Dallas Cowboys: Kellen Moore is right decision at QB

The Dallas Cowboys have nothing to compete for but pride for the next two weeks, so now it the right time for the team to see what they have in backup quarterback Kellen Moore and determine if he is a part of the equation in some way for the 2016 season.

Moore will be the 39th quarterback in the history of the Cowboys to start a game under center during the regular season.

On Monday, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett named Moore the starting quarterback, maybe his best decision at the position he’s made all season.

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The 2015 season has been a waste in the standings because the team didn’t have a solid Plan B for a potential injury to Tony Romo, and he was injured twice this season, playing in just four games.

When Romo was healthy, the Cowboys had a 3-1 record with him under center. Without him, they are 1-9, leaving them with a current record of 4-10 overall, with games still remaining against the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins, as neither of them are gimme games when it comes to the Cowboys.

Actually, winning the next two games will hurt their draft selection, and though we all know the Cowboys aren’t going to tank on purpose, they’ve proven this year they can’t win the close games (look no further than their 19-16 loss on Saturday night to the New York Jets).

They’ve been pretty inept without Romo running the offense (at least the passing game), which leaves the defense on the field for a little more than what they should be in games this season.

Dec 19, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel (16) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Now to get to the overall point of this … Matt Cassel should never start another game for the Cowboys again in his career.

For Week 16 against the Bills, Moore being named starting quarterback of the Cowboys feel right, plain and simple.

If you just look at the stat line, sight unseen of Moore, don’t do that, because at least he was playing a better overall game than Cassel.

Moore’s line was 15-of-25 for 158 yards with one touchdown and the aforementioned three interceptions.

The Boise State product averaged 6.32 yards per completion and had a 52.2 quarterback rating in his time under center against the Jets, as he entered the game in the second quarter.

In the same game, Cassel was 3-of-8 for 37 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, as nothing Cassel did on Saturday night was much to the benefit of the Cowboys.

For the season, Cassel has 1,276 yards passing for the Cowboys (eight games), averaging 6.26 yards per completion, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Cassel had his opportunity and he didn’t produce, but for Moore, this upcoming game, and even the season finale vs. Washington, will be his tryout to show the coaching staff of the Cowboys if he’s able to be a quality backup for Romo in ’16 or even the quarterback chosen to be groomed as the future of the franchise.

I doubt the latter will occur, but this chance of being the starter for Week 16 might be able to see if he’s worth keeping on the roster.

Though it was a completely different style and feel of football, while at Boise State in four seasons, Moore passed for 142 touchdowns, including a senior season of 43 touchdown passes. In his entire collegiate career, he threw for 14,667 yards and 28 interceptions.

Those numbers don’t mean much now, but it does show the Cowboys have a quarterback who has proven once before he can be a solid passer.

Moore played three seasons with the Detroit Lions (2012-14) as the backup to Matthew Stafford before signing with the Cowboys this past offseason. With the Lions, Moore never took a snap under center for them in a regular-season game.

Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com wrote this Monday morning about Moore being the starter for Week 16:

"“Two games at the end of a wretched season prove nothing, whether Moore throws 10 touchdown passes or 10 interceptions. Any defensive coordinator or coach will tell you it takes four to six game tapes to dissect a quarterback’s strengths. … We might have a clue about Moore after two games, but nothing definitive.”"

Since the next two games mean nothing in the standings (except where the team will draft), it does bring a sense of excitement for the final two games of this gloomy season.

Though this wasn’t the final result all of us imagined for the reigning NFC East champions at the start of the season – a team that was one win away from the NFC Championship game last season – at least Moore being the starting quarterback gives us something to care about as the season wraps up.

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How do you think Moore will fare in his start against the Bills, a defense that is ranked 23rd in the NFL in passing defense?