It's been a season unlike any other for Chad Ochocinco.
His first season with the New England Patriots has been largely forgettable. Despite playing with Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Tom Brady, Ochocinco struggled throughout the season to the point he has played one snap in the playoffs. The six-time Pro Bowl selection finished the regular season with career lows in receptions (15), yards (276) and touchdowns (1).
So how has a wideout who often wears his emotions on his sleeve coped with a season defined by unfulfilled expectations? Through possibly one of the most unexpected support systems one could imagine: Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
"For me, those guys were my outlets. Not Twitter," Ochocinco said during an interview Friday with the Boston Herald. "To have those two guys in my corner, I talk to them all the time. (Moss) keeps me sane for 16 weeks, every week. Every week we talked. T.O., too. We're close-knit, us so-called diva receivers. Who is going to understand what I'm talking about, or going through, from my standpoint? Not Bill (Belichick), not Tom (Brady).
"It's like having my own personal support group. I love those two, man. I didn't want to burden anyone else in here with that bull. They don't want to hear that."
Ochocinco told reporters earlier this week that he has no regrets about his decision to team up with Brady and Belichick, and Friday he gave a very Ochocinco-like explanation to the Herald as to why he's had such a difficult time adapting to the Patriots' complex offensive system.
"Anything is different, when you've come from something you're used to for so long. It's like being married," Ochocinco said. "If I'm married to Halle Berry for 10 years, and her and I break up, and I marry Scarlett Johansson, there are going to be some things I have to adjust to based off what I'm used to. That's just the way life is in general. What I was able to do was come in here and keep on working."
There's no guarantee that Ochocinco will see much of the field if he's active for Super Bowl XLIV against the New York Giants. Ochocinco, however, shrugged off a question on the importance he placed on playing next weekend in Indianapolis.
"I've been blessed," he said. "I've been afforded an opportunity to play in a game that I've never been able to play in unless I'm playing in a video game. That's the only time I've been on the stage. Whether I've been able to produce at the level I'm used to, or not, I'm part of the team."
