Dolphins Tannehill Lacks All Important Ego

Ryan Tannehill drawing more criticism from fans. Photo by Brian Miller

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  As I watched the Washington Redskins run all over the Dallas Cowboys today I found myself impressed with what I saw in rookie Skins QB Robert Griffin, III.  I’m not a fan mind you and I see a young kid who has a long way to go in order to rise above similar styled QB’s.  You can’t discount what he has done this year however.  And yes, it is impressive.

What impresses me the most and as I thought about it, Andrew Luck as well, is that both QB’s have something that  Miami Dolphins rookie Ryan Tannehill has yet to show.  An Ego.

Both Luck and RGIII go out on the field and fight.  They claw, they run, they get upset when they lose.  They are ticked on the sideline and they take it personally when they put their teams in a hole.  The fact is, regardless of whether they are a rookie or not, they completely expect to win.  Every week.  It’s that attitude and ego that makes them leaders on the field.  It’s that ego that has their teams rallying behind them.

Ryan Tannehill has shown a lot of potential with his physical ability.  He has a raw talent that is just screaming to be fully refined.  He moves in the pocket very well, throws better than just about any QB in the NFL while on the run, and his accuracy at times is pinpoint.  So much so that he has the confidence in his ability to throw the ball into the tightest of coverage.  The truth is, Tannehill has shown all that is needed to be an NFL top QB.  Someday.  Sans one.

An ego.

Unlike Luck or RGIII, Tannehill shows very little emotion on the field.  He directs players where they should be but you don’t see him in the face of a receiver after a dropped ball or getting on top of a lineman for a missed block.  Not on the field and not on the sideline.  Throw an interception and it’s a walk to the sideline with little or no emotion at all.  This lack of ego and forward viewing attitude is what separates him from Luck and RGIII.  Not statistics and win/loss numbers.

Most fans will agree that Tannehill is very good for 58 minutes of a game but his failure in the final two minutes and overtime is at the forefront.  It was a knock he carried through college and up to the NFL Draft.  Questions about his leadership arose.  The reality is Ryan Tannehill is a quiet guy.  He himself said as much.  There will never be a Ryan Tannehill leading a thunderous chant prior to kick-off.  He is more like Aaron Rodgers than Drew Brees.  Quiet, cerebral, and methodical.  The issue is this team, a young team, needs some loud banging and thumping in their ears.

There is  a long way to go for all three rookie QB’s and the success that Luck is finding this year may not be what he finds next year when teams figure out how to beat him.  RGIII could very well suffer the same fate as Cam Newton in year two.  Ryan Tannehill could break out or break down.  There is, as I stated, a long way to go before any of them emerge as legit franchise QB’s.

But while I will say it’s unfair to compare stats of the three to each other as each possess different surrounding talent and different behind the scenes inspiration, attitude is something that some have and others don’t.  Somewhere, Tannehill needs to find his own and then he needs to expose it.