The Houston Texans are going to need A.J. Moore on defense and also special teams in 2020.
With this being the start of season three for Houston Texans safety A.J. Moore Jr., he’s known more for his play on the special teams unit as he very valuable in that respect.
Moore on defense hasn’t played much at all in his two previous seasons, but he still brings good depth to the position of safety too, but is this the season he finally brings his game to the defensive side of the ball?
Following their final training camp scrimmage, Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien was asked by the Texans media — in comments provided by NFL Communications — about Moore and his play for the team this upcoming season. Moore has a long climb to get time in the secondary during games, but O’Brien says he’s seen improvement in Moore this offseason and training camp:
"“He just is a guy that plays with a lot – there’s a lot of guys like this but A.J. plays with a lot of energy. He does whatever you ask him to do. He puts the team first. He’s definitely DTS. He’s dependable, he’s tough, he’s smart. He has a really good role on our football team. He’s improved on defense. He’s improved on special teams. He’s a fun guy to coach.”"
Breaking down the comments of O’Brien on Moore, it is easy to see that the Houston Texans head coach sees Moore as a player who can contribute in multiple spots on the field, and not only that, he speaks highly of Moore as a teammate.
Houston Texans News: A.J. Moore and special teams play in 2020
In two seasons with the Houston Texans, Moore’s stat sheet reads with one fumble recovery, 16 solo tackles and one tackle for loss on defense. On special teams, Moore played in 76 percent of those snaps (327 snaps) in 2019, and the previous year as a rookie Moore played 74 percent of the special teams snaps of the Houston Texans (344 snaps), making him a mainstay on the unit.
O’Brien said that Moore has improved on special teams entering the 2020 season, and if that is the case, that is excellent news for the Texans. To be honest, the special teams play of the Texans is going to be near the top of the list in importance for the franchise this season.
The Texans can’t afford to help their opponent in any way this season, but the special teams unit of the teams cannot allow the opponent to get big gains on special teams plays, putting the defense behind before they even get onto the field.
Moore will be a big asset to the Houston Texans special teams as O’Brien said that Moore is dependable and tough, which is key to playing special teams, as that is an unsung job on any football team.
It would be interesting to see if Moore gets a chance to play more defensively, but that is going to be tough for the defensive back. The question for Moore is how much will he and can he contribute to the special teams, and will he finally get an opportunity to play more on defense in 2020?