Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill’s ‘best offense’ hinges on his play
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill says the offense around him is the best he’s played with, but the unit’s success will depend on him.
In his first season playing under Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, quarterback Ryan Tannehill looked to turn a corner somewhat. There were many reasons why that was the case. Gase is known to have a positive effect on quarterbacks throughout his career in this league. Meanwhile, the emergence of Jay Ajayi certainly helped.
Though injuries limited him to only 13 games and put him out of the playoffs, Tannehill and the Dolphins still managed a 10-6 record and that postseason berth. Thus, there is reason to be optimistic about the outlook of this team moving forward. And apparently the quarterback is wholly aware of this, and of the talent that he has around him.
Talking with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Tannehill appeared quite excited about the offense. The Dolphins quarterback even went as far as to call this offense the best he’s played with, saying in full:
"“Honestly, I can say it’s definitely the most talent we’ve had with the receiving corps, bringing everyone back, having a second year together in the same offense,” he said. “That’s going to be huge for us. Adding [tight ends] Julius Thomas and Anthony Fasano, veterans who have played a lot of football, is [big]. Bringing back [running backs] Jay [Ajayi], Kenyan Drake.”"
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Tannehill continued further on the subject, noting a healthier offensive line and Laremy Tunsil moving to his natural position of tackle.
All of that is true, or at least could be from a relatively objective standpoint. With the return of Kenny Stills, joining Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and trade acquisition Julius Thomas, the Dolphins have a loaded group of pass-catcher. Coupled with Ajayi in the running game, the weapons around Tannehill should set the quarterback up for success.
As these weapons all emerged last season, Tannehill did improve. While his TD:INT ratio wasn’t remarkable at 19:12, he posted a career high in terms of completion rate (67.1 percent). Considering his inaccuracy in three of his four previous seasons at the helm, that’s notable surely.
But at the same time, there are still questions about the ceiling of Tannehill and what he can ultimately become. Can he cut down on turnovers, as he’s had double-digit interceptions in every season? Perhaps more importantly, is he the guy that you want having the ball in the fourth quarter of a big game?
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Frankly, all of those questions are still unanswered. And while his assessment of the talent around him is accurate, it’s also not the whole story. This is the best array of talent he’s every played with in the NFL. But for the offense to be the best he’s been a part of, that’s going to depend on his own play.