Warren Sapp defends Matt Moore

[monstercat]

Matt Moore is the starter and hes earned that, but people are overrating the 5 games he played. He played under unique circumstances that allowed him to succeed. He had no pressure to win whats so ever, he had no QB competition whats so ever. He was playing with house money. Lets just see how he does when there is a bullseye on his back, when he knows hes the man and has to perform with the team on his shoulders and other teams have tape on him. Im not taking sides but starting the season as the starter is different then coming in for a guy that got benched at the end of the season.

I don't know where everybody is getting this notion that Matt Moore had no pressure to win, or that the games didn't matter for the other teams. How did that MNF game not matter for the Vikings when they were still fighting for home field advantage in the play offs, which BTW would have helped them tremendously if they had won it? How do you figure that the Giants didn't give a poo about winning their final game in the old Giants stadium? How were there not any pressure on Matt Moore when he was finally getting his chance to win a starting job that he had been working for all this time? I don't agree at all that there was no pressure on that young man.

[Davidson Deac II]

Like.. they get really choppy sometimes?

Anyways, I'm not entirely sold on Moore because he played well, but the games were pretty much meaningless..

But Woodson is horrible at making sense.

I am not sold on Moore either, but I even less sold on a guy who has never played a single NFL down.

Of course, I am glad they drafted Clausen. If Moore doesn't work out, maybe he will. But right now, the job is and should be Moore's to lose.

[RoachKiller]

I don't know where everybody is getting this notion that Matt Moore had no pressure to win, or that the games didn't matter for the other teams. How did that MNF game not matter for the Vikings when they were still fighting for home field advantage in the play offs, which BTW would have helped them tremendously if they had won it? How do you figure that the Giants didn't give a poo about winning their final game in the old Giants stadium? How were there not any pressure on Matt Moore when he was finally getting his chance to win a starting job that he had been working for all this time? I don't agree at all that there was no pressure on that young man.

How is that pressure on Moore? Thats pressure on the Vikings and Giants, not Moore. Of course, just being a starter on an NFL football team is pressure, but he had no pressure to win, Carolina wasnt fighting for anything important. The only pressure he had was to not be a scrub. JMO.

[Brooklyn Bully]

Moore's season rests on the shoulders of the WRs. That may be obvious, as they catch the balls, but if everyone not named Steve Smith doesn't step up...Moore will not get us to the Playoffs. Period.

I wonder how many Panthers games Sapp actually watched at the end of last season? IN fact, I wonder how many full games any analyst watches.

[SmootsDaddy89]

"How were there not any pressure on Matt Moore when he was finally getting his chance to win a starting job that he had been working for all this time?"

You're assuming he had any expectations of such when he was playing last year. Chris Harris said he wouldn't have believed for a minute, at the end of last season, that we would have made all the cuts we did during the off-season.

I don't know what was going on inside Matt Moore's head at that time, but there's nothing that says Matt Moore 100% expected to become the starter in 2010 until Jake was cut and he received the highest tender possible.

I think he'll play at least okay if he starts a full season, but to dismiss the fact that he hasn't had to play with any real pressure on him is ignoring a legitimate concern imo.

He's THE guy now, and when he comes out on opening day, every team is in the playoff hunt, and every game matters. Matt needs to make a dramatic shift in the way he has traditionally viewed playing the quarterback position in the NFL, or Clausen WILL overtake him and start from Day 1. If he can do that, he'll be fine. I have some legitimate concerns about whether or not he can, however.

[necroplasm]

I heard the Cowboys were shopping Patrick Crayton.....

I wonder what they would take for him.

[monstercat]

"How were there not any pressure on Matt Moore when he was finally getting his chance to win a starting job that he had been working for all this time?"

You're assuming he had any expectations of such when he was playing last year. Chris Harris said he wouldn't have believed for a minute, at the end of last season, that we would have made all the cuts we did during the off-season.

I don't know what was going on inside Matt Moore's head at that time, but there's nothing that says Matt Moore 100% expected to become the starter in 2010 until Jake was cut and he received the highest tender possible.

I think he'll play at least okay if he starts a full season, but to dismiss the fact that he hasn't had to play with any real pressure on him is ignoring a legitimate concern imo.

He's THE guy now, and when he comes out on opening day, every team is in the playoff hunt, and every game matters. Matt needs to make a dramatic shift in the way he has traditionally viewed playing the quarterback position in the NFL, or Clausen WILL overtake him and start from Day 1. If he can do that, he'll be fine. I have some legitimate concerns about whether or not he can, however.

You are all missing the point. Whether Matt Moore expected to become the starter or not, every time he got a chance to play in a regular season game, that was his audition, not only for the Panthers, but for some other team if it doesn't work out here. What these guys put on tape means everything to them if they want to keep playing in this league, and that is a lot of pressure no matter how you slice it.

[roaddog96]

Well, that proves your point, I guess.

Care to tell me how you know for a fact that Moore won't do the same thing his former teammate in Dallas did? You know, Tony Romo? Both were UFA's who sat the bench for a couple of years before they got their shot. Just because you can name one guy that failed, does not prove anything. Hell, you might as well say that Sam Bradford don't have a chance in hell because Jemarcus Russel was drafted #1 overall and failed.

The point is that Romo, Warner, and Brady are the exception, not the standard. Matt Moore is a solid QB, and I've stated as such in other threads in the forum during the past couple of days. However, I'm personally tired of solid, "game-managing" QB's. That's what Moore is to me, a game manager, another Jake Delhomme (in his younger days). That's what turns me off, because we don't have the defense at the moment to play that style of offense anymore. We don't have the type of defense where you can just try to grind clock on O, turn it over to the D and win close games. We need dynamic players at ALL the skill positions, including QB. We need to score points, and a lot of them...that's how we will have to win games. To win Super Bowls now, you need a franchise QB.

