Examining Elijah Moore’s claims about being underutilized in 2022

[LIJetsFan]

By IMissFatRex  Feb 2, 2023

In week 6, the New York Jets defeated the Green Bay Packers in what was widely considered an upset. However, the story of the Jets the following week largely focused on wide receiver Elijah Moore, who tweeted his dissatisfaction with his offensive role after the victory and then was dismissed from the team that week. Notably, this was quite the fall from grace for a player who was often pegged as a breakout candidate in 2022 following a strong rookie season in 2021.

At the core of Moore’s dissatisfaction was his role in the offensive and his target share. As said by Moore in regards to his chemistry with then starting Quarterback Zach Wilson, “I don’t know, I couldn’t even tell you [what our chemistry is]. I don’t get the ball.”

Part of Moore’s argument regarding frustration over his under-utilization seemed to be he felt he was open, but not getting the ball. Now that the season has concluded, I thought it would be interesting to evaluate Moore’s 2022 season through a deeper dive into his underlying analytics. Specifically, while we know Moore wasn’t targeted often (66 targets in 16 games), I wanted to know if he was actually getting open. To evaluate this claim, I will be relying on data from fivethirtyeight’s wide receiver rankings as well as playerprofiler, both of which provide analytic data for wide receivers beyond their raw output stats (catches, yards, touchdowns, etc.).

To begin, I will detail fivethirtyeight’s evaluation of Elijah Moore. Specifically, they ranked him as the 40th best ‘overall’ receiver within their model that accounts for the regularity with which receivers get open, as the degree to which they catch the passes thrown to them, and their yards after the catch production. Details on how these scores are calculated can be found here. Related to the idea Moore was open at a better rate than his targets would indicate, he received an openness score that ranked 47th in the league. By no means is 47th a stellar outcome, but it would place him safely in the WR2 range given there are 32 NFL teams. Overall, this would support Moore was indeed better than his production as he ranked 73rd in yards receiving and 61st in targets. Additional evidence to support Moore’s claims about being underutilized can be found in playerprofiler’s data as they report Moore was 100th among wide receivers in target rate despite being 30th in route win rate.

Moreover, the data from playerprofiler provides further rationale for why Moore was so frustrated. Specifically, while Moore’s target separation (a receiver’s average yards of separation from his assigned defender at the moment the pass arrives) ranked 12th in the league at 2.14 yards, his catchable target rate (percentage of total targets that are deemed catchable) ranked 98th at 54.5%. This implies that not only was Moore not targeted at a rate aligned with his success rate on a per route basis, but that the throws were significantly off target on the relatively rate occasion when he was targeted. To hit home on the discrepancy of these figures, playerprofiler also provides a “true catch rate” statistic, which is calculated by dividing a receiver’s number of catches by their number of catchable passes. Within this statistic, Moore ranked 5th in the league with a score of 102.8%, implying Moore caught more passes this season than should have been expected based on his target quality (according to playerprofiler’s model).

Overall, while Moore’s season was a resounding disappointment, there is rationale to suggest it may not have been all his fault. In fact, we could use this data to argue Moore may be a prime ‘bounceback’ candidate in 2023, especially if the Jets acquire a high quality QB who can deliver a larger amount of targets and catchable targets for Moore.

[Hex]

I miss fat Rex too.

[jetspenguin]

Maybe if he stopped running backwards whenever he does get the ball he might get it a little more? Eh?

[Sperm Edwards]

Even this analysis would underestimate it, and perhaps badly underestimate at that.

If a disgruntled WR knows for sure that the QB is never going to look his way except on the ~3 plays where he was the #1 read - if Zach had been instructed to just look at Garrett or a TE as the #1 on the play, and then dump off to his RB as the #2 (and then run if neither of those are open) -- then there will be at least some plays that Moore takes off, even if only a bit, and doesn't run all-out & waste putting his best moves on his defender(s).

So whatever percentage Moore was open is presuming he was trying 100% on those plays where dogged it at least a bit. I don't believe for a second that happened zero times. 

Then there are plays where the top read was running a much shorter route, so Moore hadn't gotten open by the time the ball was thrown, but may have gotten separation 1 second later.

So there are other things to factor in beyond how many times was he open last year, and those represented all the opportunities not taken.

