Right now a line-backing corps and at least one new coach, and an improved OL are the answer. Sadly, it'll take more than one off-season to get there.

The thing with QB's is that it's always easy to want a better one (unless you've picked up a legendary super-QB) but the QB's available are the QB's available. So it's not just 'better' but 'better and available'.

I like Ryan, I think he's got solid game. I think the biggest problem we had last year was coaching, and I'm really hoping we don't see more of the same this year.

 

I'm going to base it off passer rating, rather than playoffs.

I mean, if Ryan Tannehill has a 110 passer rating, but Lamar Miller & Suh & Grimes get hurt, and our running game & defense suck, and we don't make the playoffs, are you going to throw Tannehill under the bus?

If Tannehill has over 100 passer rating, then I'll say he's the answer.

If Tannehill has 90-100 passer rating, and he completes lots of deep balls (30+ air yards), then I'll say he's the answer.

But if he's dinking & dunking to a sub-90 passer rating and 8-8 record, then I'm going to question whether he's the answer.

 

I do not see how changing the OL and giving him a new coach will change him from steering receivers, making poor choices and incapable of throwing an accurate deep ball, so I don't believe he is a franchise QB now. Don't hate just sharing my thoughts.

 

QB is the least of our worries right now.

We gave up 161 rushing yards last week to Washington. Washington. Our $114 million addition was made invisible by Washington. Our OL was getting beaten on 4 man rushes. Our LB play was terrible.

We have many more concerns at this point that are going to prevent this team from making the playoffs. Ryan left some things to be desired Sunday, but he wasn't even close to our biggest problem Sunday, and I doubt he will be the rest of the year either.

 

Making the playoffs or not is not a QB qualification benchmark.

If Tanny plays like he did in Washington the rest of the way but the defense turns it on, and they propel us to the playoffs, then we won in spite of him.

If the defense tanks and Tannehill turns the corner we could still miss the playoffs.

That's why you have to look at the QB on his own merits and not merits of the team.

 

Well obviously it wouldn't, but it would affect the team's chances to make the playoffs, and that was the premise of the OP - that getting to the playoffs proves RT17's status. It doesn't, at least not while those other issues remain. Additionally, even if Tannehill isn't "the answer" in some generic, best QB's ever, sense, if there is no-one better than him available then he is "the answer" for the team at that point in time simply by virtue of the affect that there aren't any other better answers.

I think sometimes we live a bit too much in fantasy land where our team should always have the best of everything, but that's not reality. The best QB's don't fall out of the sky, they're either picked high up in the draft or a genius GM finds a diamond later on.

 

I don't think its as cut and dry as 'if he makes the playoffs or not'

Too many factors go in to winning and losing to say that. But if he doesn't improve and play well on a personal level, and the offense itself falters because of him then we may have to revist this question at the end of the season.

 

All I know is that if Lazor doesn't turn him loose and open up the offense a little we are in trouble too. O line is still worrisome, Lb's are mediocre. These are huge problems too. The one thing I do see is that when allowed Thill hits those 10-15 yard routes very well and the O moves the ball. Miller needs more than 13 carries a game, he seems to get better the more carries he gets. Also I keep hearing about this "fast paced " offense we run and I never see it other than in a two minute drill, which we run pretty well. I would like to see more of the hurry up stuff, it works for us.

It's the same as last year, move Tannehill around, get Lamar more carries and push the ball just a little bit downfield, limit some of this 1 step 2 step drop stuff, it's not gettiing enough yardage and D's are playing too close to the line.

 

As long as he's not the reason we're not in the playoffs, then I don't look too hard. Of course, I'll always have an eye on upgrading every position. My biggest fear this year is the coaching staff.

 

I feel exactly the same way. I do not feel the staff is getting everything out of the talent that is on this team. Don't care much for Coyle and I am really disappointed with Lazor's play calling. We will see if they can get things turned around this week in Jax.
It's hard to believe I am disappointed with a win, especially on opening day in a place where we have not won before, but the team just did not look good coming out of the gate. Once again they came out flat and that has EVERYTHING to do with the coaching staff.

 

And that's why Ireland was fired. He was right. But when you tell your boss that the guy he wanted and hired was a mistake, that in itself is a mistake. I'm not as worried about the coaching staff as many though. Sure it's not that good, but these are still NFL coaches whom I believe will only continue to grow. At the end of the day, talent usually prevails not great coaching and scheme. That's why I always think Chip Kelly will struggle until he realizes this (cough cough Maclin) and average coaches like Tomlin are able to win super bowls because of the talent on the team they inherit. Any coach on any level of any sport knows, talent sure does make you look a lot smarter and competent. And talent wise, I still believe we're a top 5 team in that category, maybe even higher. We will find out week 3. But last year with a lot less talent and no Albert, we still whooped that *** on Thursday night against the mighty beefalo jills lmfao.

 

I'll base it on his play. IMO only poor evaluators base it on playoff wins, SBs or other team measures. He only has to say "base it on wins" b/c most fans are idiots.

