Ryan Tannehill is our new starting QB

The key to last nights game, according to the Carolina announcers, was for Miami to "Find a Quarterback". If that's was the case then we can chalk the game up in the win column.

From what I saw, Tannehill took a sledgehammer to Matt Moore (Garrard also) and whatever chances he may have had to keep the rookie at bay. Moore is in the last year of his deal and is basically auditioning for a job elsewhere at this point. Garrard is due 2 million if he's on the roster come Week 1 so unless he comes back from injury and destroys Tannehill on the field sometime in the next week or so (not happening) there's a good chance he ends up being released. 1 million for a few weeks of mini/training camp? Good money if you can get it.

As for the game, it was more of the same from Tannehill. And this time it was vs an actual NFL defense. I'm grading on a curve here b/c of mitigating factors beyond his control but I'd give him a solid B, if not a B+.

The first drive begins with Tannehill drawing the defense off sides with a hard count. Not bad for a rook. I watched Henne for parts of 3 years and he never seemed to get a hang of this fairly basic tactic. Tanne's first two throws never made it to the target. One was a curl to Fasano that was batted down at the line. Tanne looked to Bess on a speed out but didnt like window so he came off to Fasano who had created more separation. But by then there was pressure in his face and the pass was swatted. Pass two was a 3rd and 2 slant intended for Nannee that was knocked down by the OLB. I'm calling bad luck on both of the swats though. Neither defender was in good position to make a play, they kinda just threw their arms up and the ball found them. Punt.

Drive two starts with an on target pass to Fasano that was flat out dropped. On 2nd down the run game, the alleged run game, let Tanne down. Incognito whiffs hard on his cut block vs the back side DT. Bush sees that the DE Johnson has sealed the edge play side, so he pauses to look for a cut block lane and WHAM. Shame too, because there was a gaping hole where the back side DT wasn't supposed to be. Now it's 3rd and 12 and Hicks-Martin decide to do their best Carey-Columbo impersonation. It was a simple DE-DT stunt, the DE loops inside, the G picks him up while passing the DT to the RT. Except our RT is on his *** after about 1.3 seconds, our RG totally ignores the DE looping into his gap with a free run at the QB, and Tannehill is soon enjoying his first dirt sandwich of the night. But he did manage to hit Reggie for a 9 yard gain. Punt.

Drive 3 was Tannehill at his best IMO. He starts off with a bad pass to Bush on a flare. The throw was off target, and I thought he was too quick to come off of his other 3 targets. Perhaps the dirt sandwich from the previous play was fresh in his mind. Alleged run game again, the RT gets destroyed so fast that the backside DE makes the tackle on a zone play to the opposite side, for no gain. I'm not joking here, a small child could've done just as good on the play. On 3rd and 10 Tanne handles an off target snap, and with both DEs bearing down on him throws a dart out to Bess for the first. Then we go play action and to no ones surprise, the defense isn't fooled. It's a rollout and while the RT isnt on his *** this time, he is about 5 yds down field when the pass is thrown so had it been a completion, and had the refs not sucked, there would've been a penalty. I figure it was a makeup call though, b/c on Carolina's first drive there was a O-lineman 4 yds down field ALREADY BLOCKING Trusnik before Newton ever released the ball. The play went for 20+ yds IIRC. Maybe illegal man down field is no longer illegal and I just didn't get the memo.

Alleged run game again, this time the LG can't get on the LB before he shoots the gap and hits DThomas for no gain. Luckily, Tanne drew the DL off sides with another hard count. You watchin this, Henne? Instead of 3rd and 10 (ST Coach: Punt Team Get ready!!!) it's 2nd and 5. Interesting play here. We're in base personnel, offset I, 1 TE 2WRs but Carolina has an 8 man front with no attempt to disguise it, to guard against, what? The alleged run game? I think maybe they felt sorry for us, it was 17-0 at this point. Anyhow, Tanne executes a nice playfake and hits Wallace on a deep comeback vs extremely soft coverage, easy like Sunday morning.

