DAVIE, Fla. \u2014 The Miami Dolphins dispensed with any pretense of suspense regarding their quarterback situation.
Ryan Tannehill was ruled out of Sunday\u2019s 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\u2019t ready to practice because of a sprained left knee.
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\u201cIt felt like it was the right thing to do,\u201d Coach Adam Gase said, \u201cjust so we can move on in this week and not play, \u2018What are we going to do?\u2019 and focus on what we\u2019re doing right now with Matt.\u201d
Moore, a 10th-year pro, is 2-1 as Tannehill\u2019s replacement and will make his first career postseason start.
\u201cHe knows he\u2019s our relief pitcher,\u201d offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said. \u201cWe try to make the decision early in the week because it\u2019s hard to get two guys prepared. He assumed he was doing it. He has continued to prepare as a starter.\u201d
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\u2019t put him on injured reserve.
Gase said he believes Tannehill is close to returning to practice.
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to keep talking to him, and he needs to keep letting us know where he\u2019s at and how he feels,\u201d Gase said. \u201cWe try to do different drills with him and just try to figure out what he can articulate to us.\u201d
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\u2019s career-best 93.5 this year.
\u201cHe\u2019s been in the league for more time than Tannehill so he\u2019s got more experience,\u201d Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell said. \u201cFor us on the back end, whether it\u2019s Matt Moore, whether it\u2019s Tannehill, it doesn\u2019t make a difference for our preparation. Our job is still to stop the run, create turnovers and put pressure on the quarterback.\u201d
The general manager is up to the task, but he knows winning the AFC East won\u2019t be easy. Not with Tom Brady still going strong at 39 for the New England Patriots.
\u201cIn my phone, I think I have Tom\u2019s birthday logged in there,\u201d Maccagnan said Thursday. \u201cSo every time his birthday comes up, I know he\u2019s getting one year older.
\u201cI\u2019m just joking.\u201d
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\u2019s bad news for Maccagnan and the Jets.
\u201cI have to find a new voodoo doll, I guess,\u201d 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\u2019s bunch.
\u201cIt\u2019s not unattainable,\u201d Maccagnan insisted, but the gap between New York and New England seems a lot larger than ever before.
\u201cYou can\u2019t sit there and look how high the climb is,\u201d Maccagnan said. \u201cYou 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.\u201d
The team owner is preaching patience, though, and to trust in the process.
\u201cI understand their anger,\u201d Johnson said Thursday. \u201cYou\u2019ve just got to be confident in what we\u2019re trying to do.\u201d
That would be sustained winning and making the postseason, something the Jets haven\u2019t done in six years.
It\u2019s the longest drought in Johnson\u2019s tenure since he took over the team in 2000, and the worst for the franchise since the 1992-97 seasons.
\u201cEveryone\u2019s entitled to their opinion,\u201d Zenner said. \u201cIt sounded like he said some pretty nice stuff, so I\u2019m appreciative of that.\u201d
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.
\u201cThere\u2019s not many white running backs in the NFL but he has to be the best right now,\u201d said Bennett, a standout defensive end for Seattle. \u201cHe\u2019s doing such a great job of cutbacks and hitting the hole. He\u2019s a really good back.\u201d
It\u2019s 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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