It all adds up to the same, which is he could have a major boost with a competent QB actually utilizing him, with an OC who won't be picking whichever plays hides the QBs best.

[Maxman]

Whatever is the cause, Hackett has the offseason to fix it. Garrett Wilson is a true # 1. So the bar has changed for what they need from Moore. If he can become an 800 yard a year guy they are going to be in fantastic shape. Moore has the talent, so it should be a pretty easy problem to fix.

[Dunnie]

Moore would be exactly what you want in a WR2 ... Problem is he runs his mouth like a WR1.

He had the world's support before losing his sh*t. Yes his claim is on point. But sometimes crying about sh*t makes you smaller .... He should have sat down with Saleh/LaFleur and presented his case calmly supporting it with these statistics.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[Leftylarry]

Lefleur wasn’t here to develop young players, he was here to show how smart he is nd get his next big job, everybody will get better on offense with him gone.

[Jetsfan80]

Most high-end WRs are lunatic divas and yet some Jets fans want to draft another one high this year.  Good luck...

[undertow]

9 minutes ago, Dunnie said:

Moore would be exactly what you want in a WR2 ... Problem is he runs his mouth like a WR1.

He had the world's support before losing his sh*t. Yes his claim is on point. But sometimes crying about sh*t makes you smaller .... He should have sat down with Saleh/LaFleur and presented his case calmly supporting it with these statistics.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 

This is what worries me about Moore even if he plays well this year and becomes a solid slot reciever he's still gonna be pissed because he thinks he's Justin Jefferson.

[southparkcpa]

Seems to fit this thread....

[Guilhermezmc]

The day he catches a contested ball is the day we should speak on this below average wr

[Larz]

Zach looked for Davis a lot, Flacco and White typically read it out. 
 

Wilson gets open so easily, he and Moore should thrive with competent QB play 

[Flashlite80]

31 minutes ago, Dunnie said:

Moore would be exactly what you want in a WR2 ... Problem is he runs his mouth like a WR1.

He had the world's support before losing his sh*t. Yes his claim is on point. But sometimes crying about sh*t makes you smaller .... He should have sat down with Saleh/LaFleur and presented his case calmly supporting it with these statistics.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 

I think Moore will excel in the slot but we need a big receiver opposite Wilson.  Both of these guys are not very big.   Not the biggest need because a big receiver is not a must.  Sure is nice in red-zone or blocking on the outside.

As far as Moore's claim, I will tell you I see him open at the games and we know he is dangerous after the catch.  A catchable ball is one thing but hit a guy like Elijah in stride across the middle and you will see some big plays.  

I did watch a few game breakdowns and it was clear that Zach never looked in Moore's direction on a majority of the plays.  Zach seldom got to his third read.  He took longer to identify and release the ball.  One analyst did point out that the OC did not appear to adjust to this delay.  That second and third options would open up but the timing of that opening and when Zach got to that option often did not align.  Blame Zach for taking too long but the OC gets plenty of blame for play timing that does not align these two.  That's why so many said the play calling was not the problem but the passing game just didn't work.  This problem disappeared when White was in there because his reads are faster as is his delivery.  Still, it is damning that the OC could see the issue but did not adjust to who was under center.  Thus the rumors of him being stubborn.

 

[DoubleDown]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, competent and consistent quarterback play changes everything for this team.  Plays were there to be made, and the quarterbacks, by and large, didn't get the job done.

Despite the down year, I still consider Moore as part of the solution moving forward.  He's half way through his rookie contract and will be entering his prime years soon.  People did not like his antics in the middle of the 2022 season, and rightfully so, but the talent is undoubtedly there.  If he is motivated, puts his down, and works hard, he will be a big part of this offense once a legit quarterback is brought on board.

[56mehl56]

57 minutes ago, Dunnie said:

Moore would be exactly what you want in a WR2 ... Problem is he runs his mouth like a WR1.

He had the world's support before losing his sh*t. Yes his claim is on point. But sometimes crying about sh*t makes you smaller .... He should have sat down with Saleh/LaFleur and presented his case calmly supporting it with these statistics.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 

I thought exactly the same and ripped Morre for it when the story evolved after the GB game. However now hearing all of the back story with MLF and how he approached the OC job, I'm surprised the Jets wr's didn't punch his lights out. 

