Advertisement

Jets WR Elijah Moore happy with wins, but confused by lack of targets

New York Jets receiver Elijah Moore hasn't enjoyed a sophomore breakout yet despite his team's 4-2 record.

Moore has just 16 receptions for 203 yards and no touchdowns through the first six weeks of the season and is coming off a game in which he didn't see a single target from Zach Wilson. He also played a season-low 32 snaps in New York's 27-10 win over the Green Bay Packers (though that number was second among receivers for the Jets).

The lack of production from Moore hasn't affected the Jets' ability to win games, but the second-year wideout isn't too thrilled with his stat line. Moore tweeted twice after Sunday's win that he's "grateful" for the win but will "just stay quiet" about not getting any looks from Wilson.

It's understandable for Moore to be a bit "confused" by his usage. He looked like an ascendant young pass-catcher after a solid rookie campaign in 2021. He caught 28 balls for 392 yards on five touchdowns from Weeks 8-12 before a quad injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. Moore finished the year with 43 receptions on 77 targets for a team-high 538 yards and five scores. He also rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown.

On Monday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he had no problem with Moore's tweets and asserted that he's "fine" despite his lack of looks and that his contributions come from more than just his ability to catch the ball.

"We had a conversation," Saleh said. "He's fine. He's a competitive young man. ... I've got no problem with Elijah. He's one of our high-character individuals. ... Eventually the production part of it that he's hoping for will come."

Moore looked great with Joe Flacco under center through the first three weeks, too. He averaged four targets per game and tallied 139 yards but no touchdowns. However, Moore's production plummeted when Wilson returned to the lineup in Week 4.

But Moore isn't the only Jets wideout that isn't seeing a lot of work with Wilson under center. In Week 6 alone, no other Jets receiver caught more than two balls and Wilson attempted just 18 passes — his fewest since Week 7 of 2021 when he exited with a knee injury early in the second quarter. Wilson has also thrown just 75 passes this season — which ranks 20th among quarterbacks from Weeks 4-6 (prior to Monday night) after Wilson missed the first three weeks of the year. Rookie wideout Garrett Wilson, who had a mini-breakout earlier this year, had just one catch in Week 6 and six total in the past three games after 18 receptions in his first three.

The Jets simply aren't a passing team right now. And why should they be? New York is 3-0 in its past three games with the sixth-most rushing attempts and the most rushing touchdowns over that span. Rookie running back Breece Hall just gashed the Packers for 116 yards and a touchdown on a healthy 5.6 yards per attempt. Hall has the fourth-most rushes, the fifth-most yards and averaged 5.07 yards per rush – good for sixth in the league – over the past three weeks as well. (All stats prior to Monday night).

As long as the Jets are winning, the team will be happy. But by even tweeting that he's thinking about his numbers, Moore opened up a potential distraction for the team moving forward. But as they always say: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. And offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur could scheme a few more looks for Moore as the Jets head to Denver to take on the Broncos in Week 7.

Elijah Moore's usage has the second-year reciever confused. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Elijah Moore's usage has the second-year reciever confused. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.