D.J. Moore wasted no time making his presence felt in Buffalo.
The Bills wideout is already seeing his stock rise heading into Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season after a strong debut against the Houston Texans, and NFL analyst Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report pointed to Moore’s opening performance as the reason.
Moore finished Week 1 with five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. He also helped tilt the field in Buffalo’s favor in other ways, drawing a 46-yard pass interference penalty and an illegal contact flag.
"Against said stellar defense, Moore made an immediate impact as the new No. 1 receiver in Buffalo," Gagnon wrote. "The 29-year-old veteran caught five passes for 100 yards and a touchdown while drawing a huge defensive pass interference penalty to set up another score and attracting double teams that opened up the rest of the field for fellow pass-catchers to go to work.
It was one of the top dozen or so games of Moore's career, which is saying a lot considering that he came into the league in 2018. Early on, he fits like a glove."
That kind of production lines up with what Moore has already shown in his career. Last season with the Chicago Bears, he totaled 50 receptions for 682 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and he played all 17 games.
Moore also arrives in Buffalo with some built-in familiarity. He previously played for Joe Brady with the Carolina Panthers, and he shares a draft class with Josh Allen, who was also selected in 2018. That connection gives the Bills a head start after what is always a difficult transition for a player joining a new team.
Now the question is how far Buffalo can ride this pairing. With Allen and Moore headlining the offense, the Bills look like Super Bowl contenders again. They have not reached the Super Bowl during the Allen era, though they have made it to the AFC Championship Game twice and lost both times to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The early signs are encouraging. Buffalo put up 36 points in Week 1, and Allen was electric against the Texans, throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns while adding 23 rushing yards and two more scores. He also delivered the game-winning touchdown to Josh Palmer.
The Bills will try to keep the momentum going in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, in what shapes up as a high-scoring matchup with Jared Goff. Detroit scored 31 points in its Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints.
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Dortch brings a little NFL mileage after stints with multiple teams and 12 games already on his 2025 resume, while Gore has been a steady presence on Buffalos practice squad since arriving as an undrafted free agent. The futures contract signaled the Bills wanted to keep him in the building, and this elevation gives him a chance to be part of the conversation in a meaningful spot, even if the bigger picture beyond Sunday is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]