Complete 12 passes for 4 touchdowns? From a backup? The Dolphins will take it. The Matt Moore percentages are beautiful across the board: 12-18 for a 66% completion rate — and every third completion (33%) is a touchdown. Those numbers added up to an easy victory over the New York Jets for the Dolphins. The Jets also started their former backup quarterback in Bryce Petty, who left injured and gave the gig back to Ryan Fitzpatrick. But the Jets aren’t fighting for a playoff spot with Petty — they’re just muddling through. The Dolphins remain a real playoff contender with the win, and their backup looked like a seasoned starter.
Yet it was 9-year veteran Matt Moore’s first start replacing Dolphins regular starter Ryan Tannenhill, who is out with a knee injury. Miami was lucky to get the Jets, perhaps, for Moore’s debut — he more than found his comfort zone against a New York defense that frightens nobody. The Dolphins moved to 9-5 with the win and face the Buffalo Bills on the road next.