[rangerous]

Moore is right in saying he wasn’t being thrown to.  I read somewhere that zwilson was told to look at the first two reads and if they weren’t open then he should run. So if Moore was the third read he wasn’t going to be throw to. Obviously much of this can be put on zwilson if he’s not able to read the third option but it’s also on milfy for not making Moore the first or second read.

[Biggs]

Midget WR who isn't as easy to see as a big target.  Jets interior OL was a hot mess.  He sucked with two tall QB's who can see over the line and have the angle to make passes to midget WR.  He complained when the Jets were on a roll.  He's a midget WR who can't make a contested catch and runs his mouth when the team is playing winning football.  

The Jets hyped this guy after they drafted him and all last year and this year.  When he was the only option and he was healthy he was getting targets and catches.  He wasn't complaining and the team was an absolute turd.  He decides to complain when the Jets have a true 1 a reasonable TE and a decent running game and are in the middle of the best Jets football in years.

Kids a mediocre talent and a crappy teammate.  

[neckdemon]

1 hour ago, Maxman said:

Whatever is the cause, Hackett has the offseason to fix it. Garrett Wilson is a true # 1. So the bar has changed for what they need from Moore. If he can become an 800 yard a year guy they are going to be in fantastic shape. Moore has the talent, so it should be a pretty easy problem to fix.

lol you trust hackett to fix the offense? he turned denver and russel wilson into one of the worst offenses this year. only thing saving it is aaron rodgers

[THE BARON]

Let me slim this down.  The entire offense including the former OC was underutilized due to the horrendous QB situation.

ZW is the biggest bust in Jets history and he is still causing problems.

I blame one person and only one person for both the awful pick and the destructive compulsion to go into the 2022 season with him as the planned starter and continuing to flog it long after everyone saw it was time to move on.

That being.  JD

Those suggesting it was Woody or Saleh are 180 degrees out. 

It was Woody that had to come in to tell JD to stand down where Wilson was concerned.

 

[win4ever]

1 hour ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Even this analysis would underestimate it, and perhaps badly underestimate at that.

If a disgruntled WR knows for sure that the QB is never going to look his way except on the ~3 plays where he was the #1 read - if Zach had been instructed to just look at Garrett or a TE as the #1 on the play, and then dump off to his RB as the #2 (and then run if neither of those are open) -- then there will be at least some plays that Moore takes off, even if only a bit, and doesn't run all-out & waste putting his best moves on his defender(s).

So whatever percentage Moore was open is presuming he was trying 100% on those plays where dogged it at least a bit. I don't believe for a second that happened zero times. 

Then there are plays where the top read was running a much shorter route, so Moore hadn't gotten open by the time the ball was thrown, but may have gotten separation 1 second later.

So there are other things to factor in beyond how many times was he open last year, and those represented all the opportunities not taken.

It all adds up to the same, which is he could have a major boost with a competent QB actually utilizing him, with an OC who won't be picking whichever plays hides the QBs best.

I agree, and one other factor to add was MLF's tendency to have Moore run clear-out routes, which I think was the reason he ended up having issues with him.  There were a bunch of instances where Moore's only task was to take the safety away from the read, which wouldn't really show him open if he did his job right.  

Moore does a great job of getting open but he needs a QB that understands his timing.  Look at OBJ be a borderline starter with the Browns, and then goes to the Rams and looks like a star.  The issue is that both OBJ and Moore (not saying Moore is OBJ) create separation from their route stems.  They aren't just lining up and running right by you like say Robbie Anderson, but creating separation at the route stem necessitates reading the hips of the defender.  If the defender has inside angle on a slant call, they might take a false step to the outside to manipulate the defender's hips before cutting in.  This can throw off the timing of the play, and an inexperienced QB might look off assuming the guy is covered or running the wrong route.  However, in statistics it would show the guy to be open, because after that false step, he's going to burn the DB to the inside.  

The big issue is he just didn't have any QB to work with, that consistently went through progressions.  Wilson just seemed like he couldn't understand the offense at all, and White was all to happy to dump off the pass underneath.  

If he does get a QB like Rodgers (or even Carr, since he has experience with Renfrow and complex route stems), he'll do a ton better.  But he needs guys that wait on routes to push it down the field, and an OC that doesn't see him as a decoy.

