The Jets’ third-and-8 play with three minutes left in the third quarter started with a late switch by Miami at the line of scrimmage, flipping which defensive back covered the two receivers in motion, and ended with Elijah Moore diving across the goal line — extending the ball out with his right hand. 

Before the play, the Dolphins had lined up in their Cover 0 defense, but quarterback Joe Flacco sensed they wouldn’t bring all that pressure. 

Miami didn’t usually in third-down situations with more than a few yards to go, and there was no safety at the line of scrimmage either, he said. Moore knew he needed to speed his route up, and cut toward the middle of the field after about 8 yards instead of the usual 10 — providing him with an extra step on cornerback Byron Jones. 

His 62-yard touchdown catch-and-run tied the game at 14 and highlighted his eight-catch, 141-yard performance, the most yards by a Jets rookie since Rob Moore had 175 in 1990, according to ESPN, and the most yards by a Jets receiver since Jermaine Kearse in 2017. 

Nearly half of Flacco’s 291 passing yards went to Moore in the Jets’ 24-17 loss Sunday, and it served as the first 100-yard game of Moore’s young career while flashing the continued strides he’s made in an expanding role, especially in the last few weeks, with little continuity at quarterback. 

“He’s starting to get into a rhythm,” head coach Robert Saleh said postgame. “Had the explosive play, which we all know that he’s capable of. He’s stacking up days, and he’s only gonna get better. He’s gonna be a special kid.” 

His rookie season started slowly, as he recorded just eight catches for 66 yards — on 20 targets — through the Jets’ opening five games. Their top receiver turned out to be Corey Davis, just as they signed him to be during the offseason, but Moore’s disappearance in the offense was still puzzling after a strong training camp. He recorded six or more targets in all but two games, but they only turned into consistent catches with six against the Bengals and seven against the Colts. 

“Really just the more games I get, the more comfortable I feel like I’ve been getting,” Moore said. “I don’t feel like a rookie.” 

The first catch for Moore on Sunday didn’t come until the end of the first quarter, but on the Jets’ first play of the third quarter, he found open space between Jevon Holland and Elandon Roberts for 22 yards. He mixed short routes that jutted out toward the sideline with deep ones like the 22-yarder, the 62-yarder and a 23-yard reception at the seven-minute mark of the third quarter where he tapped both feet inbounds near the sideline — drawing a pass interference call on first-team All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard in the process. 

Howard said that he met with Moore postgame, noting that “he’s gonna be special in this league” because of his small and quick frame. And Sunday’s performance could serve as turning point, the first breakout game, as Moore has started to string impressive performances together. 

“I’m gonna take it and run with it, somebody special telling me that,” Moore said.