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While Geno Smith has been a bust at QB for Jets, Ryan Tannehill thriving with Dolphins
Tannehill may have been in the league a year longer than Smith but he is eons ahead of him, especially in this breakout campaign of his in which he's completed 66.1% of his passes and thrown 20 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions. He's led the Dolphins to a 6-5 record, though tight losses to the Packers and Broncos has to have them wondering if they are even better than their record indicates.
BY SETH WALDER NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, November 27, 2014, 12:52 PM
Ryan Tannehill (r.) has the Dolphins in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES
Ryan Tannehill (r.) has the Dolphins in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
When the Jets play the Dolphins on Monday it would only be human nature for members of Gang Green Nation feel a pang of envy when they see Ryan Tannehill under center for one of their rivals.
Tannehill represents what the Jets thought they had in Geno Smith when they drafted him, a young quarterback who is filling out his potential. He may have been in the league a year longer than Smith but he is eons ahead of him, especially in this breakout campaign of his in which he's completed 66.1% of his passes and thrown 20 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions. He's led the Dolphins to a 6-5 record, though tight losses to the Packers and Broncos has to have them wondering if they are even better than their record indicates.
"I feel that way," Tannehill said this week.
But regardless of whether they could have been better, the distinction is clear: Tannehill's team is in the thick of the playoff hunt, Smith's has been out of it for weeks.
"They do a great job (with) a lot of underneath throws," Rex Ryan said of Tannehill. "He is accurate, he is hitting them in the there. He (has) about a 67 percent completion rate. The deep throws, he will take shots down the field, don't get me wrong, he will still take those. They're getting him completions. He knows where to go with the ball and he is just boom. He is kind of in rhythm."
That's not to make him out to be Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but Tannehill's development has been instrumental in the improvement of the Dolphins. That, of course, is all a sharp contrast to Smith, who just got the starting job back from Mike Vick. Smith's first run was marred by turnovers and an overall lack of productivity, big factors in the team's 1-7 record with Smith as a starter this year.
A key element to Tannehill's success has been an increase in the amount (and effectiveness) of his running ability.
Geno Smith gets a second shot at starting quarterback for the Jets after a miserable first eight weeks of the 2014 season.
ELSA/GETTY IMAGES
Geno Smith gets a second shot at starting quarterback for the Jets after a miserable first eight weeks of the 2014 season.
"That creates an additional threat,"Jets linebacker Demario Davis said.
The Dolphins QB has rushed 40 times, eight shy of his career high, for a total of 276 yards -- the most for a quarterback in the AFC.
Part of the change for Tannehill was the switch to new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's system. Lazor was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia under Chip Kelly prior to taking over as offensive coordinator in Miami.
Tannehill said there were some growing pains initially, but by Week 3 or 4 he started to feel comfortable and started thriving. Between Weeks 4 and 11, Tannehill put up a quarterback rating over 100 in five of the eight games he played.
"I've finally settled in and gotten comfortable and started playing the game and not thinking about trying to make everything perfect," he said. "It's working out for me."
Tannehill may have been in the league a year longer than Smith but he is eons ahead of him, especially in this breakout campaign of his in which he's completed 66.1% of his passes and thrown 20 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions. He's led the Dolphins to a 6-5 record, though tight losses to the Packers and Broncos has to have them wondering if they are even better than their record indicates.
BY SETH WALDER NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, November 27, 2014, 12:52 PM
Ryan Tannehill (r.) has the Dolphins in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES
Ryan Tannehill (r.) has the Dolphins in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
When the Jets play the Dolphins on Monday it would only be human nature for members of Gang Green Nation feel a pang of envy when they see Ryan Tannehill under center for one of their rivals.
Tannehill represents what the Jets thought they had in Geno Smith when they drafted him, a young quarterback who is filling out his potential. He may have been in the league a year longer than Smith but he is eons ahead of him, especially in this breakout campaign of his in which he's completed 66.1% of his passes and thrown 20 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions. He's led the Dolphins to a 6-5 record, though tight losses to the Packers and Broncos has to have them wondering if they are even better than their record indicates.
"I feel that way," Tannehill said this week.
But regardless of whether they could have been better, the distinction is clear: Tannehill's team is in the thick of the playoff hunt, Smith's has been out of it for weeks.
"They do a great job (with) a lot of underneath throws," Rex Ryan said of Tannehill. "He is accurate, he is hitting them in the there. He (has) about a 67 percent completion rate. The deep throws, he will take shots down the field, don't get me wrong, he will still take those. They're getting him completions. He knows where to go with the ball and he is just boom. He is kind of in rhythm."
That's not to make him out to be Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but Tannehill's development has been instrumental in the improvement of the Dolphins. That, of course, is all a sharp contrast to Smith, who just got the starting job back from Mike Vick. Smith's first run was marred by turnovers and an overall lack of productivity, big factors in the team's 1-7 record with Smith as a starter this year.
A key element to Tannehill's success has been an increase in the amount (and effectiveness) of his running ability.
Geno Smith gets a second shot at starting quarterback for the Jets after a miserable first eight weeks of the 2014 season.
ELSA/GETTY IMAGES
Geno Smith gets a second shot at starting quarterback for the Jets after a miserable first eight weeks of the 2014 season.
"That creates an additional threat,"Jets linebacker Demario Davis said.
The Dolphins QB has rushed 40 times, eight shy of his career high, for a total of 276 yards -- the most for a quarterback in the AFC.
Part of the change for Tannehill was the switch to new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's system. Lazor was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia under Chip Kelly prior to taking over as offensive coordinator in Miami.
Tannehill said there were some growing pains initially, but by Week 3 or 4 he started to feel comfortable and started thriving. Between Weeks 4 and 11, Tannehill put up a quarterback rating over 100 in five of the eight games he played.
"I've finally settled in and gotten comfortable and started playing the game and not thinking about trying to make everything perfect," he said. "It's working out for me."