Bills coach Rex Ryan preparing to defend ‘little bitty dude’ Kellen Moore at QB for Dallas

Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan sees what just about everyone else does when they look at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Kellen Moore – an undersized, left-handed quarterback without great arm strength.

Ryan got a first-hand look at Moore in the preseason, when the Bills faced Moore’s former team, the Detroit Lions. Moore finished 16 of 22 passing for 150 yards with one touchdown.

Ryan described that performance by saying Moore “torched us” on a conference call with Dallas-Fort Worth reporters on Wednesday.

Ryan went on to talk about his impressions of Moore, saying: “Well, first thing that jumps out at you, he’s a little bitty dude. You’re expecting these big, 6-5 dudes and here’s a guy that’s 6-foot. Then he’s throwing with the wrong hand.

“But he’s accurate. He’s poised. And obviously the numbers he put up in college speak to that as well. He’s a smart guy. That’s kind of what jumps out at you.”

Moore has become accustomed to the critics of him who call him undersized and question his arm strength. But his college numbers say he must do something right, as he went 50-3 in a four-year career at Boise State.

Now Moore is finally getting an opportunity to start in the NFL on Sunday in Buffalo, and he is hoping to prove people wrong once again. The Bills starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, has faced similar questions about his size and has proven people wrong so far too.

"Kind of used to the deal,” Moore said. “I'm not the biggest guy and kind of been that way for a while. Did it in college. I'm used to it. It’s not something that's going to cause me issues.

“I understand there are times I have to move in the pocket to see things. There's other guys, Tyrod being another guy for an example, that not all of us are all 6-5. Some of us shorter guys find ways to get it done."

Added Taylor: “If they want to look at size, look at the last two Super Bowls … there’s been a guy in [Seattle quarterback] Russell Wilson who is 6-feet at best so obviously size doesn’t matter. If you can play the game, you can play the game. … It’s more so knowing the game, being comfortable in a scheme and going out there and playing. I don’t necessarily put a limitation as far as size – if you can play, you can play.”

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Bills coach Rex Ryan preparing to defend ‘little bitty dude’ Kellen Moore at QB for Dallas."