The quarterbacks have changed, but the results haven’t.
It hasn’t mattered who was throwing the ball to Elijah Moore in recent weeks. He’s been making plays in a variety of ways at different positions — in the slot and out wide — and reminding the Jets and their fans of the sky-high hopes they had for the rookie receiver this summer when he was making plays every day during training camp.
“Just got to adjust,” he said Friday after practice. “It really shouldn’t matter who’s out there.”
On Sunday, Zach Wilson will be back under center after missing four games with a second-degree posterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee, and the Jets would love to see Moore’s progress continue with the player they envision as their future quarterback.
Their future at wide receiver has looked pretty bright recently. Over the last four games, the 5-foot-10 Moore has produced at a high level, catching 24 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns. His finest moment came on Sunday against Miami, when he had eight catches for 141 yards that included a 62-yard touchdown reception. The performance drew a 91.9 grade from Pro Football Focus, the best mark for a Jets receiver since Eric Decker way back in 2014. It was the most receiving yards for a Jets receiver since Rob Moore (175) in 1990.
“I’m not really surprised. I always knew I could do it. It was only a matter of time. It just took 11 weeks to show it,” said Moore, a second-round pick out of Ole Miss. “Just more games, just more opportunity, just more balls coming [my way], more time to get to run the routes. A little bit of everything.”
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur attributed part of Moore’s slow start to his preseason quad injury. It cost him all three exhibition games. Add in the offense’s struggles with a rookie quarterback behind an iffy offensive line, and Moore’s productivity was underwhelming. His acclimation to the pro game took time.
“That’s a huge deal, that’s an absolute huge deal,” LaFleur said, referring to his preseason absence. “Just adjusting to how an NFL game works, the speed of it and the speed at which you have to play every single down.”
Before Moore began to put together bigger yardage games, LaFleur saw improvement in the young wideout. He was playing faster, not thinking as much. He was reacting. He was growing more accustomed to the NFL. Lately, the results have been tangible.
“I feel like every Sunday you guys get to see more and more, because it is [slowing down for me], and quite a bit,” Moore said.
As he produces, all that summer talk seems to make sense. He’s making an impact, steadily emerging as a consistent threat. The hype that he could be what past Jets receiver drafts picks weren’t — from Stephen Hill to ArDarius Stewart to Devin Smith — has returned. And now he is doing it on Sundays, not on the practice field in July and August.
“I don’t really focus on what they say. I focus on myself,” Moore said. “If that’s the narrative, and they think I’m the guy — if they don’t, either way — I’m going to put myself in a position to be that. I’m just grateful that I’m one that they’re speaking about.”