Miami Dolphins Quarterback Position in a Stalemate

The Miami Dolphins have not had a quarterback since Dan Marino days and right now it is Matt Moore’s job but for how long?

Only time will tell whether the Miami Dolphins are satisfied with Moore under center. In taking a peek out into the free agency market and who could be on the trading block soon names like Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn, Jason Campbell, Kyle Orton, and Donovan McNabb fill the chart.

With that, who fits best with the newly acquired coach as the big man taking snaps? In evaluating who fits the job it comes down to age, career statistics, and who can come in and learn the offensive scheme of coach Philbin right away.

So let’s start off with the obvious.

Manning in Indy but for how long?

Peyton Manning is a hot commodity and as well he should be. Manning is a 14-year veteran, who can help a team out like the Miami Dolphins. The only missing piece the Dolphins need is a quarterback. Don’t get me wrong Matt Moore had one heck of a season in posting 2,497 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions but if you can get your hands on a player like Peyton Manning, there is no doubt the Dolphins would inevitable to not propose a trade. Yes the man is 35 years-old but if you have Manning as a starting quarterback in your clubhouse hopes are elevated. Also, this is an ideal situation for the long time Colt quarterback. He will be surrounded some young, fresh, and high caliber players in Pro Bowl MVP wide receiver Brandon Marshall, running back Reggie Bush (coming off a 1,000 yard season), Pro Bowl offensive lineman Jake Long, and statistically one of the better defenses in the NFL. Manning would run this offense like no other, whether it be dishing off passes to Reggie Bush in the slot or throwing the long ball to one of better wide receivers in today’s game.

Another ideal situation would be bring in quarterback Matt Flynn. He was in the Packers‘ quarterback depth chart for four years but now he is out there on the market. Does he follow his fellow former offensive coordinator? It totally makes sense from both perspectives. One, he can come into the organization and know what he is getting himself into. Two, he would be cheap for the Dolphins to retrieve. This kid has shown he can play. In week 17 this past season against the Detroit Lions he made name forhimself throwing 480 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception.

As far as Jason Campbell, Kyle Orton, or Donovan McNabb goes, they are complimentary quarterbacks that are at a point in their careers where they need to flash some light on their veteran presence in the National Football League. Campbell and Orton still have some left in the tank but good ole McNabb is running on empty.

The quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn would better the Dolphins playoff chances in the short term and long term. In regards of Manning’s injury, he came out and said he is ready to play but his agent says no timetable set quite yet.

Jason Taylor and the Miami Dolphins a Bitter-Sweet Ending

Defensive end Jason Taylor concludes his 15-year career with the Miami Dolphins (6-10) involving  a huge victory at home against one of his former teams the New York Jets (8-8), 19-17 on Sunday

The Miami Dolphins had nothing to lose in this game and crushed the Jets’ playoff hopes. The Dolphins finish the season winning five of their last seven games. With Reggie Bush absent in this game due to a right knee injury, there  had to be a force on the ground and it came from former West Virginia Mountaineer Steve Slaton. He filled the void in the backfield racking up 55 rushing yards.

Dolphins’ quarterback Matt Moore yet again finds away to survive throughout battles. He tallied 135 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Even though Matt Moore’s performance was unattractive he receive some power within his receivers Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess.

Throughout this 2011-12 season, the Dolphins have recorded a total of 13 interceptions. On New Year’s, they brought their “A-game” intercepting Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez three times.

Mark Sanchez’s performances late in the season were terrible. Sanchez continued to put the Jets in an unknown territory. He has been inconsistent when the empire needs him most.

The New York Jets lost their last three games. A rough ending and not a good start to the new year with some questionable calls and actions on their sidelines. Sitting in the farthest bench away from the vision of the field appeared an angry Santonio Holmes. With Jets losing by nine points there was still time on the clock to make a comeback and he basically made an “all she wrote” kind of action.