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

1 hour ago, LIJetsFan said:

By IMissFatRex  Feb 2, 2023

In week 6, the New York Jets defeated the Green Bay Packers in what was widely considered an upset. However, the story of the Jets the following week largely focused on wide receiver Elijah Moore, who tweeted his dissatisfaction with his offensive role after the victory and then was dismissed from the team that week. Notably, this was quite the fall from grace for a player who was often pegged as a breakout candidate in 2022 following a strong rookie season in 2021.

At the core of Moore’s dissatisfaction was his role in the offensive and his target share. As said by Moore in regards to his chemistry with then starting Quarterback Zach Wilson, “I don’t know, I couldn’t even tell you [what our chemistry is]. I don’t get the ball.”

Part of Moore’s argument regarding frustration over his under-utilization seemed to be he felt he was open, but not getting the ball. Now that the season has concluded, I thought it would be interesting to evaluate Moore’s 2022 season through a deeper dive into his underlying analytics. Specifically, while we know Moore wasn’t targeted often (66 targets in 16 games), I wanted to know if he was actually getting open. To evaluate this claim, I will be relying on data from fivethirtyeight’s wide receiver rankings as well as playerprofiler, both of which provide analytic data for wide receivers beyond their raw output stats (catches, yards, touchdowns, etc.).

To begin, I will detail fivethirtyeight’s evaluation of Elijah Moore. Specifically, they ranked him as the 40th best ‘overall’ receiver within their model that accounts for the regularity with which receivers get open, as the degree to which they catch the passes thrown to them, and their yards after the catch production. Details on how these scores are calculated can be found here. Related to the idea Moore was open at a better rate than his targets would indicate, he received an openness score that ranked 47th in the league. By no means is 47th a stellar outcome, but it would place him safely in the WR2 range given there are 32 NFL teams. Overall, this would support Moore was indeed better than his production as he ranked 73rd in yards receiving and 61st in targets. Additional evidence to support Moore’s claims about being underutilized can be found in playerprofiler’s data as they report Moore was 100th among wide receivers in target rate despite being 30th in route win rate.

Moreover, the data from playerprofiler provides further rationale for why Moore was so frustrated. Specifically, while Moore’s target separation (a receiver’s average yards of separation from his assigned defender at the moment the pass arrives) ranked 12th in the league at 2.14 yards, his catchable target rate (percentage of total targets that are deemed catchable) ranked 98th at 54.5%. This implies that not only was Moore not targeted at a rate aligned with his success rate on a per route basis, but that the throws were significantly off target on the relatively rate occasion when he was targeted. To hit home on the discrepancy of these figures, playerprofiler also provides a “true catch rate” statistic, which is calculated by dividing a receiver’s number of catches by their number of catchable passes. Within this statistic, Moore ranked 5th in the league with a score of 102.8%, implying Moore caught more passes this season than should have been expected based on his target quality (according to playerprofiler’s model).

Overall, while Moore’s season was a resounding disappointment, there is rationale to suggest it may not have been all his fault. In fact, we could use this data to argue Moore may be a prime ‘bounceback’ candidate in 2023, especially if the Jets acquire a high quality QB who can deliver a larger amount of targets and catchable targets for Moore.

Thanks for posting!  ‘Moore sucks is the easy narrative’.  Context is important and the context here suggests he got open, which is the #1 job for a WR.

The QBs obviously deserve blame but so does the OC— one of a few critical reasons I wanted LaFleur gone.

Mike LaFleur pre-draft 2021:  ‘Get me Zach Wilson and Elijah Moore’.

Mike LaFleur early season 2022:  ‘Sorry Elijah, keep running those deep sideline routes and we’ll get you the ball.’

Mike LaFleur later on in season 2022:  ‘Elijah, thinking about switching you back to the slot.’

Mike LaFleur after 2022 season:  ‘Maybe Zach should have sat in retrospect.’

And yet so many are upset LaFleur has been scapegoated.

 

 

[WhartonJet]

I think there is a real possibility the Jets move on from Moore this offseason to recoup some of the draft capital after trading for Aaron Rodgers.  In that scenario, signing someone like Alan Lazard makes alot of sense to replace Moore

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

1 hour ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Most high-end WRs are lunatic divas and yet some Jets fans want to draft another one high this year.  Good luck...

