Bills DJ Moore Will Help Josh Allen Fix One Key Problem This Year

The Bills did not perform well against a certain type of pass coverage a season ago.

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) practices against the New Orleans Saints before the game at Soldier Field. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills took a step back in the passing game a season ago, finishing 2025 in the middle of the pack while averaging 216.6 yards through the air per contest, ranking 15th-best in the league.

One of the primary issues for the Bills last year was their receivers’ inability to beat man coverage, an issue that was brought to the forefront through Keon Coleman’s struggles in his second professional season.

In hopes of fixing one of the team’s ultimate deficiencies, Buffalo traded for wide receiver DJ Moore, sending a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the veteran pass catcher. There are many who believe Moore will help solve the team's woes against man-to-man this year.

“I think the DJ Moore trade, he is undeniably an upgrade for this offense,” said Mina Kimes on The Mina Kimes Show. “Josh Allen faced the most man coverage in football last year. Their numbers dropped off significantly against man vs. zone.”

Moore, who recorded a 67% success rate against man coverage in 2025, per Reception Perception, could fix that.

Another big concern for the Bills’ passing offense

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws the ball during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Among the other top concerns for the Bills a year ago was how their passing game handled the blitz, which was linked to some of Allen’s struggles against man-to-man.

Allen was blitzed 30.5% of the time in 2025, the second-highest rate he faced since the 2020 season. Allen’s EPA per drop back fell from +0.12 when he wasn’t blitzed to +0.07 when facing extra pressure, while his completion rate over expected dropped from +2.7% to -1.0% and his passer rating decreased from 107.4 to 90.5, according to Next Gen Stats.

“He got blitzed at the ninth-highest rate in the NFL last year,” added Kimes. “He was below average in QBR against the blitz, which just doesn’t seem right for a Josh Allen offense, but is very true.”

As far as Moore is concerned, as Kimes explains, he finished the 2023 season fourth in yards per route run against man coverage and fifth in 20-plus-yard catches, displaying a previous ability to serve as a matchup beater and security blanket in the passing game. He has taken a step back since what was the best season of his career and his coming off his least-productive season since entering the NFL.

Moore finished 2025 with a career-low 50 receptions for 682 yards. Still, there is hope he can return to his once vaunted status upon entering a more suitable situation with the Bills.

“If he can just be somewhere between 2025 and 2023, I think this gives them an answer to the problem that plagued them the most last season,” added Kimes. “This was already a top-four offense, so I’m just going upgrade here.”

Improving every detail will help Bills compete for a Super Bowl

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) warms up during training camp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Bills have finished inside the top four in points per game each of the past two seasons, averaging 30.9 points per game in 2024 and following that up with an average of 28.3 points per game in 2025. So by no means is Buffalo’s situation as dire as some other NFL teams.

But when you’re a team that has expectations of competing for a championship, you must fine-tune things the best you can and that’s what the Bills are hoping they’ve done by adding Moore to the mix.