Miami Dolphins need to rethink this season over. After starting off the season with a horrendous 0-7 record, the Dolphins turned had to turn it around and did giving their season a whole new twist. As for the Jets, they need to find their identity within their franchise whether it be dumping Mark Sanchez or a coaching change. Both teams need changes throughout their organization. We will see what each time has in stored for the off-season.

As for Jason Taylor, keep an eye out for his feature post coming soon.

A New Year’s Showdown “feet”uring the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins will try to ruin the New York Jets‘ celebration on making the playoffs.  New York Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan‘s comments last February might have been blown out of proportion about making the super bowl (might not even make the playoffs).

There is a lot on the line for the New York Jets in making the playoffs, more than you would think. If the Jets win, quarterback Mark Sanchez will look like the “unsung hero” of New York. If they lose, the Jets could be looking elsewhere for a more sufficient quarterback.

What about the coach? Ah Yes, Rex Ryan (the feet lover). It is funny how he can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. He could possibly be on his way out since his words speak louder than his actions in every season. The Jets are on the verge of making or breaking. It seems to be that this victory is more important to keep their franchise alive.

Miami has been in the rebuilding process this season with a possible new coach and new quarterback in the near future. This game has a presence for the team to finish strong after another tough year. If the Dolphins become successful out of this win, it will bring a little light on the dreadful 2011-12 season.

Key Match-up:

The AFC battle: New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins-  These two rivals have a record of 47-43-1 in advantage of the Jets. This game means much more than just a victory; it means bragging rights. The second team in line for the AFC East could be the Miami Dolphins or the New York Jets and this game could help this cause.

Jets’ run offense vs. Dolphins run defense- LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene have a total 0f 1,223 rushing yards on the season, which is considered mediocre in the NFL. With an explosive back in Greene and a complementary back in L.T. these two can run through any force but can also be ran over at any time. The Miami Dolphins’ defense has been one of the rare strengths in their season. Defensive end Cameron Wake and outside linebacker Karlos Dansby have been the dominant pieces in their defense, which is ranked 14th in NFL defenses.This game will meet its expectations and be a battle for the new year. So who will win this game? Who has the edge?

Prediction: MIA 34 N.Y.J. 20- The Miami Dolphins are going to send the Jets flying back to New York and put Rex Ryan in his place.  And to top it off, the 15th year veteran linebacker Jason Taylor will leave the NFL with a happy and satisfied ending.

QB Comparison: Mark Sanchez vs.Matt Moore

Somebody tell Rex Ryan to stop talking and start living in reality. The New York Jets will never win a super bowl if quarterback Mark Sanchez is under center in my opinion.

Mark Sanchez:

The past two games Sanchez has been terrible to say the least.In week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles he had a total of 150 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. In last week’s game versus the New York Giants, his performance became worse, he racked up 258 yards but threw for one touchdown and two interceptions. I don’t want to hear the bologna about the competitive and tough defenses he is facing, he has been in the league for three years now, there are no excuses. Want to be the best,you got to beat the best. If the Jets chose a different direction in going out and retrieving a better quarterback  around all that talent, the Jets can potentially be a top team in the AFC but with Sanchez making the play calls, I don’t see it. Yes, he has tallied 3,267 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions but those interceptions might increase when they meet a tough Miami Dolphins’ defense.

Matt Moore: Can not give this guy a break. He played like a stud in the first half of the week 15 loss against the New England Patriots but in the second it seemed like he vanished. You could blame the defense for Tom Brady‘s scoring but Moore gave away all the ball against a sluggish Patriots’ defense, who are last in the NFL for their pass defense. Week after week Matt Moore has been doing just enough to get a victory but this week I can see him having a big week. Last time these two teams met he did throw for 204 yards and two interceptions.

Keep an eye out on the preview for Sunday’s game when the Jets fly into Miami to play the Dolphins on New Year’s Day.

Miami Dolphins Preview: Dolphins fly North to play the AFC’s best Patriots on Christmas Eve.

