drives, with Ochocinco backing up his talk.

Still, the onsides kick attempt failed and the Patriots will take over with less than four minutes remaining and a 38-24 lead.

Begals score again ... hmmm.

That Patriots defense that I gave much credit to during the first half is starting to show a couple of cracks. The Bengals had the ball for all but 2:31 in the third quarter, and a long drive (which included a number of third-down conversions) culminated with a touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Ochocinco.

No reason to panic, but a once 28-point lead has been slashed to 14.

As you'll see a lot this season, time for the offense to bail out the D.

Bengals score .... ho hum

OK, I ran into some computer issues late in the second half and wasn't able to post the halftime update. The Pats were leading 24-3.

But before I could even get back online, they scored again to make it 31-3, and the Bengals marched down the field to cut it to 31-10. Needless to say, though, this one appears to be a laugher.

Much credit needs to go to the defense, which allowed just 156 total yards in the first half (51 of those came on a last-second, meaningless hail mary at the end of the half). Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, who have been blanketed by rookie Devin McCourty and second-year man Darius Butler, combined for seven receptions for 53 yards in the first 30 minutes.

Perhaps the most telling stat is third-down efficiency. The Patriots have held the opposition to 2-for-7 on those opportunities. Pretty good for a very young and inexperienced defense.

But there's still 20 minutes to go, and the Bengals have the ball again at their own 22-yard line.

Pats 10, Bengals 0 through 1 quarter

The Patriots are dominating this game. They have outgained the visitors 132-34 in yards. Tom Brady is 7-for-9 passing for 77 yards and a touchdown, and Fred Taylor has 44 yards on six carries.

All is looking good, especially on defense. This green group hasn't allowed a big play and has forced a turnover.

Well that was quick

After forcing the Bengals to punt, the Patriots needed just five plays to go 72 yards before Tom Brady hit Wes Welker for a 9-yard touchdown pass on a screen. It took just 2:51 seconds, and the big play of the drive was a 45-yard pass to rookie Aaron Hernandez, who made the big gainer his first NFL catch.

Welker, who had offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL, had two catches on the drive. After the first, he was given a standing ovation from the Gillette crowd.

Week 1 ... Let's get it on!

After the poor performance in last year's playoffs - a dismantling at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens - it's safe to say the Patriots season opener couldn't have come quicker for most fans.

It's a great day at Gillette Stadium, which, truth be told, has an electric atmosphere right now. It's a bit overcast and kind of cool for an early September game. The Pats will be in their road whites, despite being at home, and the Bengals are in their black jerseys.

And if you have Laurence Maroney or Julian Edelman in your fantasy lineups, yank them quickly. Both are inactive for this game.

One hour to game time.