Miami Dolphins season rests on the shoulders of Ryan Tannehill
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins season will hang on the arm, legs, and shoulder of Ryan Tannehill and he needs to step up and take it head on.
For seven seasons the Miami Dolphins fans have waited to see what Ryan Tannehill is as a quarterback. There has been maturity in his leadership and improvement in his deep ball accuracy but for all that he has done good, consistency is still a big problem.
There are three weeks left in the season and the Dolphins are in position to make a serious run for the playoffs but the success of the teams season will depend on how well or how poorly Ryan Tannehill executes the game plans over the next few weeks.
This is the time for Ryan Tannehill to step up and take control of this team. This is his time to show the fans and his team that he can lead them when it counts the most. Lead them to the post-season. Make no mistake, the next three weeks is all about making the playoffs.
If the Dolphins win out and do not make the post-season then it will be because outside factors made that happen. Other teams won out to make their season successful. In that case, Tannehill can’t control that. But he can control winning. Winning at least on the offensive side of the ball. Putting his team in position to win. Winning the field position battle, winning by consistently playing at a top-level. Ryan Tannehill needs to win.
The Dolphins for all their injuries and poor defensive play, for the four games lost with Brock Osweiler are in position to turn their season over to the quarterback that Adam Gase says has not yet reached his ceiling. It’s time, now, for Tannehill to reach that ceiling.
If Tannehill can play like he did against the Patriots, the Dolphins have a legit shot to win their final three weeks but if Tannehill struggles there is little chance they win enough to advance. In that event, you can expect calls for him being replaced to get much louder.
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Tannehill has a lot to carry these last few weeks. He has to overcome inconsistent play by the offensive line and he will need to carry a defense that has allowed an average of 27 points to opponents over the last four weeks. He will have to overcome hostile crowds in Minnesota this week and brutal crowds and maybe weather in week 17 at Buffalo.
Elite quarterbacks can take a team on their shoulders. Ryan Tannehill is not elite and good isn’t going to be good enough. He must find another level. He has to take control and be that elite quarterback. The team needs him to be that guy.
For all the talk of replacing Tannehill, he finds himself in the right position with the season on the line to prove the naysayers wrong and to prove that the contract Miami gave him was worth it. Injuries, poor defensive play, pre-snap penalties, all of those are excuses now. Tannehill played great against New England proving that this team can despite those issues. Now he has to show that they can win again. And again. And again.
The question of whether Ryan Tannehill can lead the team to a winning season is about to become a reality. He will face three teams that they should be able to beat. Three teams with worse records. There are no more excuses.