Many posters are high end divas, and yet here we are ;)

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

3 hours ago, Leftylarry said:

Lefleur wasn’t here to develop young players, he was here to show how smart he is nd get his next big job, everybody will get better on offense with him gone.

Is this the LeftyLarry from yesteryear who used to post about Vinny versus Chad?!

[varjet]

Moore has his eye on the prize now.  He needs a big year to establish his market value.  Expect alot of noise and whining if he is not getting yards and catches. 

[BCJet]

Moore was criminally underutilized, whether it was MLF's fault, MW's or whomever, he is far too talented to have the season he did.

That being said, he needs some accountability too.  He needs to block.  He needs to run each route with a purpose and not half-ass it when the play isnt going his way.  He cant round off his routes that cause pass breakups.   Overall hes gotta be better if he wants to be treated as a good player. 

[#27TheDominator]

1 hour ago, rangerous said:

Moore is right in saying he wasn’t being thrown to.  I read somewhere that zwilson was told to look at the first two reads and if they weren’t open then he should run. So if Moore was the third read he wasn’t going to be throw to. Obviously much of this can be put on zwilson if he’s not able to read the third option but it’s also on milfy for not making Moore the first or second read.

I read that too.  Sounds like  a joke to me.  First, if that was true, I guess they did adjust to Zach taking forever to get through his 1st two reads.  I don't believe the timing story.  The kid held the ball forever to get through the first two reads.  Delaying Moore's route so he gets open "in sync" with Wilson's slow eyes seems like a recipe for disaster to me.  More to the point, if it were true, wouldn't Zach have more than 28 carries for the season?  That's like three and a half per game.  You're telling me that he couldn't get through 2 reads 4 times per game? 

[rangerous]

17 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

I read that too.  Sounds like  a joke to me.  First, if that was true, I guess they did adjust to Zach taking forever to get through his 1st two reads.  I don't believe the timing story.  The kid held the ball forever to get through the first two reads.  Delaying Moore's route so he gets open "in sync" with Wilson's slow eyes seems like a recipe for disaster to me.  More to the point, if it were true, wouldn't Zach have more than 28 carries for the season?  That's like three and a half per game.  You're telling me that he couldn't get through 2 reads 4 times per game? 

I guess we’ll never know unless zwilson and Moore get into the same game and Moore gets his catches.  Something went on here. Last season Moore was getting throws from Wilson so I don’t think Zach was deliberately not throwing to him.  Did Zach make more than 1 read last season?  I think this was all on milfy.  Good riddance.

[rangerous]

2 hours ago, Biggs said:

Midget WR who isn't as easy to see as a big target.  Jets interior OL was a hot mess.  He sucked with two tall QB's who can see over the line and have the angle to make passes to midget WR.  He complained when the Jets were on a roll.  He's a midget WR who can't make a contested catch and runs his mouth when the team is playing winning football.  

The Jets hyped this guy after they drafted him and all last year and this year.  When he was the only option and he was healthy he was getting targets and catches.  He wasn't complaining and the team was an absolute turd.  He decides to complain when the Jets have a true 1 a reasonable TE and a decent running game and are in the middle of the best Jets football in years.

Kids a mediocre talent and a crappy teammate.  

Moore was the 34th player taken in his draft. I don’t know where that would rank relative to the other wrs taken but I doubt Moore is a mediocre talent.  He was just not the no 1 or 2 read on too many plays.

[Dcat]

3 hours ago, undertow said:

This is what worries me about Moore even if he plays well this year and becomes a solid slot reciever he's still gonna be pissed because he thinks he's Justin Jefferson.

He whines more than Justin Jefferson.  What has he said to make you think he's a JJ equivalent?  I don't remember any comparative remarks... only that he was not being targetted and MLF said nothing was wrong and then finally told him weeks later him he wasn't doing his routes right.  Holy smokes. 

 

[#27TheDominator]

45 minutes ago, rangerous said:

I guess we’ll never know unless zwilson and Moore get into the same game and Moore gets his catches.  Something went on here. Last season Moore was getting throws from Wilson so I don’t think Zach was deliberately not throwing to him.  Did Zach make more than 1 read last season?  I think this was all on milfy.  Good riddance.

