When the Denver Broncos lost to the Cincinnati Bengals late in the 2024 season, no player came under more scrutiny after the game than cornerback Riley Moss.
Moss, who was coming back from an injury in that game, had a tough go against Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, who made some incredible plays and had arguably the bset game of his NFL career despite Moss being in perfect position at times. It was a humbling game for Moss, but a turning point for Broncos' fans and their perspective of Moss moving forward.
From that point on, Moss -- who had played great prior to his injury in 2024 -- was perceived as a liability by the fans. He got picked on a lot last season by nature of playing opposite Pat Surtain II, but teams have continued testing him in 2025.
Sean Payton comes to bat for Broncos CB Riley Moss after Bengals win
Even with a strong performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Broncos fans are finding ways to poke holes in Moss's performance yet again.
Moss gave up a big play to Tee Higgins on the first drive of the game, had a pass interference penalty, and also gave up another big play that was negated by a penalty on the Bengals. Because this was his first shot to get some measure of redemption against Higgins, specifically, it's safe to say many in the fan base were unimpressed.
But Sean Payton had some strong words regarding his performance against Cincinnati:
“I thought he played outstanding. We just finished going through the game with the team. He had one of his better games, he responded. I mean, that’s a good group that we were playing against. The one thing, and I said this a year ago, that’s a lonely position at times. But he is such a competitor. I thought he was fantastic.”
- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
The Broncos have taken a long-term approach with Riley Moss's development, which is something the fan base may not consider on a week-to-week basis. For young players, development is not always linear. There are ups and downs to development in the NFL, and Moss has shown himself to be a player worth investing in for the team.
The Broncos do not perceive Moss in the same way the fans do, at the end of the day. He's going to continue to get tested week after week until he proves to teams that it's actually a bad idea to throw his direction. There's been a bit of feast or famine to his game, but there's also been some really bad luck involved.
According to Pro Football Reference, Moss has allowed 15 catches on 32 targets into his coverage this year, as well as one touchdown (the freakish play against the Chargers). He's allowing a completion rate of 46.9 percent and a QB rating of 78.1. He's already got 4 passes broken up this year (8 last year) and just 31 yards after the catch on the aforementioned 15 completions.
All of the numbers, dating back to last season, suggest that Moss is playing exceptionally well and is getting unlucky on occasion. When you've been targeted 135 times in 18 career starts, you're bound to give up a big play or two, or have a penalty or two. If Moss can start turning some of these chances into turnovers, the perception of him is going to flip pretty quick.