Expectations for Tanehill?

[FTLDOLFAN]

Now that the draft is over there is not much going on with the team so I thought it might be interesting to see what everyone's expectations are for Tannehill in 2016. While it seemed like Tannehill regressed in 2015 he did set some career highs in yards 4208 yards per attempt 7.2 completions of 20+ yards 57 and completions of 40+ yards 13. However he regressed in TD passes from 27 in 2014 to 24 in 2015 completion% from 66.4 in 2014 to 61.9 in 2015 and QBR from 92.8 in 2014 to 88.7 in 2015. So what would you like to see from Tannehill in 2016? Obviously all we care about is that the Dolphins win but what kind of stats do you want to see from Tannehill? Here are my expectations.

Yards - 4000+ - I think we are going to run the ball more which might lead to a slight reduction in passing yards.

TD's - 30 - That would be a career high and I think a realistic goal.

INT's - 12 or fewer, he has thrown 12 INT's each of the past 2 years.

Completion % - 63% or higher

QBR - 95 or higher

I think with an improved o-line and even better weapons there are no more excuses. I also want to see us average at least 25 points per game. In 2015 we only averaged 19.4 ppg. QB Stats are meaningless unless they produce points.

[AquaXI]

QBR 91 or higher and 67% completion! 25PPG is right on the money. 480 yards rushing.

[61finfan]

10 wins. That's what I want. If we don't have 10, buy me a new QB next year.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

#'s are fun to look at and break down but they can seriously be both misleading and misconstrued..Tannehill has put up some decent #'s, comparable even to some of the greats..BUT what he hasn't done is proven that he's either a leader or a WINNER! My expectations for Tannehill this year are that he show's some serious growth in the area's where he's been seriously lacking; leadership, pocket presence, converting on 3rd down & rising to the occasion in both the red zone and the 4th quarter where it counts the most..

As far as i'm concerned the time has come for Tannehill to either shit or get off the pot....

[DolphinsFreak]

I agree with DP. I don't care about "stats" because they can be extremely misleading. Offenses that run the high percentage, dink and dunk offense tend to have QB's with high completion rates because their throws are 8 yards or less. I could care less about stats. What I want to see from Tannehill this season is a completely different quarterback. I want to see him take command of this offense and be a leader. I want to see him come up to the line and be able to read defenses and audible out of plays when it is obvious to ALL watching , except Tannehill, what the defense is doing on that play. I want to see him drop back six to seven steps rather then try and get rid of the ball after 2-3 steps. I want to see him survey the field and STOP keying in in his primary receiver, STOP throwing to the safe guy who is 5 yards short of the first down marker on a 3rd and long play.

If you want numbers here they are - 4,000 plus yards passing - 30 plus TD's - and I would like for him to finally thrown less interceptions. Usually it's easy to figure out. If he throws 30 TD's then he threw 15 INT's. I would like that number to be less, maybe around 8-9 INT's.

Franchise QB or CUT !!

[kelbail2.2]

What do we hope is the truth. I don't expect anything different than what I've seen since he first took the reins at A&M. Partly because I don't think the new offense is going to force him to change his game. He is often going to be asked to get rid of the ball quickly which will lead him back to his same old tendencies and deficiencies. There's no option to supplant him, the personal success (respectable stats?) it's brought him has made him a lot of money and his security with the team, once again, is greater than the coaching staffs. Playing in an offense like Gruden's would have shown us quickly if RT really has the chops to make an NFL offense go. I think he just got a younger wet-nurse with fresher titties. The draft (Drake?Carroo?) showed it's all about him so let's HOPE.

[cuchulainn]

My expectations for him are in accord what FTL posted in the OP. Gase stated he thinks the offenses effeciency and improved play and scoring will come down to how fast EVERYONE learns the new offense and their assignments. Improved OL play will be a big part of that.

As for Tannehill himself, I don't know of any other young QB who has faced as much adversity or had as little support from his HC, yet has performed relatively well and put up fairly consistent numbers at the end of each season, despite the adversity and lack of support.

''Wins'' are a team stat... he's lead the offense to wins against Brady, Wilson, Luck, and others, and we've also seen him position the team to win other games only to have the defense blow leads. ''Leader'' is a term that gets ballyhooed around a lot, but Philbin was seriously undermining him and even refused to include him when they were doing game planning. That's some BS in and of itself.

As for 3rd downs, he was put in the position of having to pass from 3rd and long most of last season without run support. No QB in the league can do that consistently, especially facing stout defenses with our feeble OL.

Hoping for more from him these next 2 seasons myself and finally feel that he has a coach who is trying to help him and support him and that he has the best supporting cast he's ever had at OL, WR, TE, and RB.

Can't ignore the OL's impact... in 2014 games where Albert, Pouncey and James started and finished together, we went 3-1. In 2015, we went 3-0 in games where Albert, Pouncey and James started and finished together. This was with the abysimal Guard play we've had the past 2 seasons with Dallas Thomas, Jamil Douglas, and Billy Turner.

7 games out of a potential 32 is terrible, but the good thing is that Tannehill completed 70% of his passes and had a 107 passer rating in those 7 games where as a team we put up 30+ ppg as well. I'm expecting him to have his best season ever.

YMMV.

[DolphinsFreak]

There are no excuses for consistently throwing the ball to a COVERED receiver well short of the first down. All that does is pad your stats and risk your receiver of getting drilled/injured.

[cuchulainn]

I think this is a separate topic than expectations. Are you saying that you expect the receivers to create more separation this season and run deeper routes? That's on the play design and execution. If so, I agree and am happy to see what having Parker for a full season can add along with the new kid, Caroo, and also Drake out of the backfield. They should add additional dimensions to the passing game.

