Peyton Manning Is Helping Ryan Tannehill Because Ryan Tannehill Needs Help
You could make a strong argument that the Miami Dolphins are in quarterback purgatory.
No, scratch that. The Miami Dolphins are in quarterback purgatory.
The optimism surrounding Ryan Tannehill has, for the most part, overshadowed the fact that he's been a below-average starting quarterback. He could become something someday, but he hasn't really shown anything that should make fans, analysts, or the Dolphins believe he's going to be an elite passer.
He's good enough to keep his job, but he's not good enough to take the Dolphins to the next level.
He's placed the Dolphins in quarterback purgatory.
According to our Net Expected Points (NEP) metric, which measures on-field impact versus expectation, Tannehill's fourth year -- the most recent -- was worse than his third, and it was far below the league's average quarterback efficiency. In fact, he's yet to be an above-average starter in the league.
| Year | Passing NEP | Per Drop Back | League Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | -22.63 | -0.04 | 0.06 |
| 2013 | -2.44 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2014 | 46.72 | 0.07 | 0.10 |
| 2015 | 33.99 | 0.05 | 0.11 |
Essentially, the average drop back in 2015 added roughly 0.11 points to a team's total. Tanny was adding less than half of that, ranking behind players like Brock Osweiler and Brian Hoyer.
Reports came out today that said Peyton Manning -- now retired -- went to Miami this offseason to help Tannehill out. It wasn't completely out of the blue -- Adam Gase, Miami's new head coach, coordinated Manning's offenses in Denver before heading to Chicago in 2015 with head coach John Fox.
Could the Dolphins finally be shifting out of this quarterback mess?
Though it seems like we said the same thing last year, this is the season we'll learn whether or not Tannehill is a true franchise quarterback for the Dolphins. The team has invested in young talent at wide receiver and should have an improved offensive line, and a head coach like Gase should be an upgrade for the quarterback.
We know Tannehill will be the team's starting quarterback this season, but if he doesn't perform or improve, it could finally be the time we see Miami make moves to establish a better answer at quarterback.
Because so far, Tannehill hasn't been that for them.
