If there's one player who has been getting picked on by both opposing quarterbacks and the fan base more than anyone else this season, it's Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss.
Moss was a first-year starter just last year and did an admirable job playing opposite Pat Surtain, not an easy assignment to draw every week. Teams have been going after Moss consistently, and with the results of throwing the ball his direction.
And that's become quite a bit of a problem. Moss has way too many penalties this season alone (9 pass interference, no other player has been called for more than 5) and has become a liability at times for the Denver Broncos' defense. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, it all reached a boiling point.
Broncos CB Riley Moss jokes that he needs to wear boxing gloves to prevent penalties
#Broncos CB Riley Moss acknowledges he has to adjust some things with all the penalties that are being called on him. pic.twitter.com/M00YXRN89o
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) November 17, 2025
There is no question about it: Moss has to find a way to make plays on the ball instead of grabbing receivers at the top of the route. You can't keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, especially when it's almost like officials are looking for it.
But Moss's idea of wearing boxing gloves is a hilarious one, and it's actually something coaches will do at times to instill better habits for their players. Of course, a huge part of Moss's game dating back to his time at Iowa, is making plays on the ball. He has the speed to keep up with all types of receivers, but when he gets in phase, Moss struggles at times with seemingly panicking when the ball is en route.
The result has been a mixed bag of penalties. Some of the penalties called on Moss this season are egregiously bad, while others are obviously justifiable.
Moss had three penalties in the game against the Chiefs, in particular, that could have changed the entire outcome of the game. He was calm about it after the game, but you can tell both on the field and off that the pressure of not ever knowing whether you're playing with proper technique is wearing on Moss a little bit.
And teams are just going to keep going back to the well and targeting Moss until he gives them reason to stop going to that well. At some point, he's going to need to adjust the way that he's playing in order to spare the Broncos' defense, because he was called for over 90 yards in penalties against the Chiefs, and one of those penalties negated a brilliant pick-six from rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron.
It's been a tough year for Moss, who has been fantastic in many respects, but he's been susceptible to giving up big plays via the dreaded yellow flag. In fact, against the Chiefs, he had three penalties for over 90 yards in total.
Hopefully, Moss will soon have the ability to have a good laugh about all this. At some point, he's going to get his hands on the ball and start rebuilding that confidence. With over 90 yards in penalties against Kansas City and a defensive TD for Jahdae Barron wiped off the board, you would think Moss is at the point where he is "due" for a massive play or two.