DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins dispensed with any pretense of suspense regarding their quarterback situation.
Ryan Tannehill was ruled out of Sunday’s playoff game at Pittsburgh, and backup Matt Moore will start for the fourth straight week. The Dolphins announced the decision Thursday after determining Tannehill still isn’t ready to practice because of a sprained left knee.
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“It felt like it was the right thing to do,” Coach Adam Gase said, “just so we can move on in this week and not play, ‘What are we going to do?’ and focus on what we’re doing right now with Matt.”
Moore, a 10th-year pro, is 2-1 as Tannehill’s replacement and will make his first career postseason start.
“He knows he’s our relief pitcher,” offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said. “We try to make the decision early in the week because it’s hard to get two guys prepared. He assumed he was doing it. He has continued to prepare as a starter.”
If the Dolphins win Sunday, Tannehill could return for their second-round game Jan. 14 at New England.
Such a scenario is the reason Miami hasn’t put him on injured reserve.
Gase said he believes Tannehill is close to returning to practice.
“We’ve got to keep talking to him, and he needs to keep letting us know where he’s at and how he feels,” Gase said. “We try to do different drills with him and just try to figure out what he can articulate to us.”
The Dolphins are 2-1 with Moore starting. He has eight touchdown passes, three interceptions and a quarterback rating of 105.6, which is higher than Tannehill’s career-best 93.5 this year.
“He’s been in the league for more time than Tannehill so he’s got more experience,” Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell said. “For us on the back end, whether it’s Matt Moore, whether it’s Tannehill, it doesn’t make a difference for our preparation. Our job is still to stop the run, create turnovers and put pressure on the quarterback.”
The general manager is up to the task, but he knows winning the AFC East won’t be easy. Not with Tom Brady still going strong at 39 for the New England Patriots.
“In my phone, I think I have Tom’s birthday logged in there,” Maccagnan said Thursday. “So every time his birthday comes up, I know he’s getting one year older.
“I’m just joking.”
But New England has won eight straight AFC East titles and 14 of the last 15. Brady said last season that he wants to play 10 more years, so that’s bad news for Maccagnan and the Jets.
“I have to find a new voodoo doll, I guess,” Maccagnan said, smiling.
The Jets struggled to a 5-11 season that put both Maccagnan and Coach Todd Bowles on the hot seat. They were within a win of the playoffs last year before falling short. One way to the postseason and ending a six-season drought would be knocking off Brady’s bunch.
“It’s not unattainable,” Maccagnan insisted, but the gap between New York and New England seems a lot larger than ever before.
“You can’t sit there and look how high the climb is,” Maccagnan said. “You just have to keep focusing on trying to make decisions that you feel will keep moving the team to the vision of where you want it. Unfortunately it just takes time.”
The team owner is preaching patience, though, and to trust in the process.
“I understand their anger,” Johnson said Thursday. “You’ve just got to be confident in what we’re trying to do.”
That would be sustained winning and making the postseason, something the Jets haven’t done in six years.
It’s the longest drought in Johnson’s tenure since he took over the team in 2000, and the worst for the franchise since the 1992-97 seasons.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion,” Zenner said. “It sounded like he said some pretty nice stuff, so I’m appreciative of that.”
The undrafted, second-year pro from South Dakota State has emerged as a No. 1 running back for the Lions entering their NFC wild-card game Saturday night on the road against the Seahawks.
“There’s not many white running backs in the NFL but he has to be the best right now,” said Bennett, a standout defensive end for Seattle. “He’s doing such a great job of cutbacks and hitting the hole. He’s a really good back.”
It’s the third time this season Gregory has been suspended. The first was a four-game ban, followed by 10 games on top of that. The latest suspension makes him ineligible for the playoffs that start Jan. 15 for Dallas, the top seed in the NFC.
The suspension is for one calendar year, meaning he could be eligible for the playoffs without another violation if the Cowboys make it again next season.
Barry spent the past two seasons as the Washington defensive coordinator, and it ranked 28th in the NFL in each of them.
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