After nearly drawing yet another offsides, Tanne looks for Wallace on a quick slant but the DE has dropped into the lane, tired of whooping the RT's *** I suppose. Tanne pulls it down and scrambles right, barely missing Wallace on an improvised out cut. An incompletion yes, but I like how Tanne kept his head, didn't force the throw and tried to make a play. Not bad for a rook. 2nd down, more play action, more pressure off the right side, incomplete to Wallace on another comeback route. 3rd and 10, Carolina showing blitz up the middle, disguising the DB who's coming off the corner from Tanne's backside. But Tanne changes his protection, puts the back to the side of the blitz, and hits Fuller down the seam, behind the LBs who had walked up to show blitz, first down. Not bad for a rook. Next is a check down to DT who walks out of a tackle to pick up a decent gain. Carolina then comes with the LB inside blitz they faked on the 3rd down play, Tanne rushes a throw outside to Bess for no gain. Bad pass, but the decision was good, he avoided a sack and kept his team in a manageable 3rd and 5. Ooops, never mind. LG forgets the snap count, false start, 3rd and 10. This time Carolina blitzes off of the right side, Tanne stares it down, steps up, and delivers a strike to Moore on an out cut. First down.

More of the alleged run game now. This time it's Javorskie Lane's turn to miss a block on the back side, forcing Slaton to the middle where there's a LB waiting for him because the Center whiffed on his combo clock. 2nd and 9. What was that about keeping a young Qb out of obvious passing situations? Shotgun, decent pass pro this time (DL looks tired), Tanne hits Fasano in a tight window down to the 2 yd line. DThomas does the rest, 17-7.

Helluva drive by our new starting QB. He displayed everything in the toolbox save for taking off and running which we know he can do, he was a friggin WR for 2 years. Good velocity, accuracy, touch, improvisation, decision making, blitz pickup, courage, resilience. Yeah it's only preseason, and I'm not annointing him the 2nd coming of anyone, but he's clearly shown that Matt Moore and Dave Garrard aren't good enough to keep him on the bench. Gotta get him some better WRs though, or else it's going to be a LONG season, especially on offense.

Quick notes on the non QB's:

-I won't bash the D when Dansby, Burnett and Wake were all out. But there were s few things that had me concerned.

-The run D was still solid b/c Soliai was in there, but the pass rush was non existent, the tackling was shoddy, and there was some curious officiating as well.

-The P.I. on Sean Smith doesn't get called 90% of the time. Arm fighting is pretty much legal as long as the defender is playing the ball. I still don't know what Vontae did to
Steve Smith that Steve Smith didn't do to Vontae twice as much.

- Jason Trusnik is Tim Dobbins/Channing Crowder bad in coverage as a MLB, if he has to play there in a game that matters it's trouble. He's not much use in pursuit either, not enough speed to take a good angle on the ball.

- Westerman, Shelby, Vernon, it's a little tougher against opposing team's starters, isn't it?

-Richard Marshall, wherefore art thou, Richard Marshall? Same for you Legadu Naanee.

-I hope we're saving all of our Charles Clay plays for the regular season b/c we're hardly using him at all and outside of Bess he's our best receiver.

-Good ish, Clemons. You found the ball under the truck that ran you over.

-BS'ing days are over Vontae, time to get serious. You're not a vet like Dansby, Wake, etc, you gotta play thru the preseason, even if you don't want to.

-I think the defense could be sick this year.

-I think the offense could be sickening this year.

-That is all.

 

Nice

 

Good point, it's definitely possible for Garrard to get back into things if Tanne starts lookin like a soup sandwich. But IMO he seems to be getting better, not worse, and it's gonna be tough to put the genie back in the bottle.

Next week is the last "real" preseason game and a regular season starter will probably be named soon after, if not before. Right now that would be Tanne IMO, leaving us with 2 backup QB's set to make 2+ million each. If they are on the roster for Week 1, their contracts become guaranteed so I could see us cutting one of them and then re-signing them if ish goes haywire later on.

 

Don't eff wit me buddy. I got killers on my team...

 

I agree, our WRs are horse**** and our OL hasn't lookd good either. My question is, IF Tanne proves he is the best QB on the team, how do you tell him he can't play?

 

I don't think RT will be as much of a problem in the regular season. There are ways to help your T (or any 1 lineman) if he is struggling, TEs/RBs chipping, half rolls, screens, draws, play action, etc. Apparently, the coaches are letting JMart take his lumps and I don't necessarily blame them but there's no denying that these past two weeks have been awful. I don't think they want to play Murtha at RT b/c he's the only viable backup for Jake, but if this continues they may have to strongly consider it.

 

And piss off what most of us agree is our best chance at contending anytime in the next 5 years? While also ignoring the avalanche of pressure from Tanne, other players on the team, the fans, and the media, to let the kid play?

I suppose Philbin could do that. But I don't see how that path is any less risky than just putting him out there and letting him play.