From the past decade, the Ravens (Dilfer), Colts (Manning), Patriots (Brady), Giants (Manning), Steelers (Roethlisberger), Saints (Brees), Bucs (Johnson), and the Rams (Warner) were the Super Bowl Champions. Only the Ravens and the Bucs won with a game manager at QB, and both had top 3 defenses behind em. Can you say that with all certainty that Moore will be a success? I can't say for certain that he will be a failure, but I just don't believe or buy into all the hype that he's getting from the fanbase. My fear is he does well next year, we commit big money to the guy, and he flops. I'd take the chance on Clausen before I'd go that route, cause at least if Clausen blew chunks, his salary wouldnt be high. But if Moore was to get a big contract and then stink, they wouldn't bench the guy...it would be the Jake situation all over again.

[pantherclaw]

Moore is the starter. There will be competition at the position, but moore experience and perfromance will most likely have him starting. As long as he plays well, hell be fine. The panthers won't trade away clausen. He won't have a high contract. He'll remain on the team. I do think regardless...this will be clausens team in 3 years, if not before then.

[monstercat]

The point is that Romo, Warner, and Brady are the exception, not the standard. Matt Moore is a solid QB, and I've stated as such in other threads in the forum during the past couple of days. However, I'm personally tired of solid, "game-managing" QB's. That's what Moore is to me, a game manager, another Jake Delhomme (in his younger days). That's what turns me off, because we don't have the defense at the moment to play that style of offense anymore. We don't have the type of defense where you can just try to grind clock on O, turn it over to the D and win close games. We need dynamic players at ALL the skill positions, including QB. We need to score points, and a lot of them...that's how we will have to win games. To win Super Bowls now, you need a franchise QB. Ravens (Dilfer), Colts (Manning), Patriots (Brady), Giants (Manning), Steelers (Roethlisberger), Saints (Brees), Bucs (Johnson), and the Rams (Warner) were the Super Bowl Champions over the past decade....how many won with a game manager at QB? Only 2, and both had top 3 defenses behind em. Can you say that with all certainty that Moore will be a success? I can't say for certain that he will be a failure, but I just don't believe or buy into all the hype that he's getting from the fanbase. My fear is he does well next year, we commit big money to the guy, and he flops. I'd take the chance on Clausen before I'd go that route, cause at least if Clausen blew chunks, his salary wouldnt be high. But if Moore was to get a big contract and then stink, they wouldn't bench the guy...it would be the Jake situation all over again.

First of all, Matt Moore did more than just manage the games. . Considering the fact that he was playing in a run first offense,which will not change no matter who is under center here, he was outstanding. Come on man...what QB had a better TD to INT ratio than Matt Moore in those last 5 games?

I can't believe you're worried about him succeeding and getting a big contract. What do you think will happen with Clausen a couple of years down the road if he succeeds? He's gonna want to get paid just like Matt Moore does. What are you gonna do, draft a new 2nd or 3rd round QB every 2-3 years just because you don't want to pay the last QB who succeeded for fear that he will fail after getting paid?

[mj4life]

i also feel moore is best as your backup who can play when needed, he did show how our offense looks when we take care of the ball. every game he started we never got down so we could still run the ball and our d played well. we don't know if he can put the team on his back and carry it( some games will call for him to do that)

[Brooklyn Bully]

I don't get how some of you are so high on Moore and are convinced he'll be fine, and can be a franchise QB...yet say Clausen will take over in a few years. If Moore is the real deal, then he's here for the long haul. If he's just filling in until Clausen is ready (if he is), then I can buy it...but I can't buy you thinking we'll have two franchise QBs on this roster. It happens so rarely. My brain is too tired to think, but the best example I can think of is Steve Young backing up Montana. Maybe Rodgers backing up Favre...but in both cases the starter was old. Matt is not old.

Thus the problem this will cause if both are excellent.

[Rononoa3000]

Lets hear your reasons why Moore will not continue to play as well as he did during the last 5 games of 2009.

I was joking.

[Snake]

Moore's season rests on the shoulders of the WRs. That may be obvious, as they catch the balls, but if everyone not named Steve Smith doesn't step up...Moore will not get us to the Playoffs. Period.

I wonder how many Panthers games Sapp actually watched at the end of last season? IN fact, I wonder how many full games any analyst watches.

Im sorry dude but did you even watch when Moore was in the game. He made Jarrett,Moose, and Kenny Moore look good. That in its self should prove the point he can win games without Smith. Yes its too early to call him great but what he did should not be forgotten or trashed ether. Period!

I don't get how some of you are so high on Moore and are convinced he'll be fine, and can be a franchise QB...yet say Clausen will take over in a few years. If Moore is the real deal, then he's here for the long haul. If he's just filling in until Clausen is ready (if he is), then I can buy it...but I can't buy you thinking we'll have two franchise QBs on this roster. It happens so rarely. My brain is too tired to think, but the best example I can think of is Steve Young backing up Montana. Maybe Rodgers backing up Favre...but in both cases the starter was old. Matt is not old.

Thus the problem this will cause if both are excellent.

Moore has shown Flashes and Clausen has all the tools. Still if Moore dose well and gets a Contract then we really will never know how good Clausen is unless Moore gets hurt. Just like with the Moore and Jake situation.