I think it's a step forward for his ability to humble himself and stuff the hero ball. What you're saying in a roundabout way is that he is inconsistent, and I agree. For my own expectations, I didn't think we'd see consistency from him in his second year because that would be the best case scenario and that rarely happens with the Jets. Until 2022 I guess. I'm good with the current ratio of good/manageable games we get from him vs shit games, I just wish the shit games didn't happen against New England.
Moore has not been great this year, as simple as that. It can be explained that his heart just wasn't in it. Even in the beginning when Flacco threw a lot when we were behind, he could not win 50/50 balls. Then when Zach came and we were establishing run first identity, Moore just wasn't giving 100%. Hopefully being full time in the slot will change his mind. He could be a really good slot, like he was in College, but a lot is up to him. GW and Davis will still be main targets, because GW is simply better than Moore and Davis/Mims present big target and will need to get some yards. Plus we have great TEs as big targets too, and there is only so much yards to go around for run first team. Even is Moore is a great slot, with GW and other guys in there, he will not be a 1000 yards guy. If he can accept that, I think he ca be a really good slot for us, a much better version of Crowder. But if not, it will be tough for him. And this has nothing to do with Zach.
I watched NE game, and parts of Miami, and Fields was really good. The hit he took to get a TD in NE was something. And last game he was voted NFC player of the week. It's clear Fields is figuring it out. And that is encouraging because first 6 games he played bad. I remember in one nationally televised game he missed wide open TD and in general looked like shit. It takes a few games into the second season sometimes to put things together. It happened to Josh Allen, it looks to be happing to Fields, and Zach got a little later start, so perhaps this Buffalo game is a turning point for him too. If Fields is akin Lamar and Zach is closer to Allen by the time this year ends, I don't think too many of us would be complaining. Still too early to tell on either one of them though.
One thing he better not do is revert back to that bonehead from a couple weeks back. We should have won that game so he owes us fans.
One thing people have not been paying attention to with Zack is that since the Pittsburgh game, Zack is pretty much not being permitted to throw to Moore. Moore has been relegated to pretty much running clear out routes since in the Pittsburgh game after he gave up on a clear out route his CB peeled off and intercepted Zack - a CB that wouldn't have been there if Moore had proplerly run his clear out route. Since that game, Moore has had 0 targets - I don't believe that's a coincidence.. That's 5 games with 0 targets for Moore because the coaching staff is trying to teach him that he will do his job or he will not be targeted and he will have his playing time reduced. Now the Jets generally have at most 3 WRs on the field and for many plays only 2 (and a few only 1 WR). Moore has been in on about 50% of snaps. On those 50% of snaps, Zack is not being permitted to throw to one of his 2 or 3 WRs going out on patterns - that heavily limits his QB play. Since Moore's been playing outside WR that means that many of Zack's deeper opportunities are heavily limited since he's not being allowed to throw to one of his 2 outside WRs. Now, often a clear out route will not be targeted but sometimes they do get open and would normally be targeted (and Moore has been open on some of these routes). I think part of the reason we're seeing Zack throw so much underneath stuff is that, with one of his outside WRs heavily limited, he can only throw to the other outside WR (generally Cory Davis, but now Mims) or to RBs and TEs running shorter routes. That limitation is significantly reducing his deeper throws and opportunities down the field. I think Moore's penance is nearly done (and they know they will need him for the playoffs etc.). So, they're moving him to slot and I think Zack will be permitted to throw to him again. That will significantly increase Zack's passing options and, hopefully, his productivity. Moore will go back to being successful and the official line will be that Moore's really only good in the slot - but he was an outside receiver last year and he was pretty good there too. Its just that Zack has not been permitted to throw to him for the past 5 games.
Interesting thoughts, @edray10! Heading into the 2022 season, many people thought Elijah Moore would be the #1 WR for the Jets. That clearly has not happened, but we know the talent is there. I wouldn't say that Zach was not permitted to throw to Moore recently, but he was definitely the last option on most plays. I think he will begin to return to form after the Bye too. Hopefully he has a big game in New England. Zach Wilson has a lot of weapons: Wilson, Davis, Mims, Berrios and Moore at WR, Conklin and Uzomah at TE, Carter and Robinson at RB, not too bad for our young QB.
Great observations and insights @edray10. That might explain the lack of even looks Moore has been getting. Never noticed his sloppiness with routes.
I don't think he's sloppy on routes. I think its that Moore was getting frustrated with the clear out routes and he became lazy and got Zack intercepted. This coaching staff will not tolerate anything less than 100% effort and Moore's laziness got Zack intercepted and could have cost them the Pittsburgh game if Zack did not do his hero act at the end.. The coaching staff cannot tolerate that and have been emphasizing the importance of clear out routes to Moore by basically limiting him to those for the past 5 games, with Moore getting 0 targets over that span. Its one thing for Moore not have any catches for 5 games, but there has not been a single throw his way (even a throwaway out of bounds towards him which would be viewed as him being targeted). I think that makes it pretty clear that Moore's been in the dog house.
