Ducks of a feather: Dante Moore's best throws look a lot like Justin Herbert's

It was great news last week when NFL draft analyst Todd McShay reported that Dante Moore and his parents and agent are planning on Moore returning to the Ducks next season.

Scott Reed wrote Sunday that Moore's 24-yard completion to Malik Benson with the game on the line represented a growth moment for the redshirt sophomore, reading the defense and delivering a perfect strike to get the Ducks in position for a winning field goal.

Moore's dart in the driving rain on Saturday looked a lot like some of Justin Herbert's best throws against Pittsburgh in the Sunday Night NFL game, outdueling Aaron Rodgers to move the Chargers one game closer to the playoffs with a 25-10 win.

One day the two Duck starters will be dueling each other in the pros, but for now it's still about growth and development for Moore. He's struggled a bit at times this season when protection breaks down or opponents go heavy with simulated pressure, but his heroics in Kinnick Stadium (a 49-yard run, 5-7 passing for 47 yards on the decisive drive) will only make him more confident and in command as Oregon begins its drive for the College Football Playoff.

Moore's making the right decision staying in Eugene for at least another season. While he has the arm talent for the NFL, he still has to grow more instinctive about reading the defense and moving through his progressions.

It will help Moore too when he gets some of his weapons back. In the coming weeks Kenyon Sadiq, Alex Harkey, Dakorien Moore and Evan Stewart should be returning to the lineup, bringing even more explosiveness to the Oregon attack, which had to rely on the running game in the harsh conditions in Kinnick Stadium without its most reliable and explosive targets.

The Oregon offensive line is improving every week, with Poncho Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon, Dave Iuli, Isaiah World turning in some of their best grades in the Iowa game while allowing zero sacks and one tackle for loss against what was supposed to be an imposing Iowa front. Gernorris Wilson filled in admirably for Harkey.

Moore and the Oregon offense have persevered through adversity, and they're getting whole and getting healthy. They've now had experience in the harshest conditions and game-on-the-line pressure.

Benson too has proved to be a dude in the passing attack, fast with reliable hands. Moore said Saturday, "When his number is called, he's always making a play. I'm glad I have him as a teammate." Imagine him as a target in a passing game with FOUR next-level options, which the Ducks could have within a few days.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but the playoff semifinals and finals are at warm-weather sites in the country's lower latitudes, the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The dues the Ducks have paid in the cold and wet of the Big Ten, the hostile environments they've taken on and conquered, could make them far more than a paper tiger.