Is Tarvarius Moore's Poor Performance Against the Bills Concerning?
One player that stood out mightily for the 49ers against the Bills on Monday Night Football was safety Tarvarius Moore.
It wasn't because he was playing valiantly -- there were only a few players who did -- but because of how the Bills were taking advantage of him. Buffalo saw Moore as a weak link to the 49ers' defense, and boy did they make that look true.
Moore allowed six catches on six targets for 126 yards (h/t Akash Anavarathan). Anywhere he lined up in the formation, Josh Allen made it a point to target him. It was easy pickings for him. Just look at how poor Moore plays this route by Isaiah McKenzie to allow a touchdown.
Now Moore wasn't the only player in the secondary to get picked on, but he definitely is at the forefront. It was a bit surprising to see his level of play given how strong he came in filling for the injured Jaquiski Tartt.
So is Moore's poor performance against the Bills concerning?
It should not be. The only way Moore's poor performance becomes a concern is if he keeps that game in his head, which will only hurt his confidence. Other than that, getting beat badly in that game is going to happen. In fact, I am a bit surprised Moore hasn't had a terrible game like that already. It is not like has a ton of reps under his belt.
Moore is young. He will learn from these mistakes and should grow from it. One poor game should not raise any red flags. That would be a massive overreaction. The only way Moore is going to continue to improve is by receiving defensive reps, especially since he is poised to be the replacement for Tartt next season if he signs elsewhere in free agency.
The 49ers need to continue to build Moore up. He has the talent. Crack open the film and coach him up so that a game against the Bills does not happen again. Otherwise, if Moore starts a streak of poor performance, then there will be an enormous concern. The last thing the 49ers want is for Moore to unravel, which will then cause them to have questions about the safety position.
As I said earlier, Moore was not the only player who played horrendously on Monday night. That game should not be something he takes to heart. Now it is all about he bounces back, which will be the real indicator if his performance against the Bills is concerning or not.