It’s about that time of year again. Every year around the holiday season, the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins have an AFC East divisional battle and expect the same tomorrow.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are coming off a big win in “Tebowland.” Denver won six consecutive games before losing to the conference’s best. A big help in the victory came from tight-end Aaron Hernandez, who tallied for 129 yards and one touchdown. The Miami Dolphins have been playing pretty decent as of late including a huge win in cold Buffalo. In the victory, Dolphins’ running back Reggie Bush rushed for 203 yards (career-best)  and is now 27 yards shy of a 1,000 yard season.

The Miami Dolphins have nothing to lose as their playoff chances have quickly vanished. On the bright side, the Dolphins’ fan base saw some great preparation out of interim coach Todd Bowles in last week’s victory and look to keep the wins coming. The Patriots have been on fire as of late and could keep the fire going into the playoffs with 13 wins.

With that,  there are going to be key match-ups favoring both of the teams in the battle.

Matt Moore vs. Tom Brady:

Moore has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the AFC this season. The South Florida team has looked for a quarterback they can count on and Moore is making a case as I have said in my previous posts. Moore and Brandon Marshall’s connection is on-point as with Chad Henne, it is not as close. The long ball is working and very accurate to the Dolphins’ receivers Brandon Marshall, Charles Clay, Brian Hartline, and Davone Bess.

Tom Brady has been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL this season, if not the best.  His two friendliest targets are tight-ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Both have a total of 21 touchdowns in the 2011-12 season. Brady has distributed 351 completions for 4,593 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The question is, who has the edge? I would say Brady, whenever you have number 12 on your side you can’t go wrong.

Reggie Bush vs. the Patriots’ defensive line:

Miami is ranked 7th in NFL rushing yards this season. Reggie Bush is 27 yards shy of the 1,000 yard count. This has been a definite breakout season for the sixth year veteran. In the past three games, he has tallied over 100 yards (vs. Raiders: 100, vs. Eagles: 103, and vs. Bills: 203).  The Patriots running defense has been lacking this season and looks to get worse ranked 19th in the NFL. This season there has been an invisible force on the defensive line for the Pats, having trouble to get around the blocks. I would say Reggie Bush has the edge. He is reading all the blocks correctly and is moving north and south instead of east and west (applause).

Miami Dolphins’ defense vs. The Patriots offense:

The Dolphins’ defense has quietly been one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL. They are ranked 3rd in opposition rushing yards and look to continue the dominance in stopping the run this week against Patriots’ running back Benjarvis Green-Ellis. However, the past defense has been awful, ranked 25th in the NFL. The Patriots haven’t been on the defense but there offense is the best offenses in the league. The defense will come to play but it will be tough to the pour the water on the hot Patriots.

Prediction:  MIA 27 NE 21

Happy Holidays!

Miami Dolphins’ Injury Bug Continues

Miami Dolphins’ tight-end Anthony Fasano will be watching Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots on the sidelines with a head injury. He did not pass the protocol tests in time to be cleared for Christmas Eve’s game. Quarterback Matt Moore came back from a concussion last week also, so the head injuries are coming often within the Dolphins.

There were questions in when he could have been concussed and I can not think of where he could have hit his head. Regardless, he is out for Sunday’s game and full back/tight-end Charles Clay will get the start.

Fasano has been a major target down-field for quarterback Matt Moore but so has Charles Clay. This will not effect the Dolphins’ play calls.

Keep an eye out for the Dolphins vs. Patriots Christmas Eve preview tomorrow.

Miami Dolphins Recap: Reggie Bush’s career-high leads the Miami Dolphins to victory

Todd Bowles was granted his first win as the Miami Dolphins (5-9)  defeat the Buffalo Bills (5-9) in impressive fashion 30-23 Sunday afternoon.

The questions involving if running back Reggie Bush can be an every down back are slowly evaporating as the former Trojan had a field day. Bush rushed for career-best 203 yards in the victory, he is now 27 yards shy of a 1,000 yard season.

