Dolphins rally led by Moore falls just short

Nov 20, 2017 - 12:06 AM MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- In a scene that has occurred too often with the Miami Dolphins, it was backup quarterback Matt Moore to the rescue at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

However, the relief effort didn't result in a win.

Moore, who joined the Dolphins in 2011, played the entire second half after starting quarterback Jay Cutler was removed from the game at halftime due to an evaluation for a concussion.

The backup signal-caller managed to rally the Dolphins (4-6) from a 13-point deficit to a 20-20 tie late in the game. However, a late field goal by Tampa Bay and a touchdown on a lateral-oriented kickoff return sent the Buccaneers to a 30-20 win.

The former Oregon State quarterback said he spoke a message of "positivity" to his teammates when he came out as the Dolphins took the second-half kickoff.

He added that head coach Adam Gase told him he was going to replace Cutler with about five minutes left in the halftime intermission, but Moore said the sudden announcement didn't change his mindset.

"I understand my role. My role is the backup quarterback on this team. When it's time to play, it's time to play," said Moore, in his 10th season.

"I've done this a long time and had to come off the bench to play. You just understand your role."

Moore said the score of the game when he came in -- Miami trailed 20-7 at halftime -- dictated a second half that needed big "chunk plays," especially on third down.

"You've got to open it up a little, obviously with the score the way it is," said Moore, who was playing in his third game this season. "When you're down, you have to push it a little bit."

Moore engineered drives that led to two Cody Parkey field goals in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 20-13, but the big blow was his 61-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills to tie the game 20-20 with three minutes remaining.

"Kenny was lined up inside. The corner, (ex-Dolphin Brent) Grimes, really stuck to Jarvis (Landry). Kenny got outside and had good leverage on the safety. With his speed, he's difficult to cover. At that point you just put the ball up," said Moore, who was 17 of 28 for 282 yards.

Moore also has a positive message for the rest of the Dolphins, who travel to Foxborough next week to play the first-place New England Patriots.

"It'll be a test, for sure. I think guys just need to come to work and grind and focus on getting better. I mean, that's all you can do. There's no magic potion, there's no nothing," he said.

"You come to work, get better, learn the scheme, execute the scheme and move forward. That's it."