Denarius Moore continues to show the skills to be a star in the NFL. It is only the third game of the year, and only the second game where Moore received significant playing time, but this man needs a nickname. He is too good not to have one. Luckily for us, Raiders fullback, Marcel Reece has already provided a suggestion, "The Truth".
Personally, I think it is kind of perfect. Throughout training camp and the preseason, anyone who followed the Raiders at all, heard nothing but great stuff about Moore. Of course, all optimism was tempered with commentary on the fact that it was only camp and the preseason, only regular season play is truly telling of a player's likelihood for success.
Well, it turns out that everything we heard about Moore during training camp and preseason was The Truth.
In week two against the Buffalo Bills, Moore had a break out game with 5 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. This week, Moore did not have anywhere near the same kind of game in terms of numbers, making 4 catches for 34 yards, but he made one of the best and biggest plays of the game.
Late in the 3rd quarter, with the score tied, Moore scored a touchdown on an incredible 23 yard end around. (You can watch the Denarius Moore touchdown here). The play looked as though it was destined for a no gain, when Moore stopped on a dime and turned up field with an impressive burst of speed, only barely getting tripped at the four yard line as he stretched the ball across the goal line.
The play was not a game changer, per se, but it took a lot of air out of the Jets defense and gave the Raiders the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. More importantly, it showcased the skill set that Moore has and the maturity he exhibits when on the field. That play easily could have been a no gain or even a loss of yards had Moore just ran to the sideline or tried to double back. Instead, he cut up field, guaranteeing positive yardage in the process, and broke off a huge play.
The Truth of the matter is, Denarius Moore is a big time play maker and the Raiders must find a way to get the ball in his hands much more often.