Ryan Tannehill

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been much maligned throughout his career. From the doubters on draft day who questioned taking a converted wide receiver with the 8th pick in the draft, through the ups and downs of his career, Tannehill has continuously been under the gun.

“He’s not a guy you can win with.” “Tanne-KILL.” “Miami will never see success with Ryan Tannehill as their quarterback.” I’ve heard it all. Tannehill doesn’t put up huge numbers, and the Dolphins have been bad as a franchise for a long time. I understand the criticism. But at this point, it’s just plain wrong. Tannehill is a quarterback this team can win with, and he’s proven it over and over again, including in Sunday’s win.

With the win over Oakland, head coach Adam Gase and the Miami Dolphins are 10-1 in Tannehill’s last 11 starts. 10 and 1, folks! It doesn’t get much better than that. Tannehill is never going to be the guy who throws for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns, but the team doesn’t need him to be. Who the Dolphins need him to be is exactly who he was today. An efficient quarterback who doesn’t make mistakes and gets the job done when it’s needed most.

Were Tannehill’s stats great? No, not by any stretch. But they were solid. Yet another game with a completion percentage over 70 percent. Three touchdown passes. Most importantly, zero turnovers. He even picked up key first downs with his legs, adding 26 yards on the ground as the team’s leading rusher.

What more can a fan want from the guy? All he does is turn in solid performances and win. I’ll take that every day.

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