Dolphin Digest — October 2017

OCTOBER 28, 2017 Dolphin Digest 11

Moore comes to rescue
It’s gotten to the point where, when-
ever the starting quarterback for the Dol-
phins gets hurt, the expectation level is
that Matt Moore will simply come in and
play well and save the team. He did it
again against the Jets. When Jay Cutler
took a nasty hit from Jets LB Jordan Jenk-
ins on Miami’s opening second-half drive,
he left the game with a chest injury. In
came Moore, who should be nicknamed
“State Farm” for all of his rescue jobs.
Even after he threw an ugly interception
to Marcus Maye on his opening series,
that didn’t faze Moore in the least as he
continued firing away fearlessly and
many times in the face of fierce pressure.

WRs prove their worth
Without DeVante Parker on the field,
that put even more pressure on wide re-
ceivers Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills to
come up with big plays and they had a
bushel full in their bag on this day, com-
bining for 20 catches for 178 yards and
three of the team’s four touchdowns to help
Moore engineer the big comeback.

Rough day for O-line
It didn’t help that LT Laremy Tunsil was
lost midway through the game with a knee
injury and replaced by Jesse Davis, but it
was not a good day for the offensive line
with or without him as they were pretty
much manhandled by the Jets front line all
day. Jay Ajayi had nowhere to run all day
and the team finished with just 53 yards on
25 carries for an anemic 2.1 average and
also gave up three sacks.

THE 5 DECISIVE PLAYS

1. McCain Pick: With the game tied
   at 28 and looking like it was either
   headed to overtime or even perhaps the
   Jets putting together a game-winning
   drive, nickel back Bobby McCain was
   right where he needed to be when Josh
   McCown underthrew a pass with 39 sec-
   onds left, picking it off to set up the win-
   ning field goal.


2. Stills Touchdown: Kenny Stills
   capped off a brilliant day when he man-
   aged to reel in a short, tight throw from
   Matt Moore just barely over the end zone
   line, securing the ball just before he hit the
   ground for a 2-yard score to tie the game
   with 6:19 left.


3. Landry’s Leap: Trailing 28-21 and
   building some momentum, the Dolphins
   were staring at a third-and-10 at midfield
   and possible punt when Moore found
   Jarvis Landry over the middle. Landry
   then leaped over Jets CB Darryl Roberts,
   turning it into a 17-yard play and fresh set
   of downs.


4. Stills’ Juggling Catch: Even though it
   was early in the game, Miami’s opening drive
   was important. After the Jets had come out and
   smoked the Miami defense, going 75 yards in
   five plays to open the game and take a 7-0 lead,
   the Dolphins needed to answer quickly and did
   so with their own 75-yard, five play drive. But
   it was only made possible when Stills made an
   outstanding catch at the Jets 3 when he literally
   reeled in a pass lying on his back from a jug-
   gling ball that led to a tying TD on the next play.


5. Parkey’s Kick: All of the comeback
   heroics would have gone for naught had
   Parkey not stepped in and coolly nailed the 39-
   yard game-winner with 22 seconds left.

THREE TAKEAWAYS

31

DOLPHINS

GAME 6

28

JETS

Backup quarterback Matt Moore entered the game in the third quarter for an injured

Jay Cutler and was more than up to the task, rallying the Dolphins from a 14-point

deficit to beat the Jets.

This was a close call because there were

plenty of offensive heroes on this day, including

quarterback Matt Moore, but Kenny Stills gets

the nod after coming up big all game, finishing

with nine receptions for 85 yards and two huge

touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Stills’ first score came on a 28-yarder from

Moore with 11:21 left when he beat Jets corner-

back Buster Skrine in the front corner of the end

zone. One drive later, the Dolphins were on the

Jets 2 when Moore found him crossing over the

middle and he made a tremendous juggling

catch, securing the ball just before he hit the

ground. But his best catch of the day may have

come in the first quarter. That’s when Cutler

launched a deep ball his way where he went up

with Skrine and, with his back on the ground,

reeled in a loose ball for the catch at the 3.

GAME BALLS

• QB MATT MOORE — After throwing
  an ugly early pick, Moore bounced back and
  was outstanding, completing 13 of 21 for 188
  yards and two scores.


• WR JARVIS LANDRY — Not to be
  overshadowed by Stills’ great day, Landry led
  the team in receptions with 11, including a
  four-yard TD in the first quarter.

Player of the game: KENNY STILLS

Digest Photo / RICHARD C. LEWIS