Thanks to KTVB.com, we were able to watch the entire Kellen Moore press conference this afternoon. Thanks to head coach Chris Petersen, there was a Kellen Moore press conference.
Coach Pete gave a lot of insight into the decision-making process behind his selection of Moore as the starter. Though the the stats implied a virtual tie between Moore and senior Bush Hamdan, the coaching staff saw something in Moore that couldn't be measured.
"It really came down to a gut feeling," Coach Pete said. "Instincts and quick decisions are hard to teach, and that's where he excels."
Watching the press conference was like watching a proud father introduce his son at a family reunion. He defended Moore from sketchy questions (thank you, David Augusto), told jokes to make Moore feel more comfortable, and beamed when he spoke about the freshman QB. In short, Coach Pete acted like the rest of Bronco Nation felt: relieved, excited, and ready to move on.
At one point, Coach Pete told a story about watching Moore at a quarterbacks meeting prior to the Hawaii Bowl. He said that Moore was soaking in the information from offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin as if he were the starting quarterback in the bowl game. No word on what Taylor Tharp was doing.
Of course, there are still things that Moore must work on. Even Superman had his weaknesses, although according to Coach Pete, Moore's weakness might be that he's too much like one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
"He's got a little Brett Favre in him," Coach Pete said, piquing John Madden's interest. "That's the balance he's going to have to work through - make smart throws and don't take chances he shouldn't be taking."
Moore seemed entirely unfazed by the circus surrounding his makeshift podium. With the calm demeanor of an apathetic freshman, he took the media's questions with a figurative shrug as if to say, "I'm not that big of a deal." Of course you are, Kellen! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
And if anyone is worried about how he will hold up when the games start mattering, he does not seem the least bit worried.
"Once you're out on the field, you're just playing football," Moore said, explaining that the largest crowd he played in front of may have been the spring game.
Coach Pete will plan on limiting Moore's exposure to the media this season, making him available only after games. Did we say "game"? We meant "unfathomably awesome wins."