If you didn't know much about football, or didn't watch Kellen Moore for four years, like say a football analyst or pro scout, you would think he's slow. You might think he can't throw an NFL ball.
But for those of us fortunate enough to see Moore play for four years, we know that analysis is full of holes. Like Larry Bird in basketball, Moore has eyes in the back of his head. He has a "sixth sense" to be able to tell when someone is bearing down on him, and slow or not, he turns it up an extra gear and is able to avoid an oncoming rusher. I'll also add that he's surprisingly strong and able to break tackles. Many times in his career at Boise State, I thought a defender would nail him for a sack, only to see Kellen shake it off, regain his field of vision, and spot an open receiver downfield for a big gain.
As for "not having a strong arm", I'll let last night's results speak for themselves. Moore entered the game in the second half with his team having a 16-3 lead. He proceeded to go 9-12 for 150 yards. Moore led Detroit to a touchdown on his first drive and, with the Lions facing a third-and-20 from the 50, his 19-yard throw set up a 48-yard field goal. Then, Moore and the Lion offense took over on their own four-yard line, and Moore led his team down the field with pinpoint throws, including another toss for a TD. Seventeen points, a 9-12 performance, a 96-yard drive, two touchdowns and one field goal in slightly over a quarter. Seems to me that's all that matters--you have a quarterback here that leads his team to long drives for scores.
If you're scoring 17 points in a little over a quarter, who cares what your 40-time is or how many push ups you can do? This insane emphasis on measurable exercises is what has gone wrong in the NFL. Rather than judge pure football talent, which is something the pro scouts are unable to do, they use safe measurable statistics to justify their jobs.
Kellen Moore is a John Elway or Joe Montana type of quarterback--and he proves that every time he is given a chance.
But for those of us fortunate enough to see Moore play for four years, we know that analysis is full of holes. Like Larry Bird in basketball, Moore has eyes in the back of his head. He has a "sixth sense" to be able to tell when someone is bearing down on him, and slow or not, he turns it up an extra gear and is able to avoid an oncoming rusher. I'll also add that he's surprisingly strong and able to break tackles. Many times in his career at Boise State, I thought a defender would nail him for a sack, only to see Kellen shake it off, regain his field of vision, and spot an open receiver downfield for a big gain.
As for "not having a strong arm", I'll let last night's results speak for themselves. Moore entered the game in the second half with his team having a 16-3 lead. He proceeded to go 9-12 for 150 yards. Moore led Detroit to a touchdown on his first drive and, with the Lions facing a third-and-20 from the 50, his 19-yard throw set up a 48-yard field goal. Then, Moore and the Lion offense took over on their own four-yard line, and Moore led his team down the field with pinpoint throws, including another toss for a TD. Seventeen points, a 9-12 performance, a 96-yard drive, two touchdowns and one field goal in slightly over a quarter. Seems to me that's all that matters--you have a quarterback here that leads his team to long drives for scores.
If you're scoring 17 points in a little over a quarter, who cares what your 40-time is or how many push ups you can do? This insane emphasis on measurable exercises is what has gone wrong in the NFL. Rather than judge pure football talent, which is something the pro scouts are unable to do, they use safe measurable statistics to justify their jobs.
Kellen Moore is a John Elway or Joe Montana type of quarterback--and he proves that every time he is given a chance.
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