Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore continued his preseason domination of the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
Moore went 16-for-22 for 150 yards and a touchdown (106.2 rating) to lead the Detroit Lions to a 17-10 victory.
“The big thing with him is that he’s very accurate, for the most part,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “He can get the ball where it needs to be, and he also can anticipate the throw. With him, he’s one of those guys that has a good feel for receivers and anticipating routes, and then also ball placement. Tonight he did a very good job of that.”
Moore is trying to secure a roster spot as the Lions’ third-stringer for the fourth straight year. Backup Dan Orlovsky, who outplayed Moore in the first three preseason games, was 2-for-4 for 21 yards with an interception in the finale.
Moore finished the preseason 29-for-47 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Those aren’t bad numbers, but they also aren’t as good as last year when he topped a 100 rating in three of four appearances.
Moore is 4-0 in preseason finales against the Bills. He has accounted for six touchdowns in those games.
New Bills coach Rex Ryan apparently wasn’t impressed with Moore.
“He’s a little bitty lefty. What do you want me to say? Big deal,” Ryan said, according to the Free Press.
Now Moore must wait to find out whether he’s done enough to stick as the Lions’ third-string quarterback for the fourth straight year. Caldwell said in the past week that the Lions might have other needs that would force them to cut down to two quarterbacks. Moore is eligible for the practice squad if he’s cut.
The roster deadline is at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Lions gave Moore a two-year contract with $340,000 guaranteed in the offseason. The total value of the contract was $1.825 million.
He brings value to the team in the meeting room even though he isn’t playing, the team says.
“He’s definitely a smart guy,” starter Matthew Stafford said, according to MLive. “He’s got a creative outlook with the way he views the game of football and how plays might work.”
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