 

I don't believe there are any QB's in the HOF (franchise) who did not take their teams to the playoffs. That is a realistic and huge measuring stick

 

What is "opening" up the offense? Tannehill can throw the ball wherever he wants, he is the one making decision to throw short.

 

Don't hate? How about don't make stuff up.

 

I actually don't agree with this. To me they looked pumped and ready to go (ok, maybe the OL looked flat), but they made mistakes either way. Emotions only give a boost when you're also playing with the right technique and few mental mistakes, otherwise they just get in the way.

 

I've only ever felt confident in Tannehill if and when the others around him were "doing their jobs". As bad as this may sound he has yet to win us a game all by himself, which is what franchise QB's do. Obviously he can't throw the ball to himself and he can't block for himself but I question his confidence in big games that are a must win, and I question his ability to give those around him on the offensive side of the ball a sense of security.
I think he's got an incredible work ethic, I think he studies hard and is a student of the game, and I certainly think he has all the physical abilities someone like Drew Brees would die to have. However I think the difference between the two is that Drew Brees "knows" he's going to get that first down, he knows he's going to give his team a chance to win no matter what happens...Ryan Tannehill wants to do the right thing, he wants to get that first down, he wants to throw a TD to win the game....But the offensive line need to hold up and the receivers need to beat their man and catch the ball. Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady....They make a throw and complete it with five versions of Wee Man blocking for them if they absolutely have to. They make superstars out of seventh round draft picks, and receivers fresh off the waiver wire...Tannhill had two years with Mike Wallace and they could never get on the same page...EVER.
Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady....They get you that come from behind game winning touchdown....Ryan Tannehill gets you in field goal range to possibly tie the game. I'm not calling him mechanical by any means...I'm just saying that right now that is where we are at with Tannehill. Everything is there for him to succeed, his mental makeup just needs to improve and it might take a few years for that to happen. Tony Romo is just now figuring out the meaning of the word "clutch".

So to answer the question of the original post, yes I do consider him franchise level talent, but if we can't get to the playoffs this year because Ryan Tannehill can't play linebacker or offensive tackle i'm not going to blame it on him. What i'm saying is that he needs to elevate the play of those around him...Almost like make their jobs easier...If he's going to be a franchise level QB. Players around him need to be "afraid" to let him down thus elevating their play. I remember watching Marino back in the day, and he'd get right in a players *** if they didn't do their job. Tannehill needs to be doing the same...You see it a little bit, but the guys he goes to war with need to respect him enough to do whatever it takes to keep their game on point. Look at James Jones in Green Bay....Guy was cut by the Giants, I don't think his talent or speed could ever be denied in this league, yet he couldn't make the Giants roster... But he's going to step it up because Aaron Rodgers is his QB. I think a lot of it is psychological.

 

My guess is if we fail to make the playoffs it will have more to do with coaching than quarterback play.

 

How many franchise QBs played for garbage teams? How many garbage teams were making the playoffs? It's not realistic measuring stick, by any means, since wins and making the playoffs are a complete team accomplishment.

Such a simplistic view. All you need is an awesome QB!

 

Good post. Reading some of these comments you'd think the Dolphins were 1-4 not 1-0.

 

I think you have to base it entirely on what the alternatives are.

 

Leading us to the playoffs is a measuring stick though. Notice I didn't say if the Dolphins make to the playoffs. Did he lead us to the playoffs on the back of a crappy defense? Did he overcome adversity?

Was the defense lights out and he played like crap but we still make the playoffs? Then he doesn't get kudos for that. Did we barely miss the playoffs but RT played well, a la Romo? Then that is taken into account. So yeah, you have to look at how he played. Is he good enough to overcome a bad defense? Does the team need a mediocre defense for a Ryan Tannehill led team to make the playoffs?

All part of the equation. No litmus test here.

Since the Denver game of last year, Ryan has not played well, save for the meaningless Minnesota game. The game against the Jets, Baltimore, NE, Jets again, and now this game. He's played "ok" since the Denver game, whether you include the meaningless games or not.

But, it's only one game in. One game. Let's wait until game 3-5 before making initial judgments, 9-11 before more firm judgments, and the end of the season to do a real assessment.

 

For me he's a franchise QB going from Las year's play. Week 1 was a sub par outing but he still made some nice throws and decisions. He would have to stink up the entire season before I changed my mind

 

If we're competitive throughout the year, but miss the playoffs - aside from freakish bad luck then yes I hold him accountable luck.

He's commandeering the teams most pivotal position. I place importance on his shoulders to help influence, motivate, and elevate his fellow offensive players.

 

I've asked this before, but never got a response ..... where is this list of the game's upper echelon QB's who are sporting poor regular season and playoff records?

