The Denver Broncos secondary found its groove opposite of Patrick Surtain II last season with the emergence of Riley Moss. Moss saw a large volume of targets being on the other side of the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, but he answered the call and showcased why he’s the team’s unquestioned CB2.
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After suffering an MCL injury at the midway point of the year, Moss returned for the final two games of the regular season, including his return against the Cincinnati Bengals, where Tee Higgins exploded for a massive day, hauling in a handful of catches against him. However, the film shows what the stats don’t — Moss is far from cooked as Twitter suggests.
When he was out, it changed the complexity and identity of the Broncos defense. According to NFL Next Gen Stats — the Broncos have played man coverage on 40.7% of dropbacks with Riley Moss on the field this season, compared to 31.2% with him off the field. When he’s playing, opposing offenses have thrown downfield less often (6.8 air yards per attempt) than when he’s off (8.0), and they average fewer yards per attempt as well (6.3 with Moss on, 7.0 off). Kris Abrams-Draine replaced Moss in Week 15 and allowed just a single reception for 11 yards on seven targets.
Our Broncos insider Cody Roark provides an insight into the value Moss has on defense, where he played well, and he showcases why fans should always rely on the film versus watching a box score.
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