Schad: Moore should be starter
After scintillating second half, Dolphins backup deserves to lead team ... especially with Cutler struggling,
Joe Schad
MIAMI GARDENS — It is an extreme long shot, almost so unlikely to happen it’s not worth discussing, but we will.
If the Dolphins are to make the playoffs, despite a 4-6 record after a disheartening 30-20 home loss to the hapless Bucs, it is more likely that magical, spirited run would be led by Matt Moore rather than Jay Cutler.
Surely, Cutler has tried his best and played through broken ribs. Surely, Cutler has wanted his legacy to have a different ending.
But it just doesn’t feel we’re headed in that direction.
We do not know if Cutler, who was evaluated for a concussion near the end of the first half and did not return, will be available to play Sunday at the Patriots.
It is my belief that
Moore should start that game, either way, and moving forward, until such time that playoff elimination has occurred. At that moment, there could be consideration to letting David Fales or Brandon Doughty close out the season.
We will not second-guess the decision to sign Cutler to a one-year, $10 million deal, because we did not first-guess it then. Sure, we knew there were risks. Did we really think Cutler would suddenly develop into a quarterback displaying superior mechanics?
Nah.
Did we really think Cutler was going to develop into a quarterback who makes great decisions and throws the ball accurately, with any consistency?
Nah.
It was worth a flier due to the familiarity and the arm strength. On Cutler, these Dolphins got what they got and they can’t get upset.
We’ve seen enough. So why not take a shot with Moore, to see if that spark he offers can turn into a fire? Why not see if Moore can lead the type of unexpected playoff sprint Ryan Tannehill triggered last season, and, yes, Moore finished.
“My role is the backup and when it’s time to play it’s time to play,” Moore said after Sunday’s game.
But Moore entered the game with Miami trailing 20-7 and promptly led three scoring drives to tie the game, capped by a 61-yard strike to Kenny Stills to tie the game at 20 with three minutes left.
Moore brought all the things he’s always brought — energy, emotion, confidence, positive karma.
Hard Rock Stadium had life.
Dolphins players have seemed to hedge away from being too complimentary toward Moore because any remark could be parsed as some sort of slight toward Cutler.
That doesn’t have to be the case.
Cutler had a nice recent three-game stretch, completing seven touchdowns over eight quarters.
But even coach Adam Gase couldn’t confirm after this game that Cutler, when healthy, will be his quarterback for the remainder of the season. I know this because I asked him.
“Would you like to go back to (Cutler) this season when healthy?”
“We’ll kind of see where (Cutler’s) at,” Gase said.
“But healthy, Jay Cutler is your guy?”
“I want to get through tomorrow and see how he’s feeling,” Gase said.
Gase brought Cutler here. The two are close. It hasn’t worked out as well as Gase and Cutler would have liked. Frankly, not much has worked out as well as Gase and the Dolphins would have liked this season.
And, to be clear, it’s not all Cutler’s fault.
Cutler threw three firsthalf interceptions on Sunday and at least one was DeVante Parker’s fault, as he failed to haul in a catchable pass. There was also an apparent miscommunication and/or Parker trip in the end zone, leading to another interception.
Cutler was fooled on another interception, intended for Jarvis Landry. And we all recall how all emotion and life was sucked out of the Dolphins with a Cutler interception just before halftime at Carolina last week.
Cutler just has not seemed to deliver positive mojo. The team seems to react and respond better to Moore than it does to Cutler, and I don’t think it’s just because the team is often trailing when he enters the game.
I think it’s because Moore has strong leadership skills. I think it’s because the players know, trust and respect Moore.
“Who he is as a guy, it pumps you up when he gets in because he’s going to give you his all,” running back Damien Williams said in the locker room.
If Gase were to make a move to Moore, it wouldn’t really be all that controversial, since Cutler was knocked out with a concussion evaluation, he’s been playing with broken ribs, and he entered the game ranked 22nd in the NFL in passer rating.
Gase could wait and see how Moore performs at New England, much the same way it was much easier for Gase to go back to Cutler against Oakland after Moore laid an egg at Baltimore on a Thursday night.
Maybe in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Maybe the Dolphins finish 5-11 or 6-10 or 7-9 whether Cutler or Moore is under center down the stretch. But when Moore entered the game after halftime on Sunday with the team trailing 20-7, I felt Miami had a better chance to win than it would have if he was not entering the game.
Hardly anything has rolled right for the Dolphins this season.
But if there is any magic left in this Dolphins season, it would come with Moore under center, not Cutler.