Matt Moore concussed; Ryan Tannehill: ‘Not going to call it dirty. Obviously illegal’

Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore has been diagnosed with a concussion, according to a report from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly. Moore was hit in the head during the second quarter of the team’s game against the Dallas Cowboys on a play that was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Moore was out of the pocket and had begun to slide when Cowboys linebacker James Morris targeted Moore’s head, connecting with his shoulder. Moore’s head then bounced off the ground at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium.

Moore laid on the turf for a few minutes before shakily walking to the sideline. He was taken into the team’s locker room where concussion testing began.

Several Dolphins players and head coach Adam Gase addressed the play after the game. "Sometimes in football, it's a split-second decision a guy's got to make," Gase said. "He was sliding. It's hard. I wish the guy was able to pull off or should have pulled off, but that's what's what happens sometimes."

“I'm not going to call it dirty,” starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill told the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley after the game. “Obviously, it was illegal. He's clearly going down and the guy led with his helmet. I'm not going to call it dirty but it's definitely illegal. You hate to see it happen at any point, especially in a preseason game.”

Guard Dallas Thomas added, “That wasn’t right. They clearly saw he was sliding and they just attacked.”

Moore will now have to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol before he is allowed to practice or play again. The Dolphins face the Atlanta Falcons this week, a game which Moore could miss. Behind Tannehill and Moore, the Dolphins have Brandon Doughty and Zac Dysert at quarterback. Both could see more playing time in the game against Atlanta, which will be played in Orlando, but Tannehill will likely see the majority of the snaps as the team plays their third of four preseason games. Typically, teams use the third game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season and starters play into the second half.