IRVING, Texas – Rex Ryan has coached against Cowboys new starting quarterback Kellen Moore once already in 2015.
"Well, I tell you what, I saw him in preseason and he torched us," the Bills head coach said via conference call with the Dallas-Fort Worth media.
Then a member of the Detroit Lions, Moore played the final three quarters of the early-September preseason finale against Buffalo and completed 16 of 22 passes for 150 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown pass, in a 17-10 win.
Waived by Detroit at final cuts, Moore signed to the Cowboys' practice squad and has since had two separate stints on the active roster. He made his regular-season debut this past Saturday against the Jets, throwing for 158 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions after Matt Cassel was ineffective in four offensive series.
Sunday at Buffalo, the 26-year-old lefty will make his first career start.
"First thing that jumps out at you, he's a little bitty dude," Ryan said. "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 downplayed his preseason performance and its value in preparing for the Bills' defense this week.
"I don't think it's worth a ton," he said. "I was on a different team. It was a preseason game where probably realistically not a lot of people on the field will be involved in this game. Certainly you utilize it, you watch it and see what it's worth but you utilize more of what they've been doing during the season and watching those tapes."
