Why is everyone in LOVE with Tannehill?

[badger6]

After last week's blow up thread with Badger, and this comment, I'm obviously not alone. -EK

Which blow up thread ? I see lots of them these days....

[Dave Gray]

So why is Tannehill starting?
I am sure that Tannehill will be a good, possibly even a great quarterback eventually, but I feel that he should be holding the clip board this season as MOST rookie QB's do.

Because this isn't how the NFL works anymore.  You gain more experience playing than by watching.  The decision-makers feel that it's more important to get Tannehill experience than to get short term wins with Moore.  And I don't think that Moore gives you anything more, anyway.  I think that the two are comparable in their ability to "win today" and Tannehill has a brighter future.

[BigDaddyFin]

He's hands down better off playing this year than not.  It's just more common in the NFL now.  Even before, great quarterbacks wound up playing relatively quickly.  Marino, Elway, and Montana all saw serious action their first year if not immediately. 

In Tannehill's case it makes zero additional sense to sit him because:

1.  He's running the same offense he was in college.
2.  He only played two seasons worth of Quarterback in college, so even if you hold him out a year, he's not gaining much in terms of experience.
3.  His arm is much better than Moore's

Now that means you're going to have to live with some shit.  The dude's got a couple holes in his game, some of which are his fault and some of which aren't.

1.  Accuracy.  He's had a few games this year where he came in under 50% completions.  The big issue here is you waste a lot of downs.
2.  He doesn't always take off at exactly the right time.  You see him sense the pressure, he knows he wants to run, but he's still looking downfield and then a split second before he takes off, he either gets nailed or someone trips him up.
3.  He doesn't make many plays downfield.  (this one largely isn't his fault, but it's still a gaping hole in his game)

[BigDaddyFin]

These are all things you can fix, but it's going to take more than a season to do it.  Given an entire offseason, he should be really good.

[mecadonzilla]

What's the upside to staring Matt Moore now anyway?

Unless Tannehill is injured, he will be the starter next year and every year in the foreseeable future.  He's got a lot to work on for sure, but the stuff he's got to work on isn't going to be learned on the sidelines.  Moore will be gone next year, most likely, so why invest time in someone who wouldn't advance you significantly beyond where you are right now?

Tanny is the future and the future is now.  Matt Moore is just a name on a depth chart and will always be so until he retires.

[EKnight]

One upside to having him sit is not taking hits like the two bonehead ones he took yesterday. He's not Arian Foster. If he doesn't learn to slide, his career may me short lived. The fact that he did it TWICE yesterday shows he obviously didn't learn from the first time. Let Moore show him how to slide (among other things- like it or not, Moore looked fantastic in relief for nearly a full game), and Tanne can learn. You guys are all convinced he's the future of the team- protect him better. -EK

[Brian Fein]

The grumblings of the vocal minority are the ones that expect every pass to be perfect and 3 TD/0 INT games every Sunday.

These are the same people that "break the glass" to other fans, and cause good QB's to get run out of town.  It happens to everyone.  This is the Chad Henne path.

Embrace the future, because this is it.  Support your team, rather than root for failure so you can be "right."

[Brian Fein]

One upside to having him sit is not taking hits like the two bonehead ones he took yesterday. He's not Arian Foster. If he doesn't learn to slide, his career may me short lived. The fact that he did it TWICE yesterday shows he obviously didn't learn from the first time. Let Moore show him how to slide (among other things- like it or not, Moore looked fantastic in relief for nearly a full game), and Tanne can learn. You guys are all convinced he's the future of the team- protect him better. -EK

Both times he was trying to get a first down.  He's a gamer, and playing like it.  I'd rather see him try than slide 2 yards short of a first down on 3rd and 8.  He didn't get hurt, and he put forth some effort.  I like to see the team play with HEART for a change!

[tepop84]

The grumblings of the vocal minority are the ones that expect every pass to be perfect and 3 TD/0 INT games every Sunday.

These are the same people that "break the glass" to other fans, and cause good QB's to get run out of town.  It happens to everyone.  This is the Chad Henne path.

Embrace the future, because this is it.  Support your team, rather than root for failure so you can be "right."

Chad Henne is terrible and should have been run out of town a lot sooner than he was.

Are you really that clueless to think that people only complain because he doesn't have 3td/0 int games. He has 7td passes in 12 games.  That is not QB of the future material.

[Brian Fein]

^^ yup, just keep looking at box scores.  That tells the whole story

[tepop84]

^^ yup, just keep looking at box scores.  That tells the whole story

Is he throwing for touchdowns that aren't being counted?  I know last week he threw an INT. that was counted as a TD...

[Brian Fein]

yup, he sure did, and throwing TD's is all there is, right?

Thanks for proving my point.

[EKnight]

The box scores show less than 58% completions (27th in the league), 7 TDs (32nd in the league), and 12 INTs (10th most in the league). Speaking of Henne, he has MORE touchdown passes in 5 less games, and he got run out of town by some of the fans! So...why is everyone in love with Tanne again? -EK

[Cathal]

The box scores show less than 58% completions (27th in the league), 7 TDs (32nd in the league), and 12 INTs (10th most in the league). Speaking of Henne, he has MORE touchdown passes in 5 less games, and he got run out of town by some of the fans! So...why is everyone in love with Tanne again? -EK

Man, this is just a tired game... How many passes have our guys dropped that him them right in the hands? Bess, Hartline, Clay, Fasano, Armstrong.... Maybe if we had Blackmon. It was obvious why he got run out of town, just look at his nick name. Now, you can blame Sparano for that, but, it is what it is. People recognize that a rookie with barely any college QB experience is doing quite well and he has potential.

[MaineDolFan]

My personal "jury" is still out on Tannehill.

I will say this, however.  We can all agree Andrew Luck is "head and shoulders" better ~ yes?  People talk about Luck as though he already has one foot into Canton as a rookie.  I happen to agree, he looks great for a rookie.

Let's break this down:

Luck:
76.1 rating
3,596 yards passing
17 touchdowns
16 interceptions
9 fumbles

Tannehill
72.3 rating
2,559 yards passing
7 downdowns
12 interceptions
5 fumbles

I would dare say Luck, who is "head and shoulders" more talented than Tannehill also has a much better supporting cast around him in Indy, a better overall team.  More weapons.  The numbers are better.  Do not mistake this, I would take Luck.  I'm still a little ticked that Miami is never willing to make a Washington type deal and get a player like RGIII (that deal would have turned Miami's fortunes around on a dime).  I'm not saying Luck = Tannehill.  I am saying the kid is holding his own and doing it with a bunch of "weapons" who might not make the rosters of other teams.  They sure as hell wouldn't be 1's and 2's. 

I was vocal about the Marshall trade (in support of it) at the time.  Now I have to wonder.  Luck's safety blanket this season has been Reggie Wayne.  Indy went out of it's way to make sure he was back in the fold.  1,156 of 3,596 (to the tune of 88 catches) belong to Wayne.  That doesn't make those yards any less legit, but it sure makes a rookie quarterback look a heck of a lot better to have a 34 year "been there, done that" safety vale hauling in almost 100 catches.  Right?

Tannehill has 2,559 passing yards with a bunch of "also runs."  Where would those numbers be right now had Miami kept Marshall?  I'm thinking they would easily be over 3,000.

Again, my personal jury is still out on the kid.  I also think Miami has sent him into a gun battle with a spoon this year...and he's still running around doing his best to stay alive.  I, for one, will continue to see how he progresses.  I would love to see how he does with an actual legit receiver on this team, with all due respect to Hartline, etc.