PFF: Steelers’ Dan Moore Jr. Worst OT in NFL in Week 1

Dan Moore Jr. had a Week 1 to forget against the fearsome San Francisco 49ers pass rush. Moore allowed one sack, two quarterback hits, and six hurries on the day. That adds up to an astounding nine quarterback pressures attributed to one player. The sack came from when Moore switched to right tackle following the potential concussion of Chuks Okorafor.

However, Pro Football Focus took it one step further. While they charted Moore with all those stats, he ranked dead last among all NFL offensive tackles in Week 1 with a 33.7 grade. His pass-blocking grade was even worse, ranking 22.8, or one of the worst in the entire NFL. It was a tough day at the office for Moore, who is slated to start at right tackle if Okorafor can not go with that concussion.

Rookie left tackle Broderick Jones is waiting in the wings after playing four snaps and making his NFL debut on Sunday. Jones did not allow pressure on those snaps, earning a 78.5 pass-blocking grade on his reps. Moore and Jones will Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith on Monday against the Browns, which could present significant problems for the Steelers.

Somehow, Moore was not the worst-rated lineman on the Steelers in pass protection, with right guard James Daniels earning a 20.8 grade. However, Daniels earned a 54.3 grade after earning an elite run-blocking grade for the day. To say the least, it was not the day Dan Moore expected from a strong training camp.

Moore proved himself in the summer. But now, it’s time to show that jump is not some summer fad. It’s happened before, and Moore would not be the last to have an impressive summer and flame out. His Sunday performance does nothing to dispel the notion that the rays of hope in the summer were fraudulent.

Moore has more here in the future at stake. We are talking about someone who could easily be in contention for the starting right tackle job as early as next year. The Steelers have a future investment in the development of Moore. To see him struggle like he did against the 49ers is highly concerning to the Steelers.