Dolphins' Philbin Won't Commit To Starting Tannehill Vs. Raiders
DAVIE (CBSMiami) – Following the Miami Dolphins loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the team has been left searching for answers on several fronts.
The Dolphins are struggling in all aspects of the game, but the one thing that has been glaring is the play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The third year QB played well enough to lead Miami to victory over the New England Patriots in Week 1, but since then his play has declined each week.
That has led to questions regarding his status as the Dolphins starting quarterback, a topic that came up during Monday's press conference with head coach Joe Philbin.
"We are going to choose the 46 guys that we think can help us win the football game, and we are going to go from there," said Philbin when asked if a quarterback competition could be brewing. "That's the starting point and we are going to utilize the players the best way we feel fit."
That's a slightly vague answer, no?
Tannehill has started every game for the Dolphins since coming into the league in 2012. That's a 35-game sample size and it should be enough for the coaches that evaluate every minute of game and practice footage to know what they have in the young QB.
After 35 games in the NFL, Tannehill shouldn't have any excuses for why he hasn't improved the way that someone selected with the eighth overall pick in an NFL Draft is expected to. That's one thing Philbin seems to agree on, but only to a certain point.
"I'm not offering any excuses," said Philbin. "I don't think Ryan offers excuses. We're three games into it and we have to play better as an offensive unit. He's part of that. I don't view it as a one man issue. The offense has to play better. The offense has to score more points."
His refusal to give any kind of concrete answer certainly leaves things open to interpretation. Not just from the media and fans, but to Tannehill as well.
When a coach is that ambiguous about something that has been crystal clear for the past three seasons, it speaks volumes.
The question came up regarding if Philbin's indirect answers will leave his young quarterback in a state of limbo, and the coaches response was par for the course.
"I'm going to stick with the answer that I've given," said Philbin. "That's what I've done since I've gotten here and that's the answer I'm sticking to."
In the final question of the day, Philbin was asked point blank if Tannehill would be starting when the Dolphins travel to London for their game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
"We're going to start our game plan for Oakland when I leave here and we're going to decide what 46 players are going and how best to utilize them."
Considering the Dolphins have a short week to prepare for the Raiders before traveling overseas to England, the timing doesn't seem opportune to make a significant change at such an important position.
It's important to keep in mind though that Miami's bye week follows this Sunday's game.
Should Tannehill struggle again when the Dolphins face the Raiders, backup quarterback Matt Moore could find himself getting reps with the first team offense during Miami's extra week of practice before facing the Green Bay Packers on October 12 at Sun Life Stadium.
Watch Miami take on the Oakland Raiders this Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS4, your official Dolphins station!
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