Miami Dolphins have confidence in Matt Moore

Quarterback Matt Moore last started an NFL game on January 1, 2012. With Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill possibly sideline for the rest of the regular season, Moore will start his first game in nearly five seasons this Saturday against the New York Jets.

Moore came in last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals when Tannehill left the game with an injury. Tannehill sprained his ACL and MCL and head coach Adam Gase says he will not be available for the next few weeks.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said on Wednesday that he feel totally confident in Moore’s ability.

“He tried to go out and win football games,” Christensen said. “He’s not scared.”

A day after the win over the Cardinals, Moore’s wife Tara gave birth to their third child Wyatt on December 12. Also on that same day, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase named Moore the team’s starting quarterback in their game on December 17 against the New York Jets.

Moore just handled those sudden changes with a certain Southern California cool, calm, laid-back charm just like it was just another week in the NFL. The reason Moore possibly handles change so well is because of how his career has gone dating back to his collegiate days.

As a senior quarterback at William S. Haas Hart High School in Newhall, California, Moore was rated as one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the nation. After high school, Moore decided to play college football at UCLA, where things did not finish the way he had hoped.

Moore was supposed to redshirt as a true freshman in 2002, but an injury to the Bruins starting quarterback and backup forced him into action. He appeared in five games with one start as he threw for 412 yards and two touchdowns.

In his sophomore year in 2003, Moore started the season as the Bruins starting quarterback in their season opener against the Colorado Buffaloes, but a knee injury put him on the sideline for three weeks. While Moore would play three more games for the Bruins that season, he eventually lost his starting job. After the season, Moore decided to transfer from UCLA.

In January 2005, Moore transferred to Oregon State and he had two solid seasons playing for the Beavers. In 2005, Moore finished with 2,711 passing yards as he finished second in the Pac-12 in passing yards per game 271.1 that season to only Matt Leinart of USC (293.5).

As a senior, Moore helped lead Oregon State to a 10-3 record. He ended the year with 3,022 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Oregon State played in the 2006 Sun Bowl that season as Moore was named the game’s MVP as he threw for 356 yards, four touchdowns while rushing for a touchdown as well.

While Moore was eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft, he was not selected. He later signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys. Despite playing in three preseason games for the Cowboys, the team waived him. The Carolina Panthers then claimed Moore off waivers.

Moore played four years with the Panthers as he played mostly in spot duty during his first three seasons. In 2007 with the team out of playoff contention, Moore helped the Panthers to a 2-1 record as he threw for 564 yards, three touchdowns as he finished with a quarterback rating of 86.1 in those three games. For his efforts, Moore was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for December.

After starting quarterback Jake Delhomme suffered a season-ending injury in 2009, Moore played in led the Panthers to a 4-1 record in the team’s final five games. In his five starts, Moore threw for 990 yards, eight touchdowns against only one interception as he finished with a rating of 104.9 in those games.

Carolina decided to release Delhomme in 2010 and Moore was then named the team’s starting quarterback. Moore suffered a concussion in the Panthers season opener against the New York Giants and was later benched for Jimmy Clausen.

After three games, the Panthers decided to re-name Moore as the starting quarterback. In five games, Moore had his worst season as a pro as he finished with 857 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions in six games. After the Panthers had drafted Cam Newton with the number one overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the team decided to release Moore.

Miami then signed Moore to be the team’s backup to Chad Henne in 2011, but he would see a lot of playing time in his first season with the Dolphin. When Henne went down with a shoulder injury that eventually landed him on season-ending injury reserved, Moore led the Dolphins to a 6-6 record as a starter as he threw for 2,497 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Moore was named the 2011 Dolphins season team MVP.
Despite being the team’s MVP, the Dolphins selected quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the eighth overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. Since then, Moore has been relegated to being the Dolphins backup, but he has played in when the team has needed him.

After Tannehill had gone down with an injury in a 2012 game against the New York Jets, Moore relieved him as he finished 11 of 19 as he threw for 131 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins 30-9 victory. Moore hasn’t played a lot since Tannehill has become the Dolphins starter, but the team has the utmost confidence in him even though he hasn’t started a game in five years.

“I like that he goes out and tries to win football games,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said. “He doesn’t play scared. He doesn’t play hesitant. I like the way guys respond to him. He’s one of those guys that’s kind of a Pied Piper in the locker room that guys are attracted to and that guys enjoy being around, and he’s a live wire. He’s not unlike our head coach. He’s a cut-it-loose and let’s go try and win a football game guy.”

In the second half of the Dolphins win over the Cardinals, Tannehill was injured on a hit by Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell. With the game tied 23-23 late in the fourth quarter, Moore led the Dolphins to a game-winning drive that was highlighted by a 29-yard pass to Kenny Stills. That play set up a 21-yard field goal by kicker Andrew Franks in the rain to win the game 26-23 for the Dolphins.

“I haven’t called a play for him since (preseason Week 2 at) Dallas, so, it has been a minute, Gase said. “I just wanted him to be able to hear me call the plays. It’s one thing to do it in practice; it’s another thing to do it in this situation. I was trying to get him into the flow of the game that way. I was a little conservative early, but when we needed it, we knew exactly what we wanted to go to.”

With his wife having their third child, Moore wasn’t at the Dolphins facility the day after he helped the team get their eighth win of the season. If Moore missed a day or so, he would have likely been excused, but with him being the team’s starting quarterback, he was back in the team’s building the next day ready to help the Dolphins make the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

“It’s an opportunity, Moore said. “I’m just focused on getting better and winning one game. So, that’s where my head is at. I’ve done this before, so like I said, I’m just trying to jump in and have these guys and myself really not miss a beat. I’m just preparing for one game and one focus.”