Maybe we need to lower our expectations about the Miami Dolphins. After watching the Dolphins slip past the Chargers, I found myself pretty disappointed with Ryan Tannehill's performance. Yeah, in the end they won, but he missed a wide open Wallace down the sideline for an easy touchdown-again this week-and also misfired on a pass to Hartline in the last minute of the game that could've put it away and taken the pressure of the defense. At this point in his career, playing the game at home vs a pretty average Chargers defense, Tannehill needs to take control of the game and put it away himself. It’s easy to blame the offensive line for some of the mistakes over the season, but we need to expect more from Tannehill.
Or should we?
After watching the Chiefs/Broncos game it finally dawned on me that Ryan Tannehill isn't going to one day blossom into anything that resembles Peyton Manning, or Eli Manning, or even Archie Manning. He's pretty much a…gulp…an Alex Smith in the making. Nothing flashy and pretty much a manager of the game. Shoot, as they're constructed now, the Dolphins are pretty much the Chiefs "light". Very similar quarterback in a lot of respects–without the drama. Now before you go all "Incognito" on me with insulting comments, ask any 49er fan who they'd rather have running that offense now. Don’t forget that Ross/Ireland went after Alex Smith before he re-signed with the 49ers. It’s not surprising Jeff Ireland, Joe Philbin, and Mike Sherman ended up drafting a similar player in Tannehill.
So with that said, don't expect a Peyton Manning-like QB ripping apart defenses with laser like accuracy and 300-400 yard games. Settle for that QB who manages the game efficiently–keeping mistakes to a minimum. Who knows? If he's surrounded by a good running game and strong defense–he just might lead his team to a 9-0 start one day.
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