There are two things that pop into people’s minds when you say the Miami Dolphins: first, the 1972 undefeated season, and second, Dan Marino.
Dan Marino is without-a-doubt one of the greatest quarterbacks and players in NFL history, and few can match his statistical achievements. However, one thing that Marino never did was win a Super Bowl, something that has plagued his legacy since he hung up the cleats. When the Dolphins selected Ryan Tannehill with the 8th overall pick in the 2012 draft they had high hopes that he could be the next great quarterback in a long line of great Dolphin quarterbacks and bring a Super Bowl ring back to Miami. After two years at the helm, the Dolphins are starting to see the upside of a still-young Ryan Tannehill.
The Facts:
Ryan Tannehill has enjoyed success in his first two seasons, but has been plagued by inconsistent play and awful offensive lines. During his rookie season in 2012, Tannehill went on to set three franchise rookie records. He broke the Dolphins single season passing yards in a rookie season with 3,294 yards, had the most passing completions with 282, and also had the most passing attempts with 504. Tannehill finished his rookie campaign with 3,294 passing yards, a 58.3% completion percentage, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He finished the year with a 72.6 QB rating, ranking 27th out of 32 eligible quarterbacks. Not a great rookie year, but something to build on.
Tannehill followed up his rookie campaign with a better statistical season in 2013, but could not stay off the ground and had trouble holding onto the football. By now everyone knows about the Dolphins offensive line bullying scandal that played out last year and how much of an impact it had on the Dolphins young quarterback. Playing with an awful offensive line, Tannehill ended up being sacked 10 more times than the next closest quarterback. He finished the season having been sacked 58 times, and with those sacks inevitably came fumbles.
However, despite all of the offensive line problems, Tannehill saw an increase in all of his major passing categories. He saw his passing yards increase to 3,913 yards, while he saw his passing touchdowns double from 12 to 24. He threw 104 more passes in 2013, which caused his interceptions to climb from 13 to 17, though his touchdown to interception ratio was much better than in 2012. His QB rating went up to 81.7%, which ranked him, 24th out of 37 eligible quarterbacks. A better year than his rookie season and something for Dolphin fans to get excited about.
The Verdict:
2014 is a big year for Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins as an organization. Year three is when quarterbacks make the leap from being good to great. Tannehill does have to learn a new system with Bill Lazor coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles, but high expectations still exist for the former Texas A&M Aggie.
Personally, I expect Ryan Tannehill to take the step from middle of the pack quarterback to a top 10 quarterback in this league. He has all of the tools to succeed: a big arm, mobility, and good leadership.
The Dolphins added a new weapon, in former LSU WR Jarvis Landry, to help compliment Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Charles Clay. They also added RB Knowshon Moreno, who should help add some semblance of a running attack that they have been missing over the last few years. Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas are both overrated and not starting NFL running backs, so the addition of Moreno should really help Tannehill’s development. Finally, barring injuries, he should have a stable offensive line that should be keep him on his feet and allow him to lead the Dolphins to a potential playoff berth.
The 2014 season should show Dolphin fans what they have in their young quarterback and if he can finally bring all of his tools together, they will be very happy with the result.
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