 

This reminds me of the debates I have seen and heard over the years about Marino, that he was not that good because he couldn't win a Super Bowl. Or the comments I have seen or heard over the years about Marino was not as good as this quarterback or that quarterback because they won Super Bowls and he didn't. I'll reserve my opinion on Ryan Tannehill till I see that he has the foundation this team needs to enable him to achieve what needs to be done to make the playoffs. When the rest of the team plays well and Ryan Tannehill's lack of plays or mistakes result in losses then I will point a finger at Tannehill and agree that he may not be the answer but may be the problem or part of the problem.

 

Depends on the circumstances but generally speaking this team is plenty good enough to make the playoffs so if they don't it'll either be because thill isn't that great or we had some key injuries. He's in his 4th season, yet he still gets more excuses than he deserves. I have high hopes for thill this year. His accuracy looked to be greatly improved in the preseason but week 1 he still looked like the inconsistent guy he has always been. At this point in time thill isn't gold enough to win a game on his own. Some fans seem to think you have to have an elite oline, rb, te and wr to be successful as well as a defense with absolutely no weakness. If that's the case, then that tells you right there that thill isn't a franchise qb. No qb had a team without weaknesses. He has more weapons then most and he isn't asked to make that many tough throws. He gets a lot of gimme, easy completions, namely to Landry. On a side note, it's not the coaches responsibility to make sure Thill doesn't throw 2 yard passes on 3rd and 5.

 

For arguments sake, let's assume the team did come out flat. What did the coaching staff do wrong? We re talking about grown *** men making millions. They have 16 games and this one happened to be opening day and it's the coaches fault they came out flat? For the record, I dislike most of our coaching staff but I'm not going to blame the coaches for the lack of execution early in the game of week 1 and pretend it's cause they came out flat. Truth is, they got dominated in the trenches early on.

 

"Still" refers to having already established himself as a franchise QB. Tannehill has yet to establish himself as one.

It also depends on how someone defines a franchise QB. I think of franchise QBs as a top 10 QB who regularly gets their team to the playoffs. Although a team sport, QB, BY FAR, is the most influential player determining a teams win/loss record. Franchise QBs elevate their game when the outcome hangs in the balance. That certainly can't be said of Tannehill yet. Miami has a legitimate roster so if Tannehill can't at least get Miami to the playoffs he doesn't deserve the label.

Could almost guarantee if Rodgers, Brady, Luck, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Brees, Romo, and a half-dozen more were the QB of this team we would be playoff bound.

 

If only there were already a thread where we could discuss Ruan Tannehill's worthiness/suckitude.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

 

We should make an official Dolphins thread. Then all other threads will cease to exist!

 

Yes, 11 guys on each side of the ball. No one guy can do it himself. I am literally of the same feel and situation as the OP, with fantasy and all. I think we need to realize how few decent QBs are out there. I'm sick of FA's and wasted draft picks. We got a baller.

We talk about missing Sims on a roll out 40 yards down field. RT17 needs help too. He doesn't get the sack fumble if Rishard makes that 4 yard catch! That was points off the board. He missed one or two rather tough downfield passes, but there were plenty of drops and miscues by WRs too. Season is far from over, and we aren't finished gelling and improving yet.

 

What were these miscues and who had these "plenty" of drops?The Mathews drop was the ONLY drop i recall and ive seem the game 3 times now The WRS didn't let Thill down in week 1. They actually made some good catches despite ball placement not being overly impressive.

 

It works in the club, then again you don't have knuckle-draggers infiltrating that place.

 

Honestly, I won't think of him as a franchise quarterback even if we do get to the playoffs. This is a team sport people, and we can legitimately win the next 15 games of the season exactly like how we beat Washington. And that would make people like Landry, Wake and a few others franchise players, but that doesn't mean the quarterback automatically gets all the credit unless it's actually deserved.

While I do like Ryan Tannehill a lot, he has yet to prove that he can consistently compete at the NFL level when the game is on the line. Franchise quarterbacks win games late in the 4th quarter with 1:50 left on the clock and down by 3-6 points, yet Tannehill has a 2-11 record in those situations. And that has to change for him to even be in the conversation of a franchise quarterback, plus all the mental errors (telegraphing throws, bad accuracy, not feeling pressure, not protecting the ball, not seeing open receivers deep, connecting with receivers deep, etc.). Again, note that I said MENTAL ERRORS...because I do believe that he has all the tools to be a franchise quarterback. He just hasn't put them together in a way that makes us a true perennial playoff contender.

 

He's fine. I'm not worried at all. He's the QB of this team now and for the future. I have full confidence in him. Not worried at all.

 

He is gonna light up the Jags for 350 and 3 tds, then we can go back to feeling good about our QB...

Ofcourse if he looks like he did in week 1??? Its certainly feasable to begin to panic. Pumped for Sunday!

 

Good Lord you guys are easy to please

your so desperate for success that making the playoffs has become the measuring stick

until this mentality leaves this fan base and Franchise New England will continue to dominate this division and we will be mediocre

 

That's ridiculous. First of all, there's not a single fan here who doesn't want Super Bowls.

Secondly and most significantly, what we want has ZERO bearing on the team's success.