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Miami Dolphins
Concussed QB’s status for Pats game unknown
Jay Cutler will remain the starting quarterback if he’s able to play, coach says.
DAVIE — Jay Cutler will remain the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback if he’s able to play next Sunday at New England, according to coach Adam Gase.
Cutler remains in concussion protocol. He didn’t play in the second half of Sunday’s 30-20 loss to Tampa Bay so his status for the Patriots game isn’t known.
But Gase said Monday that Cutler will be the starter if he’s healthy.
“I mean Jay’s really done everything I’ve asked him to do,” Gase said, “and there’s no reason for me to say he’s not [going to start if healthy].”
Cutler has a 4-5 record as a starter with the Dolphins (4-6) this season.
Cutler has now left two of the past five games with injuries. He left the 31-28 victory over the New York Jets with a rib injury on Oct. 22, and then missed the following game, a 40-0 loss at Baltimore.
Cutler, 34, was limited to five games last season with Chicago due to thumb and shoulder injuries, the latter requiring surgery in December.
Cutler was 6 of 12 for 83 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions when he left the Buccaneers game. He had a 60.8 passer rating.
Backup quarterback Matt Moore then entered the game and went 17-of-28 passing for 282 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. He had a 106.5 passer rating, including a 61-yard touchdown to wide receiver Kenny Stills.
For the season, Cutler has been fairly conservative with his passes. Cutler aver-
“Jay’s really done everything I’ve asked him to do and there’s no reason for me to say he’s not [going to start if healthy].” Adam Gase, Dolphins coach
ages 5.91 yards per pass attempt, 33rd in the NFL. Moore averages 6.95 yards per pass attempt.
Cutler’s 82.7 passer rating is 33rd in the league. Moore has a 77.6 passer rating.
Gase was asked whether Cutler, lured out of retirement during the offseason to replace the injured Ryan Tannehill, has expressed any reservations about continuing his career.
“I haven’t talked to him,” Gase said.
The Gase-Cutler dynamic might be a factor in Gase’s decision to stick with Cutler. The two were together in Chicago in 2015 when Gase was offensive coordinator and Cutler was the starter. Cutler was Gase’s first call after Tannehill was injured during training camp and he was brought in as the starter as opposed to winning a competition with Moore.
Moore dusted off the line he’s used much of his Dolphins’ career on Sunday when asked about his role on the team.
“I understand my role,” he said. “My role is the backup quarterback on this team and when it’s time to play, it’s time to play.”
Moore started the blowout loss at Baltimore and went 25 of 44 for 176 yards, and had no touchdowns and two interceptions for 47.2 passer rating.
Moore started the final three regular-season games last season as well as the wild-card playoff game at Pittsburgh when Tannehill originally injured his knee and finished with a 2-2 record.
Gase said because of Cutler’s recent ailments he’s thought about possibly keeping three quarterbacks on the 46-man active gameday roster, to be prepared for an injury to the backup, who might be dropping back and throwing often because of the score.
“When there’s that much time left, it’s hard to be too protective, especially when you’re down,” Gase said of Moore entering Sunday’s Tampa Bay game in the third quarter and trailing, 20-7.
“I think last year when [Tannehill was injured] in the Arizona game, we were actually up and I was very cautious. But when you’re down, you just call it and you’re hoping for the best. I try not to say too much to Matt as far as, ‘Hey, be smart and don’t take any hits,’ because then that’s just one thing that he doesn’t really need to think about.”
Mistakes correctable
Gase seemed irritated by the 17 penalties for 123 yards against Tampa Bay but he didn’t seem angry. In fact, Gase seems to think if Miami’s offense, which is 31st in points per game (15.7) and 30th in yards per game (292.3), can eliminate the mistakes it can be good offensively.
“If we can just clean up our turnovers and cleans up some of our pre-snap penalties that group is a tough group to stop,” he said.
Gase was convinced the problem with the penalties can be reversed.
“It’s correctable,” he said. “It was disappointing that it really increased when we kind of made the switch [to Moore] at halftime. For whatever reason, we got a little out of sorts, as far as what was going on with the cadence, which is something we can easily correct.”
Annual turkey dinner giveaway
The Dolphins gave away boxed Thanksgiving dinners Monday in their annual Thanksgiving dinner giveaway at their facility in Davie.
Running back cut
The Dolphins waived running back De’Veon Smith, who was promoted off the practice squad Saturday.