Going into the game there were no doubts that the running game would show up but how about the Dolphins’ passing game? Quarterback Matt Moore showed no effects of the mild concussion he experienced in week 14, in connecting on two touchdowns involving a 22-yard pass to tight-end Anthony Fasano and a 65-yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Buffalo had trouble scoring throughout the whole game. Bills’ running back C.J. Spiller scampered 24 yards for a touchdown. The former Clemson Tiger finished with 167 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback, had a jagged day giving up three interceptions. Two of them caught by Miami Dolphins’ cornerback Vontae Davis.

The snow was pouring down all game and you would think it worked in the advantage of the Buffalo Bills, but the cards didn’t fall their way. Miami converted the cold into some fun as running back Reggie Bush sealed the victory sliding into the end zone.

The Miami Dolphins have won five of their last seven games and get a victory in the debut of their interim coach. I wouldn’t count on Bowles becoming the head coach but if he can help this team win out, he could state an argument.

Check out: Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills Highlights

Coach Todd Bowles Press Conference

 

 

Miami Dolphins Fire Head Coach Tony Sparano

Hours after the Kansas City Chiefs said good-bye to head coach Todd Haley, the Miami Dolphins dismiss head coach Tony Sparano. The former coach joins the list of Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley for fired coaches in the 2011-12 season.

Was the firing tough luck or bad coaching from the former Dolphins’ coach? In result of many season-ending injuries including starting quarterback Chad Henne, there was thought to believe head coach Tony Sparano would receive a free pass this season, but oh boy was I wrong.

In Miami, the former head coach had some flaws with his performance numbers. He posted a 29-32 record, not making the playoffs three out of the four years under management. It is frustrating from a president’s perspective when you have talent and they don’t show weeks in and weeks out. In order for the team to stay intact you must put the blame on the man running the team.

The highly competitive and free-spirited coach was fun to watch, very classy in the locker-room, and a players’ coach at heart. Throughout every game of the season whether it be the first week or last, you would see him hyping up and appaulding his team on the sidelines for their contributions on the field.

Tony Sparano will be missed as head coach of the Miami Dolphins but it is time to move on and take a different direction for the good of the franchise. When quarterback Matt Moore went down with a head injury in week 13, I could tell their could be a rebuilding process in the making, just a matter of when.

Another note, Jeff Ireland hired former Kansas City Chiefs’ president Carl Peterson to fill in the executive vice president of football operations position, which was once managed by Bill Parcells.

Miami Dolphins Recap: Moore-less Miami Dolphins lose

The Miami Dolphins were struggling to find any rhythm or momentum and were gradually stopped by the Philadelphia Eagles  26-10 in Sun Life Stadium Sunday afternoon.

In the past two games, the Dolphins offense came early and fast. The first drive of the game for the Dolphins fit the trend accordingly after quarterback Matt Moore connected with wide receiver Brandon Marshall for a 16-yard touchdown.

After the exciting drive, the Dolphins’ suffered an injury they couldn’t afford. Jake Long, the offensive tackle pro bowler, left early in the first quarter with a back injury. Subsequently, the offensive line had a hard time keeping quarterback Matt Moore secure.

The next five drives starting in the third quarter, brought the worst out of the Miami Dolphins as turnovers and injuries became prevalent. A pattern including a punt, missed field goal, interception, and two fumbles stopped the home team from scoring.

Matters became worse in the third when quarterback Matt Moore left the game with a head injury. He finished with 95 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Linebacker Rich Incognito: “We got Matt hurt. This loss is squarely on our (offensive line) shoulders.” #Dolphins

With back-up quarterback  J.P. Losman replacing Moore, there was little hope that the Dolphins could come back from a 24-10 deficit. Losman recorded 60 yards in the loss.

The only upside Miami had was running back Reggie Bush. He was the enforcer throughout the entire game on the offensive side of the ball, and tallied 14 carries for 103 yards.

Philadelphia erupted into a dominating force on the defensive side of the ball recording nine sacks in the win. Eagles’ defensive ends Trent Cole and Jason Babin sacked the Dolphins’ quarterbacks a total of six times in their victory. A comeback performance for Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick consisted of 208 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

The Miami Dolphins have three games and must finish strong and let this season go as their chances at making the playoffs are slim to none. Don’t forget to check out the Buffalo Bills preview later in this upcoming week.

