The Buffalo Bills were rolling early on Thursday Night Football, and then the night took a turn when DJ Moore went down in the first half against the Detroit Lions.
Buffalo had already built a commanding lead, scoring on every offensive drive and looking every bit like the team that showed up in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. But on the Bills’ fourth drive, when Josh Allen tried to hit Moore in the red zone for a score, the pass fell incomplete and Moore paid the price.
As he came down, Moore landed hard on his shoulder and the game stopped while he was checked out.
He got to his feet and walked off under his own power, but he headed back to the locker room. By the time the first half was closing, the broadcast reported that Moore was dealing with both a shoulder injury and a stinger.
Even though Moore had not been a major factor in this game, his absence could still leave Buffalo’s offense in a tricky spot if he can’t return. Without him, the Bills risk becoming too one-dimensional.
That would be a problem for an offense that has leaned on Moore’s ability to win on the outside. He has been one of the league’s most durable players, and he has not missed a game since 2020, when he was with the Carolina Panthers. That kind of reliability is a big part of why Buffalo made the trade with the Bears to bring him in.
Dalton Kincaid has been excellent through the first two games, but the Bills still need someone on the perimeter who can separate. That has been a sore spot for the last two seasons, and it was a major reason Buffalo made the move for Moore.
Now the only real question is how serious the injury is, and whether Moore will be out for a while. Bills fans are going to be watching that closely.
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Bills Passing Game Takes A Hit With DJ Moore Suddenly Out
Buffalos passing game got a jolt it did not need late in the first half against Detroit, when DJ Moore went down with a shoulder injury while laying out for a diving catch. He was taken to the locker room for X-rays, and the Bills initially listed him as questionable before ruling him out after halftime.
For a team trying to keep its offense moving, losing a receiver in that spot changes the feel of the game immediately. It leaves Buffalo waiting on word about the shoulder, while also forcing the staff to adjust on the fly against a Lions defense that had already seen enough of Moore to know how much of a factor he can be when he is on the field. [Read more 🡒]