Dallas Cowboys Are Now Committed To Kellen Moore

The Dallas Cowboys are now committed to Kellen Moore as their starting quarterback, a day after head coach Jason Garrett said that he was not, according to ESPN.

On Saturday, the Kellen Moore era started for the Dallas Cowboys. Jason Garrett felt the need to pull previous starter, Matt Cassel, from the game because he was struggling against the New York Jets. The Cowboys were battling to remain in the hunt for a spot in the NFL Playoffs, and Garrett had to do what he felt was necessary to get the victory.

Many were under the impression that Kellen Moore would have to wait until the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs before getting his chance to start. However, Matt Cassel struggled during the game. Out of the eight passes that the veteran threw, he only completed three of them. That was good enough for 37 yards, but Cassel also threw an interception.

Statistically, Kellen Moore didn’t produce a game that would alleviate the concerns of Dallas Cowboys fans. It is hard to get excited when your quarterback throws three interceptions during a game. That feat was done in less than an entire game, as well. Those turnovers negated the touchdown that Moore did manage to throw.

Now that the season has essentially ended, the Dallas Cowboys can look toward the future. Matt Cassel isn’t likely to be brought back, as Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones are now aware that his days of being a good starter are far behind him. Kellen Moore just played in his first regular season game in the NFL, and they do not yet know what his value is.

Over the next two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys will head to New York to face the Buffalo Bills and come home to close out the season against the Washington Redskins. Victories don’t really matter in those games unless you’re one of those who value moral victories over higher draft picks. It’s as good of a time as any to see what Kellen Moore can do.

A best case scenario for the Dallas Cowboys would be if Kellen Moore absolutely exploded in his first two NFL starts. If he can command the offense, move the chains and put up points, then Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones can focus their draft efforts on filling in starting positions on defense. They wouldn’t need to find a quarterback in the first four rounds.

Defensive starters should be a much higher priority than a backup quarterback if Kellen Moore can win the job. The Dallas Cowboys need a shut down corner back to start opposite Orlando Scandrick, who should be back from a season ending injury next season. Brandon Carr should be allowed to leave, while Morris Claiborne should accept a backup role.

Sean Lee seems to be injury prone for the rest of his career. Rolando McClain might be lured away in free agency. That means that the Dallas Cowboys need to invest at least one draft pick on a linebacker. Preferably, they would love to have Lee and McClain both on the field next year, as the two of them are starting to gel. A rookie would then complement the unit.

Aside from the backup quarterback position, which might be filled by Kellen Moore, the Dallas Cowboys don’t have a ton of needs on offense. Darren McFadden looked solid, meaning the team can wait until the later rounds to find another running back. Plenty of pass catchers for Tony Romo. The offensive line can be upgraded by returning Ronald Leary to the starting lineup and moving La’el Collins from left guard to right tackle.

However, Kellen Moore needs to win the job for all of the above to happen.

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