Maybe not, but Zach didn't throw to him so much in 2021 either.  I had this argument already with somebody.  Maybe it was you.  Moore had 77 targets in 2021, 35 came from QBs other than WIlson.  He did target Moore 11 times in the Eagles game, after which Moore was shut down.   More importantly, 336 of Moore's 538 yards came from QBs other than Wilson.  This is despite Wilson playing 5 of Moore's 6 starts and 6 1/2 to 4 1/2 of the games Moore played in.  LaFleur surely had a hand, but I'm sure he isn't the only factor in Moore and Wilson sucking as a combo.  Moore said as much himself.

[Sperm Edwards]

3 hours ago, Maxman said:

Whatever is the cause, Hackett has the offseason to fix it. Garrett Wilson is a true # 1. So the bar has changed for what they need from Moore. If he can become an 800 yard a year guy they are going to be in fantastic shape. Moore has the talent, so it should be a pretty easy problem to fix.

Moore can be more than an 800-yard guy.

He was ~600 receiving+rushing as a rookie, mostly with rookie Zach at QB, after being injured in preseason & not up to speed by week 1, then further with missing 6 starts outright during the season while he was in rookie shape or never fully 100% (I think it was the same quad he injured in preseason that also landed him on IR the last 5 games, but am not sure on that). 

He's definitely got the ability to be a 1000-yard receiver. People just never think so until it happens - understandably so - but then after the fact it looks like an initial progression to a guy's full potential & it was or should've been obvious in hindsight.

He needs a QB who can hit him deep, sync with him to know his moves, and for the OL+QB to buy Moore enough time to do it. He's had very little of that his first 2 seasons. Garrett Wilson is more-special, but he's also running routes that are easier to get open right away rather than ones that require more like 3 or even 4 seconds to develop. 

[Sperm Edwards]

2 hours ago, Biggs said:

Midget WR who isn't as easy to see as a big target.  Jets interior OL was a hot mess.  He sucked with two tall QB's who can see over the line and have the angle to make passes to midget WR.  He complained when the Jets were on a roll.  He's a midget WR who can't make a contested catch and runs his mouth when the team is playing winning football.  

The Jets hyped this guy after they drafted him and all last year and this year.  When he was the only option and he was healthy he was getting targets and catches.  He wasn't complaining and the team was an absolute turd.  He decides to complain when the Jets have a true 1 a reasonable TE and a decent running game and are in the middle of the best Jets football in years.

Kids a mediocre talent and a crappy teammate.  

He's no giant, but c'mon with the he isn't as easy to see. He's 5'10" not 2'10" tall. 

Put another way, he's 97% as tall as Garrett Wilson. 

[Sonny Werblin]

yeah, yeah, yeah ... Moore was underutilized, but an argument can be made that just about every skill player on the O was underutilized. I think the more concerning issues with Moore are the fact that he did not capitalize on the opportunities that were provided to him and that he whined like a little bitch after a very big road win.

[rangerous]

12 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

Maybe not, but Zach didn't throw to him so much in 2021 either.  I had this argument already with somebody.  Maybe it was you.  Moore had 77 targets in 2021, 35 came from QBs other than WIlson.  He did target Moore 11 times in the Eagles game, after which Moore was shut down.   More importantly, 336 of Moore's 538 yards came from QBs other than Wilson.  This is despite Wilson playing 5 of Moore's 6 starts and 6 1/2 to 4 1/2 of the games Moore played in.  LaFleur surely had a hand, but I sure he isn't the only factor in Moore and Wilson sucking as a combo.  Moore said as much himself.

Okay. Wilson was out 4 games in the middle and Moore was out the last five.  I think the thing to be taken is that Moore was probably the 1 or 2 receiver so Zach was looking for him. And Zach wasn’t throwing it many times per game.  I think my point is Zach wasn’t throwing to Moore because he didn’t like him or something like that. He just wasn’t seeing him.

Believe it or not I’m not zwilson fan boy.  I want the best for the jets. But I also have a hard time thinking Douglas missed so badly and given milfy’s inability to get the offense in gear I can’t help but think he was a huge part of this.