Miami Dolphins Recap

Matt Moore making a name for himself with the Miami Dolphins

Matt Moore grew up in the small county of Van Nuys, California just outside of Los Angeles. Moore began his journey to the pros at Wlliam S. Hart High School in Newhall, California. With Moore at quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, you are probably guessing he played that position his whole life, well think again. Moore played safety his career through pee-wees up until he decided to make the transformation to the quarterback position his freshman year of high school.

Moore led his team to a 13-0 record and a Division III championship his senior year. In that game he recorded 277 yards, four touchdowns, and carried the ball for 97 yards and six points. Moore was officially named the CIF-SS Division III Offensive Player of the Year, First-team All State (impressive given California’s population) and First Team all CIF-SS.

After high school was over Moore jumped around with two colleges, University of California Los Angeles and Oregon State University. Freshman year, he went on to play at UCLA in which he appeared in only six games. With the injuries to Bruins’ quarterbacks Cory Paus and Drew Olson it was Moore’s time to shine. He had an average year as he made 33 completions out of his 62 pass attempts for 412 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

His second year at UCLA wasn’t as clear cut as his freshman year. Throughout the 2003 season he started four out of the eight regular season games he appeared in, but threw for only 555 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Moore took a different approach in 2004, as things weren’t really working out for him at UCLA and it was time to move on. College of the Canyons, a small community college in Santa Clarita, is where he took his education too, but little later did he know something big was on the verge.

You frequently see professional athletes start off by playing two sports, including Nate Robinson and Antonio Gates  who both made the transformation playing football and basketball. In result of playing baseball in high school, Moore was more keen to play baseball.

The 20-year-old played semi-pro baseball in Southern California in his spare time while attending community college. During his time in the league, there were many MLB teams scouting for wanted positions. And in the 2004 MLB Draft he was chosen at pick no. 24 by the Los Angeles Angels.

Given the circumstances, Moore would have had to give up football and he did not want that, so he took his services to Oregon State University where all the magic began to happen. Right from the get-go he became the leader and starting quarterback for the Beavers.

In the 2005 season with Mike Riley’s team, he recorded the ninth hightest single season yardage total in history for the Beavers with 2,717 yards. Moore’s senior year was one to remember.

Back-to-back successful years at Oregon State University led him to an All Pac-10 honorable mention leading the Beavers to a 10 win season and a Sun Bowl victory over the University of Missouri. Moore was awarded with the MVP of the bowl game.

Leading on to age 23 Moore was unfortunately not drafted in 2007 NFL Draft but he received an deak from the Dallas Cowboys, an offer he couldn’t deny. His spurt with Dallas wasn’t fancy in resulting in him being waived, and later being snatched by the Carolina Panthers

The Panthers took him into a quarterback role for four years where he was successful leading up to 2008. That year it felt like it was the end of the career for the former Beaver after breaking his left fibula in the first pre-season game.

Moore’s breakout season coincidentally came about a year later after replacing Panthers’ starting quarterback Josh McCown in the first game of the regular season. Stuggling to show the Panthers his skill set, he was waived this past summer.

With the Miami Dolphins’ having quarterback issues, whether it be due to injuries or inconsistency, they were looking to find a quarterback they can count on. They did just that on July 28, 2011, with Chad Henne going down against the San Diego Chargers with a separated left shoulder. Miami then gave the call to Matt Moore.

In this 2011-12 season, Moore has been the best the Dolphins could ask for. After starting 0-7, the Miami Dolphins have been 4-1 with Moore under center. Thus far, Moore has tallied 1,769 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions.

With the Dolphins having all sorts of help coming from the offensive line, running backs Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas, wide receivers like Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, tight-end Anthony Fasano, and the defense as a whole, Moore can only get better from here. He has shown he can be a starting quarterback in the past, present, and down the road the future.

Much help courtesy to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Moore_(American_football