Breaking Down Miami Dolphin QB Ryan Tannehill

Many times the intangible talents of a quarterback are the difference between a winner and a loser. In the previous article, those intangibles brought forth a confirmation that Ryan Tannehill had already risen to the vaunted status of “Franchise Quarterback.” It was only a year ago, the same tag was placed on Mark Sanchez in New York, but in six games, Sanchez has lost much of the luster that was generously heaped upon him.

While the intangible “it” factor is an absolute must for an NFL quarterback, it cannot sustain that quarterback over the long term without the tangible performance indicators to back it up. The intangibles will win games in critical moments. The tangibles will win games on a consistent and long term basis. For these reasons, a “Franchise Quarterback” should not only have the “it” factor, but he must also have the numbers behind “it.”

It’s obvious to all Dolphin fans that Ryan Tannehill has the “it” factor, the intangible qualities that make one QB standout from others. As a rookie, the talents of Tannehill have not been seen in Miami since number 13 took over in 1983. Marino had the same intangible flair, but by his second season, he had shown the tangible qualities that would sustain the Miami Dolphins for the next 16 years.

Overall, the numbers do not lie, the following stats are all courtesy of ESPN… How the numbers are derived is not as relevant as the names on the list. Notice the names in red below, they are all the Super Bowl winning QBs still playing in the NFL. The players ranked 2-4 are multiple winners and it is probably a consensus opinion that Rodgers and Brees will end the season much higher than they are currently ranked. At number 17, Ryan Tannehill is an average NFL QB. Notice where the aforementioned Sanchez resides in the ranking…

Since Miami has a bye week it is a good time to use statistics to see the areas where Ryan Tannehill has done well and where he will need to improve if the rest of the NFL is going agree, the “franchise” tag is appropriate. Breaking down Tannehill’s passing performance by opponent, wins and losses, yardage, and quarter, the good and not so good can be identified and the Dolphin coaches can understand the areas of weakness that need improvement. What follows are Tannehill’s current total stats, the chart for Eli Manning is included for comparison.

The final column on this chart is in the old QB rating formula. A rating above 90 is considered good using this method. The numbers are higher for Manning across board. Tannehill is a rookie and a comparison with a veteran like Manning is not meant as criticism, it is shown as an indication of where Tannehill must go in the quest for Franchise QB status. The Following charts Tannehill’s performance against the teams Miami has played this year.

What immediately jumps out on the chart is how dependent the Dolphins are on Tannehill playing a good game. In every win, his rating is above 90.

Overall, Miami played poorly against the Rams, but the defense kept them out of the endzone and it should come as no surprise that Tannehill had his best statistical game of the season. The slightest mistake by Tannehill in this game would have been the difference. A performance like this against any other opponent except perhaps Houston and Miami would have won. It means, even though he is a rookie, as Ryan Tannehill goes, so go the Miami Dolphins. The following are the stats by yardage splits.

As a note, ESPN has not yet updated Tannehill’s stats for week 6, so the data is a week old. The chart shows the effect of the West Coast Offensive style, the majority of the passes are 20 yards or less and the most prevalent are 10 yards or less. As the passes get longer, the level of difficulty gets higher and that is what separates the Franchise QBs from the rest of the pack. The Franchise QBs are consistently accurate at every yardage. Notice the same chart for Eli manning.

The consistency is nearly identical and even gets better with the longer throws. This may be more of Manning having a better understanding of reading defenses and knowing when to throw the deeper pass. Notice the affect TDs have on the rating, scoring is what wins football games and separates Franchise QBs from the rest. To reiterate, Tannehill’s a rookie, the charts are meant to teach, not to criticize. The next chart shows Tannehill’s passing splits by quarter.

This chart shows Tannehill is better at the beginning and end of games than in the middle. It could be an anomaly, but it seems to point out another inconsistency that will affect the outcome of games. By allowing teams opportunities to get back into games or put games out of reach, such as what happened against Houston.

