Playmaking ability?
I'd rather see Sterling Moore riding the bench.
Of course we all want to see Dennard pass Moore, that's a no-brainer.
We need better play from our safeties; but also our CB's. I am hoping that Dennard was able to get his feet wet and be a good addition to this secondary.
For a back end of the roster guy, Moore isn't any different from any other player around the NFL. Every year we seem to have too many Antwaan Moldens, or James Ihedigbos, so I'm not sure why anyone would be getting on someone who has already proven himself as an upgrade?
As far as your "playmaking ability" question, maybe you should go back to the last 4 or 5 games of the season to try and refresh your memory. FYI--Moore led the team in passes defended with TEN, (in the last 5 games), had 2 INT's, a TD return from an INT, a timely strip of the Evans pass to clinch the AFC Championship, and a forced fumble in the Super Bowl which should have stopped the NYG's first touchtown drive inside the 5 yard line.
So far this year we've seen him do a very good job on Larry Fitzgerald (with the right safety help), and he has 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble. That's not too bad of an 8 game stretch right there, especially when compared to many of our other backup players in the secondary of the past.
Unfortunately, he isn't a starting caliber CB who should be covering the other teams' 6'4" #1 wide receiver either. I'll even take it one step further and say that he shouldn't be man-to-man on much of anyone and is MUCH better suited to be playing zone.
That said, he did a pretty decent job on Larry Fitzgerald with proper safety help. I have to assume that was probably the plan in this game too, at least to some extent. Moore is what he is, but I think the safeties are letting us down too. Let's remember that we had a rookie starting his first game ever...and Patrick Chung offering help on Demarius Thomas.
I hardly doubt that Belichick felt that Moore could keep up with Thomas without proper safety help. Hopefully we won't need that if Dennard can take over the role more.
I still personally think that Moore would be better suited for a role playing safety, in the Brandon McGowan mold where he comes in to help cover specialized assignments like the TE's over the middle etc. Even if that isn't the case, I still think he's better suited to be a rotational safety. In an absolute worst-case scenario he can earn his roster spot #50/51/52/53 by being a backup CB. I certainly did not expect him to be starting, let alone trying to cover other teams' #1's.
I would assume that Belichick knows what he's doing, and he will find some type of role for him, even if that means a lessened amt of playing time and a backup role.