Ryan Tannehill is the most intriguing quarterback in the NFL, is he the Dolphins franchise quarterback?
I once heard the phrase, “Hard to trust honesty of inconsistent person.” This quote cannot reign more true for the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins Ryan Tannehill. In the NFL some players have figured out their game, some at best are lackluster and others players are average.
We didn’t perform up to our standards in any phase of the game offensively…I’m not happy about how we played offensively. It has to be better. We have to get this corrected. — Tannehill
In the Miami Dolphins case, we are three years into Tannehill’s career and we still have to wait to figure out what type of player Tannehill is. When he leads the offense, we don’t know what to expect from game to game. There are some games like the Oakland Raiders game when Tannehill threw for 278 yards, two touchdowns and finished the game with a 109.3 quarterback rating and looked impressive.
Or even when the Dolphins played against the Chicago Bears on the road at Soldier Field. Facing desperation and fighting against a 2-3 record, Tannehill was marvelous and threw for 277 yards, two touchdowns, a 78 percent completion percentage and a 123.6 quarterback rating in a win leaving the Dolphins record at 3-3. These are the times when Dolphins fans get excited because Tannehill looks as if he deserves to get ranked as an above average to mid-second tier quarterback in the NFL.
Then comes the times such as the game against the Kansas City Chiefs where Tannehill went 21-43 for 205 yards and a 48 percent completion percentage. Or the game against the Buffalo Bills where the Dolphins only scored 10 points and Tannehill had a 63 percent completion percentage. Those are the times even the most simple Dolphins fans lament for a change and ask “Why is Tannehill even playing? Where’s Matt Moore at?”
Picture these times of roller coaster performances for three years, then understand the pain of the franchise.
It is tough to watch a quarterback like Tannehill because we don’t know what his ceiling is as a player, or even if he has already reached it.
Last year alone, Tannehill’s numbers were literally around the same as Tom Brady’s. They each threw for 10 interceptions or more, they each had a 60 percent completion rating and they both threw for at least 24 touchdowns. This year early in the season it looked as if Tannehill had digressed because of how terrible his decision-making was. Now, after playing a string of consecutive games with a decent passer rating we don’t know what to expect, and it is extremely troubling.
Even against the Jacksonville Jaguars Tannehill only managed to throw for 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The offense only managed to score one touchdown and two field goals against the (1-7) Jaguars.
During the Tannehill’s post game conference against the Jaguars, he said this: “We didn’t perform up to our standards in any phase of the game offensively…I’m not happy about how we played offensively. It has to be better. We have to get this corrected.”
TANNEHILL’S ATHLETICISM
Thankfully the Dolphins have finally figured out they need to start using Tannehill’s strengths instead of his weaknesses. As one of the top seven most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL, the Dolphins need to use Tannehill in more rollout and scrambling situations. Let’s not forget that Tannehill was a former wide receiver.
For the last three seasons Dolphins fans have seen Tannehill stand in the pocket and attempt to read defenses like a traditional quarterback. Though reading defenses and standing in the pocket is a part of the procedure of playing quarterback, it’s not the only process while playing the position. Quarterbacks need to feel comfortable and have to have time and space to play well.
Against the Jaguars, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor created a decent game plan on offense and it resulted in Tannehill carrying the football five times for 48 yards, including a 30 yard run.
Mike Wallace and Tannehill are on the same page.
Thankfully, one of the reasons why Tannehill is playing so well this year is because he and wide receiver Mike Wallace look as if they are on the same page. In the first season of the Tannehill and Wallace relationship, it was one of the worst seasons for Wallace as a wide receiver. Wallace only accumulated 73 catches, 930 yards and five touchdowns.
This year though, the tandem is in sync. Wallace has 32 catches, 418 yards and has become Tannehill’s go to receiver when he is in the red zone or any time he is looking for a touchdown. In all but one two games this season Wallace has scored a touchdown. In the second season playing with Tannehill, Wallace has the same amount of touchdown catches (five) as he did during his first season wearing the aqua and orange. Currently, Wallace is on pace to have the most receiving touchdowns in his career.
The two only linked up for two catches for 59 yards in the win against the Jaguars, but a win is a win. For the Dolphins, this was a must win game since they need to stay a float in the AFC East to continue to challenge the New England Patriots in the playoff race. The fact that the Dolphins are in the playoff race is progression within itself.
The truth is no one knows if Tannehill is the franchise quarterback for the Dolphins. We can only play the guessing game at this point, but then again, what’s changed in three years to sway anyone’s opinion to either side?
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