As the team prepares for the final 10 games of the season these are the indicators of what Tannehill needs to work on. Other teams will be looking at these statistics and will alter their defenses to take advantage. If the shorter passes are more consistently completed and longer ones not, then teams will continue to creep toward the box without the fear of plays being made behind them. This may already have been noticed as teams are shutting down the run with 8 in the box and blitzing more often. There will need to be deeper plays to push safeties back out of the box or Miami will become very easy to defend.

It’s a learning experience for the rookie, but by knowing the deficiencies and working through them, he can get to the level of Franchise Quarterback.

A level not seen in Miami since number 13 retired 13 years ago...

Ryan Tannehill's Development Has Been Wonderfully Handled

I feel like I can say the following statement about Miami Dolphins rookie QB Ryan Tannehill with absolute confidence, and I doubt that I will get much resistance to it:

Ryan Tannehill will be a much better quarterback than Chad Henne ever was.

Like I said, I doubt I will get much resistance with that statement. I believe that Tannehill has the potential to be so much more than Chad Henne ever could be. That's not a knock on Henne, either. Henne was a good quarterback. He was never great, but he was always pretty good.

Tannehill has already shown incredible development after just six games. His confidence, decision-making, and poise in the pocket are so much better now compared to Week 1 against the Texans, and the thing is that he didn't even look bad against Houston. I was extremely encouraged by what I saw then, so I'm ecstatic at what I am seeing now. He looks like an experienced veteran at times commanding the offense, not a rookie who's only played in a little more than a third of an NFL season.

Ryan Tannehill's rapid development up to this point can be attributed to two things, and the first is Tannehill himself. He has a ton of ability, and his willingness to work hard has helped him get to where he is now. It would be a mistake on my part to act like he isn't a huge reason for his own success.

The other reason for his development, which is the whole point of this article, is the ability of the Miami Dolphins as a whole to surround Tannehill with the right people and to put him in the right offensive system. He's been surrounded with everything he needs to succeed. During the draft he was viewed as a guy who, because of his only starting two seasons in college as a QB, would need a few years to develop before he'd be ready to start in the NFL, but every problem that was supposed to come as a result of Tannehill's inexperience was canceled out by Miami's ability to surround him with the proper people and system.

Instead of starting his NFL career at a disadvantage he was able to start at an advantage with plenty of help and support.

Tannehill's college head coach, Mike Sherman, was hired as Miami's offensive coordinator, and he brought more than just a knowledge of Tannehill's strengths and weaknesses with him. He also brought the same offense that Tannehill had been running for two years and implemented it with the Dolphins. Tannehill came in already knowing 75% of the playbook, which was huge because he didn't have to spend a ton of time learning the plays. Adjusting to the speed of the NFL was a lot easier because he was able to just play football and didn't have to think too hard about what he needed to do.

Hiring Joe Philbin as the Dolphins head coach also turned out to be a great move. Philbin has firsthand experience developing an elite quarterback. He was the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers for much of Aaron Rodgers career, so he knows what a franchise quarterback is supposed to look like. I can't say exactly how much Philbin has been a part of the Ryan Tannehill's development, but I suspect that he's played an important role.

Whether you like Miami's front office or not, you have to applaud them for the moves they've made this offseason. I understand that Jeff Ireland isn't the most popular guy in Miami, but we should give him some credit for what he's been able to put together.

Heck, one of Ireland's best moves was trading away practically nothing in return for Reggie Bush. Reggie has been instrumental in Tannehill's development. Miami was able to lean on Bush for the first few weeks while Tannehill got his bearings.

All in all, the Miami Dolphins have done an awesome job turning Tannehill into an NFL quarterback. We're witnessing the young rookie develop right in front of our eyes, and I don't think there are many people who saw him coming along this quickly. The way he handles pressure is incredible, and he has been fun to watch.

