Dolphins win won’t stop ‘We Want Moore’ chants
The ‘We Want Moore’ chants could be heard loud and clear throughout Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday against the Titans. Despite the win, they’re not likely to subside any time soon.
The reasoning behind the Miami Dolphins decision to bring Jay Cutler in after Ryan Tannehill‘s season-ending knee injury was because the thought process was that Matt Moore could not lead the team for an entire season. After the first quarter of the season, it’s evident that Cutler cannot either.
Dolphins fans have been chanting ‘We Want Moore’ for quite some time, even when Tannehill himself was playing poorly under former head coach Joe Philbin. The chants calmed in 2016 after Adam Gase took over, and Tannehill had his best season yet. This was supposed to be the year that Tannehill really turned the page, but his injury forced the Dolphins to readjust.
Gase had worked with Cutler in the past in Chicago so it made sense why he would reach out to Cutler to talk him out of retirement. With Tannehill’s injury coming just a little over a month before the start of the season, it’s understandable that Gase wanted someone familiar with the system.
Through the first four games, however, Cutler has been awful. His performance on Sunday against the Titans was his worst yet, and the fans let him hear about it. The ‘We Want Moore’ chants were let out every time Cutler stepped out on to the field or when he made a mistake, which was quite often. The Dolphins could not get anything going on offense until the 4th quarter when Cutler connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry for the Dolphins first relevant touchdown in three games.
Miami was able to hold on for the victory, made possible by a defense that continues to improve week after week. The offense, on the other hand, appears to be getting worse. When asked about a possible quarterback change, Gase wasn’t having any of it.
"“That’s fine. They chanted for Matt Moore last year when we played against Tennessee. I’ll make the decision on quarterback. We’re not going to take public polls.”"
Gase is not interested in who the fans think should be the starting quarterback, and at halftime said there was “zero percent chance” of a QB change. While Gase is right in that fans should not dictate nor should there be a type of public poll, something needs to be done and quickly.
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Regardless of how high the players speak of Cutler, it doesn’t discount the fact that he looks uninterested out there and lackadaisical. His numbers are declining from week-to-week. Just yesterday, he completed just 12 passes on 26 attempts for 92 yards. That’s an average of 3.54 yards per attempt, his lowest of the season. His QBR in the last two games has been 9.6 and 6.5, respectively. Even if you don’t understand how QBR is equated like the majority of us don’t, you know that that is really bad.
When Cutler was asked about the chants, he played it off as if he didn’t understand what the fans were saying.
"“Honestly, I heard them but I didn’t know what they were saying. I don’t think anyone was going to tell me what they were saying at that point, so I just kept going about my business.”"
If you believe that comment by Cutler then I have some magic beans that I’d like to sell you. The problem with Moore is that you know what you’re getting. While he is the Dolphins longest tenured quarterback and one of the more respected players in that locker room, he is a backup for a reason.
Moore is not an ideal option for season length, but he is a player this team can get behind, and maybe the offense can start making a turnaround. What you can be sure of with Moore is his effort and leadership – both qualities currently lacking with Cutler. The Dolphins may have spent $10 million to bring in Cutler, but it’s clear that they are not going to get their money’s worth.
Gase may be reluctant right now to make a switch, but it should be in the back of his mind if things don’t change quickly. Cutler will likely get a week off from the ‘We Want Moore’ chants with Miami playing in Atlanta this Sunday. The Dolphins do host the Jets the following week, however, and you can bet the fans will let him hear it if a change is not made.