Come on man, this is silly. You think the coaching staff is gonna put a player on the field of play and then tell a QB he can never throw to him? Moore is the last option on the field because he’s the least open. His routes are lazy and he plays slow in pads. If he’s open and Zach sees him he’ll get the ball.
When Wilson was asked why Moore wasn't targetted he said something like "you should talk to the coaching staff." I think that in big third downs where they weren't using him on a clear out route he was out of the game. Jeff Smith was getting snaps - why is Jeff Smith getting snaps with all the talent they have at WR ahead of him? You think he hasn't been open a single time over the past 5 games? Not even enough to get a single pass thrown his way? Zack's not even looking his way - bear in mind that Zack threw him the ball a lot last year, so he does have a connection with him. Also, remember that the Jet's have mostly been ahead for the past 5 games and up by multiple scores in some of them, so the team wasn't desperate late. When they were trailing NE late, they did put him in, but he still didn't get a single target. Also in the NE game he sabotaged a Zack attempted TD run to the left by not running his clear out route and was then pulled until late in the game. I think they've been playing him exclusively on clear out routes to punish him.
I think on a team with talented receivers at WR and TE this year, along with RB’s that have been good at receiving as well, Moore is the last option in the progressions. That’s not the coaches telling Zach not to throw to him, that’s just him being the last option. Stop treating Moore like he’s some huge weapon that deserves plays designed to get him the ball over all of the other talented receiving options we have. He had 500 yards as a rookie. It’s a nice season, but so did Breshad Perriman and a massive host of other receivers that have bounced around the league. Moore is running slow routes, his blocking has been poor, and his attitude sucks. He’s not nearly good enough to be popping off about anything. Last year he got more targets because we had nothing at TE and a thin WR crew. The talent levels around him has risen, he hasn’t. Simple as that.
I agree with much of what you said - his blocking has been poor and his attitude does suck. That being said, he's gotten 0 targets for 5 straight games - not 0 catches, but 0 targets. Even with Cory Davis out, he still got 0 targets. Can you think of a single starting WR on another team that had 5 straight games without a single target (excluding injured players, of course)? He was getting targets both before and during the pittsburgh game - if I recall correctly I think he had 4 targets in the Pittsburgh game. Also, if its just that he was last in the progression, I remember many plays where Zack was struggling to find someone open - even last in the progression does get some passes thrown their way.
running just to run is a fool’s errand if a defense is selling out to stop the run, the offense needs to take advantage of the open opportunities through the air
Here's another thought for you - if he's such a terrible WR that he can't get open enough for 5 straight games to merit even a single target, then why is he even starting at all? Why not just make him inactive and play Berrios or Mims? Mims, in particular, is an excellent blocker, far better than Moore. If Moore's giving you zip in the passing game, then they should have just played Mims - at least you'd get good blocking.
Yeah…I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes, but it IS odd for a starting g wide receiver to get zero targets….in multiple games. While his routes may be lazy or whatever, it’s STILL hard to imagine that he hasn’t been open enough for even a look or target in the last few games. Something is up. They haven’t used him on jet sweeps which he would be well suited for either. Short crossing routes, whatever. If they wanted the ball in his hands they absolutely could call plays for that…they haven’t. I don’t know if the coaches are trying to send him a message by not trading him and not targeting him, and maybe they are trying to teach a young upcoming team that this team will be about the TEAM and not about a PLAYER, but I do think there’s something more than just well he’s not getting open.
I'm not sure this is completely what's going on. While the CS may have told Zach to freeze Moore out for a game, I find it hard to believe that they would do this for 5 games. My guess is that it's a war of wills, and each side is waiting for the other to blink: Elijah isn't going to give 100% until he gets what he wants; the Jets aren't give him what he wants until, and IF, he finally does his job like a pro. The problem for Moore is that the Jets hold the higher hand. Moreover, the Jets know that he has a lot of talent so they're not going to sell him cheap just to get rid of him. The locker room seems really strong and I don't think he's going to be able to cause much dissension there, so they'll just hang onto him like they did Mims until Moore comes around or at the point where he becomes a FA and they can get a pick for him.
Running just to run is a fool's errand but running because your QB is a turnover machine when he is asked to carry the offense is a time-honored successful strategy in the NFL that the Jets have relied on several times in the past to great effect. If a defense is selling out to stop the run but your QB can't hit a slant or a screen for his life? Well that's a loss. Hopefully not too many defenses are capable of selling out in that way.