As for expectations around 1st downs, Tannehill passed for 193 last season. In 2014, he passed for 224. I'd like to see him passing for around 205 first downs, run for around 15, and have the backs performing much better behind an improved OL and increase our rushing down.

[DolphinsFreak]

No, what I am saying is that when there are four receivers running routes on a 3rd and long situation, Tanehill always throws to the closest receiver, even though he knows it won't help the team get a first down. All it does is pad his stats.

Example - it is 3rd down. The Dolphins need 11 yards for a first down. Three out of the four receivers have run routes further then 11 yards, but Tannehill ALWAYS throws to the one player who is running the shortest route, even though he is covered and it won't help the team pick up a first down .

This isn't something that happened once or twice, this is something that happened several times per game.

Tannrhill must STOP doing that! He needs to start gaining trust and confidence in himself AND trust and confidence in his receivers, all of them, not just one or two. He has the arm, he needs to trust in that arm and just sling it and trust the receiver will catch it no matter how far it is down the field. He needs to learn what a back shoulder pads is and how to throw it to his receivers down the field even if they are covered because it is their job to go up and after that ball. (Unlike what Wallace would do...)

[cuchulainn]

He routinely has under 2.3 seconds to drop back and throw and the offense under Philbin and Lazor was all quick hit, make a read and get the ball out. The receivers were responsible for YAC.

You're saying he's consciously making a decision to throw to the guy closest to him and doing it consistently. I don't see that at all. I see him doing what he's been coached to do - get the ball out in 2 seconds regardless of depth of throw. Often people say things like ''if he had waited another second, he'd have had blah open further down the field''. The problem was that he didn't have that time. Maybe this season he will. We're certainly fielding the best OL he's ever had and the best receivers we've ever had. Last year, he had his highest ever yards per pass attempt at 7.1, which coincided with the emergence of Devante Parker.

I've posted these screens before showing where Lazor's plays were designed to run underneath the sticks, flooding a zone, and also where even when the receivers ran routes past the sticks, the OL shat the bed and he was hit before he finished his drop back. http://i.imgur.com/izxZyVr.jpg / http://i.imgur.com/p0bEQsm.jpg

In any event, let's hope that both the OL and Tannehill have their best seasons ever. We're certainly due given the turmoil and BS we endured during the Philbin era.

[hawkfinfan]

What I want is no games where it seems he's deer in the headlights moments where you go WTF! Shocked if it happens turning the page.

[kelbail2.2]

If I had a coach stupid enough to run all my receivers in front of the sticks on 3rd downs and all of my receivers were stupid enough to run in front of the sticks on 3rd downs, I'd be the most runningest Quarterback that you've ever seen; to the point where my receivers may be yelling at me and I'd be yelling at them. Sorry, I just couldn't be the loser of a QB to do what I know will lead to defeat because I'm told to be a loser. After Lazor got the axe and Taylor and Tanne designed their dream attack, nothing changed. High completion %, 7.1 yards/attempt, 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out. Unacceptable. Must change attack philosophy, Tannehill must get better protection, do more with what he gets and not accept being a loser on such a high percentage of 3rd downs. My only explanation is he's been a coward, a quitter or stupid, none if which help to win games.

[cuchulainn]

They do what the coaches say or get benched... and Tannehill was doing what Philbin/Lazor wanted, then later what Campbell wanted. Also, he was also injured most of the year with the ankle injury from the Jags game, then later pissing blood after being drilled in the back on a Dallas Thomas whiff. No idea how anyone could bring the terms ''coward, quitter, or stupid'' to the conversation about Tannehill. Maybe ''stupid'', for not quitting on this worthless ass team and demanding a trade.

If you want to fault him for being a ''soldier'' - keeping his mouth shut and doing what he's be taught to do, then that's fair. IMO, he's been loyal to a fault to a team that doesn't deserve him and coaches who have done little more than destroy his body and spirit. He's the first guy who should be bitching about schemes, protection, the defense, and the coaching - buy you've never heard say a bad word about anyone.

Let's see how he does this season behind what should be an average NFL OL instead of the shit he's had in front of him the past 4 seasons. FFS, Dallas Thomas was rated at a -47.9 and #82 out of all OGs that started a game in the NFL last season. Jason Fox was the worst RT in the game. Wished they'd both been the first cuts together.

[Bahamas]

The most important stat - that no has mentioned - is number of Sacks...

Let's try to keep it under 30 this year and I believe Tanny will have a Solid season...not great...not spectacular...but solid...The next question is, based on a solid season, is he worth 18 million next year?

[DolphinsFreak]

I would like for his INT's to be cut in half. I don't think he should be throwing an INT for every two touchdowns he throws. He usually only throws high percentage passes so I would like to see something like 35 TD's and less then 15 INT's, rather than having him throw 17-19 INT's if he had that many touchdowns.

[FTLDOLFAN]

I would like to see his TD to INT ratio closer to 3-1. Something like 28-10 or 30-11 would be great. I also want to see his sack total greatly reduced. Anything under 30 would be fine with me.

[cuchulainn]

All he's ever needed was even average pass protection, smart coaching, a decent surrounding cast, and a defense that doesn't lay down in tight games.

He has these now as long as Dallas Thomas is on the bench and the new guys don't turn into Columbo/Fox clones.

Give him time to throw and a dependable ground game, and the talking heads are gonna be gushing over him, while his former detractors talk about how he's finally ''arrived''.

Expecting 32 TDs +/- 2 and no more than 13 INTs. I think his yards will still about where they are, but we'll see more rushing yards... Hell, we'll have to see more rushing yards, Gase isn't going to stop running the ball or put his QB into 3rd and long every other damned 3rd down.