Now, I always try my best not to overreact. I feel like I am usually pretty good at thinking situations through and looking at the whole picture before I jump to conclusions. So, know that what I am saying has been well thought out. I'm not quite sure whether or not I will get resistance to this statement, so here it goes:

I believe that Ryan Tannehill will be the Miami Dolphins quarterback for the next 10-15 years. I believe that he is the infamous franchise quarterback that we have been waiting so long for. It's been 4,658 days since Marino's last snap, and we now can finally stop searching. Tannehill is the answer. Will he be the next Marino? I doubt it, but he can still be something pretty special. I'm looking forward to watching him for years to come, and I don't think I'm the only one.

That's all I've got for today. Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.

The No-Names Return for the Miami Dolphins

The 3-3 Miami Dolphins are a 500 team for the first time since December 19, 2010. The Dolphins were 7-7 prior to finishing the 2010 season 7-9 and beginning 2011 with seven straight losses. Three consecutive losing seasons has left Miami out of contention for the playoffs and completely overlooked by the media. When picking teams during the pregame self-aggrandized four-letter network show, the Dolphins are not mentioned, as if the entire season is a continuous bye.

The fastest three minutes in football is void of Miami’s existence and when choosing the officials to call the games, the crew with the worst grade is sent to Miami. Even dregs like Solomon Wilcox commentate the games. There’s no pretty boy Brady or Sexy Rexy and his lap dog Tim Tebow, no Payton Manning or Drew Brees, no fancy monikered RG3s, not even a dog-fighting financier or a Ray Lewis walking away from murder. Miami simply gets no love...

These are the no-name Dolphins.

The team has fought their way to an even record prior to the bye week and the NFL is completely unaware of it. The Dolphins are in a four-way tie atop the AFC East, but their name is at the bottom of the list. There’s no logic, there’s no alphabetical sequence, there’s no statistical basis, and it’s as if an editor threw them in because the writer forgot they were in the division.

When rookie QB Ryan Tannehill won two of his first five games and threw for 1,200 yards, the stat didn’t appear until it was used a week later to describe Andrew Luck. No one in the league knows who Brian Hartline is except perhaps the fact that he is white makes him stand out like a smile in a room full of darkness. Reggie Bush is the only name on the team after the trades of Brandon Marshall and Vontae Davis and most NFL fans outside of Miami thought he retired when he gave back his Heisman Trophy. 

These are the no-name Dolphins.

Here’s a message to the NFL, the Miami Dolphins are taking it personal, they aren’t flying under the radar, they are flying straight into it like a stealth bomber ready to ruin some team’s day. The reason for the team’s recent success is exactly what the media does not see; there are no darlings in Miami. The Dolphins do not need a star or a sideshow because this is a team. Losing Marshall and Davis did not hurt; it elevated the play of the rest of the team because they know the team is greater than any individual.

The Dolphins have a bye week to rest and by the time they take the field again on October 28th in New York, the hype machine will be in full force as the calamity Jets take the field. For Miami, it will be a pivotal game. The Dolphins have not had a winning record since November 28, 2010 and to accomplish it against the rival Jets, would bring back some life to a fading Miami fan-base.

The Dolphins need Ryan Tannehill to continue on his current path toward franchise quarterback status. They need some help at WR and perhaps after the bye, Jabar Gaffney will be ready to play. Reggie Bush, Jake Long and Rickard Marshall will have time to heal. The media will all be riding on the Jets and Miami will sneak up and drop a bomb on the parade. A win in New York will place Miami back on the map. It will take much longer to gain national respect, but the signs are positive. 

These are the no-name Dolphins.

After two overtime losses and constant questions on whether Miami knew how to win football games, two straight close wins, put an end to that notion. To level the playing field, The Rams lost because of their kicker was on the short end of the kick this time. The officiating will even out as well if the Dolphins continue to win and begin to play against teams with national relevance.

Take a breath this week, but buckle up from then on Miami fans. The stealth Dolphins are coming and many unfortunate teams are going to be caught wondering how they lost to a team of unknown's. It all starts in New York by beating the hated Jets. Miami will rise again...

These are the no-name Dolphins.