DJ Moore — Week 3: Ten Targets in His Return
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 28
Back from the shoulder injury that ended his Week 2 before halftime, per ESPN, Moore was thrown to 10 times, 38 percent of Buffalo's throws, and caught 6 for 67 yards and four first downs. His 16-yard catch on third and 10 at the Chargers 19 with 3:23 left set up James Cook's touchdown; both of Josh Allen's interceptions were thrown his way, in a 24–16 win over the Chargers.
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17 to 13, Bills, three 23 left in the fourth quarter, third and 10 at the Chargers 19. Josh Allen threw short left to DJ Moore, who was pushed out at the three, 16 yards. +2.8 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and 3.5 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. James Cook scored from the three on the next snap.
The line: 10 targets, six catches, 67 yards, four first downs, −1.4 expected points on the targets, and a hundred 27 air yards, the most of anyone in the game. The catches went eight, 13, 10, eight, 12 16. Three came on the last drive before halftime, down 10 to three: 13 on third and four, 10 on third and seven, eight to the Chargers 40, and two snaps later Keon Coleman's 37 set up Allen's touchdown. Five targets came on third down; he caught three and converted all three. The two misses were third and nine at the Chargers 10 in the second quarter, and a field goal followed, and third and six at the Chargers 43 in the fourth, the snap before Ty Johnson's fourth-down catch. Both interceptions were thrown his way and caught by Genesis Smith: short middle on first and 20 in the first quarter, and deep left, 55 yards in the air, on the first snap of the second. Seven targets before halftime, three after.
10 of Allen's 26 throws, 38 percent, went to Moore. Ty Johnson had four, Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir three each.
Back in June the preview had Moore on the watchlist: the worst full season of his career, then a trade into Allen's huddle, with collapsed volume as the risk. Week 1 answered with eight targets, a hundred yards and a touchdown. Week 2 was no targets and a shoulder injury in the second quarter, per ESPN. Sunday he played and was thrown to 10 times, the most of his three games. Three games: 18 targets, 11 catches, a hundred 67 yards, one touchdown. The volume is where the preview hoped; the efficiency Sunday, two interceptions and a negative total on his targets, was not. Three games settle little. Buffalo is home to the Patriots on Sunday the fourth.
_Data via nflverse._
When DJ Moore's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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