After three-plus seasons with the Patriots, Sunday’s contest will mark the first time since 2005 that New England coach Bill Belichick will have to worry about designing a game plan to stop Randy Moss.

Moss has 12 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns in his three games with Minnesota. His best game statistically was his first one for Minnesota, a four-catch, 81-yard performance that included one touchdown in a 29-20 loss to the Jets on Oct. 11. However, he also had five catches for 55 yards the following week against the Cowboys (a 24-21 win for the Vikings), and three catches for 30 yards in a 28-24 loss to Green Bay this past weekend.

“Randy looks like Randy,” Belichick said. “He’s a big weapon for them — he can do a lot of things.”

However, in his three games with Minnesota, it’s safe to say that Moss hasn’t delivered the statistical jolt to the Vikings’ offense that Minnesota hoped for when they first acquired him from New England on Oct. 6 for a third-round pick: The Vikings average passing yards per game has actually dropped in the three games since the trade, going from 185 to 182 yards per game. They remain in the middle or toward the bottom of the league in most major passing categories. And Minnesota has lost two of the three games since he rejoined the Vikings.

How much of that is due to a hobbled an mostly ineffective Brett Favre vs. the growing pains that come with bringing in someone new like Moss during the season? Belichick leans slightly toward the latter. He said that Moss’s role in the Minnesota offense continues to evolve, growing from an almost situational receiver in his first game with the Vikings into someone who is now out there “most of the time.”

“They used him probably a little bit less in that first game against the Jets,” Belichick said. “But he got plenty of action last week, even in the two-minute and things like that. He didn’t play as much against the Jets in that situation, but he’s out there most of the time.”

NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, who breaks down tape for the show  “Playbook,” said that in his first three games for Minnesota, Moss has “looked a little like he did in his last days with New England.” However, Baldinger adds that it’s clear that Moss isn’t familiar with the Minnesota offense.

“It’s clear he doesn’t know the offense yet — he runs street routes. He and Favre were playing street ball last week against Green Bay,” Baldinger said. “He still draws a safety over the top, and you still have to acknowledge and honor him in your coverage. But he’s not really using his full game, not yet, anyway. They’re not using his speed. I think the Patriots are much better off without him, for what it’s worth.”

Despite the subpar numbers in the passing game, the Vikings have an undeniable raft of talent at the skill positions. Against a team that has options like Adrian Peterson at running back and Visanthe Shiancoe at tight end, how will the Patriots go about covering Moss? Baldinger said that as was the case when he was in New England, Moss demands attention whenever he steps on the field, and the Patriots will act accordingly.

“The Patriots will attack the line of scrimmage — they are tackling much better now,” he said. “They’ll put a cloud over the top of Randy, [Brandon] Meriweather or someone like that. But Randy tells you pretty much early on if he’s going to go deep — you can read his body language.”

One of the ironic things is that the cornerback who will likely spend the bulk of the time covering Moss when the Patriots are in man coverage is a rookie Moss spent much of August schooling. Rookie Devin McCourty, who has shown a real willingness to get physical with receivers, will likely spend a lot of time bodying up on Moss when the two teams meet on Sunday.

McCourty has emerged as New England’s best corner due in part to the daily lessons he learned from Moss throughout training camp. In August, McCourty talked about the benefits of going up against the surefire Hall of Famer every day.

“I guess you could say that lining up against Randy Moss — I mean you line up against that guy and you know you’re going against one of the best,” McCourty said. “Just lining up against him day in and day out is just going to get me better as a player. … You go against a guy that good and you’re really prepared to go against anyone in this league.”

“It gives them an opportunity to match up against guys that are faster than them, not as fast; bigger, not as big; quicker, not as quick; and so forth. That’s been good for Devin to see and it’s been good for all our DB’s and our receiving group too,” Belichick said of the opportunity for McCourty and the other young defensive backs had in facing a receiver like Moss in practice.

“Games are important, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing more important than games, but all those practices against quality receivers and quarterbacks like [Tom] Brady and [Brian] Hoyer, they make a better practice and that helps you in the game too.”

In the end, the level of familiarity that developed in his time with New England should be an advantage when it comes to drawing up a defensive game plan designed to keep Moss in check.

“We know Randy,” Belichick acknowledged. “Certainly, when you’ve had a player, and you’ve coached him or he’s been on your team, you certainly have better knowledge of him than you do if that wasn’t the case.”