Ryan Tannehill's Performance at Forefront of Dolphins' Blowout Victory

Winning in the National Football League isn’t an easy accomplishment. Victories are coveted more than anything because of the ensuing euphoria that follows a win. To blow a team out 37-0 like the Miami Dolphins did to the San Diego Chargers, it takes excellent execution from the offense, defense and special teams.

Although there were many top-notch individual performances in the Dolphins’ rout of the Chargers, there is little doubt that the shining star of the game was Ryan Tannehill. The third-year quarterback had a career-best day when the Dolphins needed it most. Miami certainly established itself as a legitimate playoff threat by dismantling the Philip Rivers-led Chargers.

Saying that Tannehill was the best quarterback on the field Sunday is obvious, and probably unexpected. But to best Tannehill’s game would’ve been very difficult to accomplish, as the young signal-caller was put in a position by offensive coordinator Bill Lazor to use his greatest strengths, and he rewarded Lazor with a masterful game.

Before we hit the film to see where Tannehill really impressed, let’s look at the raw numbers against San Diego compared to the averages of his previous four games.

	Completion Percentage	Yards Per Game	Sacks Taken Per Game	Quarterback Rating
Week 9 vs. Chargers	70.5%	288	0	125.6
Weeks 4-8	68.29%	248.75	1.5	97.38

Tannehill set a career-high passer rating of 125.6 with the help of improved offensive line play and receivers that stepped up their game in a much-needed fashion. Football requires high-level execution from everyone to allow individuals to really maximize their individual play, and Tannehill’s execution made everyone around him play more relaxed and confidently.

He was able to complete at least one pass to 10 different receivers throughout the game, specifically allowing Charles Clay and Brian Hartline to get the ball where they win. By hitting his receivers in stride with great precision, the offense flowed for three solid quarters, at which point Miami was able to pull their starting unit off the field due to the nature of the game.

For the better part of the last four weeks, Tannehill has been hinting that he was capable of such a dominating performance for an entire game. Sure, his games against the Oakland Raiders in London and in Chicago against the Bears were very good, but he had left enough plays on the field to leave us wanting more. On Sunday, Tannehill couldn’t have performed much better, leaving Sun Life Stadium fully satisfied with his terrific show.

The Dolphins offense was hitting on all cylinders early on Sunday, scoring 20 points on its first four drives in the first half, and was one missed Caleb Sturgis field goal away from scoring on all five possible. It was the start that the Dolphins coaching staff have seemingly addressed every week but eluded the team on game day.

NFL Game Rewind

By keeping Tannehill in the shotgun for 37 of 41 offensive snaps in the first half, Lazor played to Tannehill’s strengths by keeping things in front of him. The Chargers brought pressure often and relied on zone coverage to make plays when reading Tannehill’s eyes. But Tannehill isn’t staring down targets like he has in the past, showing much more decisiveness and field vision both pre- and post-snap. Like many young quarterbacks that develop into above-average or better players, the game is slowing down as Tannehill learns the system, his teammates’ tendencies and his own abilities.

The player that benefited the most from Lazor’s game plan and Tannehill’s play was tight end Charles Clay. Clay ended the game with five receptions, 65 yards and a touchdown, per espn.com. Clay would’ve had a second touchdown to give Tannehill a career-high four passing touchdowns, but he was stripped of the ball at the goal line.

His 24-yard reception on the first drive of the game set the tone early that he is a major weapon once again for Tannehill, as he’s so difficult to match up with as a defender due to his speed and playmaking abilities.

NFL Game Rewind

Tannehill found Clay for another chunk play in the early second quarter for an 18-yard gain down to the Chargers’ 32-yard line. Like before, a deep cross gashed the Chargers secondary, which struggled in part to the Dolphins’ excellent pass-blocking all game. Tannehill stood tall in the pocket and scanned the field as Clay worked his way to bust the zone, and Tannehill delivered a well-timed and well-placed pass.

Quality passes were thrown to each receiver, not just Clay. Tannehill and Mike Wallace connected on a fantastic 38-yard catch-and-run over the middle of the field to set Miami up for a field goal on a 3rd-and-12 situation. Take a look at the screenshot below, which shows just how tight of a window Tannehill was able to thread.

NFL Game Rewind

Slot receiver and budding star rookie Jarvis Landry was able to make an impact on the game as well. Tannehill found Landry five times for 46 yards, converting a third down that led to a touchdown and finding Landry open in the flat that allowed “Juice” to score a 14-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

By placing the ball where only his receivers could make a play on it, Tannehill gained the trust of his teammates to make the right play every time, and his playmakers responded by executing their end of the bargain. Early in the season, every Dolphins game seemed like a drop-fest, with everyone failing to help Tannehill. The offense was very inconsistent at that time because of the constant momentum-stoppers.

"

Pouncey on Tannehill: "Even when we were up 30 he was still trying to push the tempo -- just shows us how much he’s grown up and matured."

— Andrew Abramson (@AbramsonPBP) November 2, 2014"

Perhaps the most special play that Tannehill made was his touchdown pass to Rishard Matthews on the first drive of the third quarter. Tannehill stepped up in the pocket, pump faked the ball, rolled out to his left to get a better passing lane and delivered a touch pass to Matthews to connect on a beautiful 21-yard touchdown pass created by pure improvisation. That’s exactly the type of play that the league’s elite quarterbacks are able to make on a regular basis.

NFL Game Rewind

It’s clear that as the season progresses, so does Tannehill and the Dolphins offense. Coaches Joe Philbin and Lazor deserve credit for adjusting their approach with Tannehill, as they’re now formulating a much stronger game plan that accentuates his capabilities. The Dolphins have averaged 30.6 points per game since Week 4, a clear indicator that things are slowing down and making sense for the unit.

For the last few weeks, Tannehill has shown that he’s got all of the talent necessary to be the Dolphins’ starting quarterback for a long time. His progression since being a rookie with little actual quarterback experience until now has been greater than advertised, as he’s been creating much more effectively and consistently as time has passed.

For at least one week, Tannehill was one of the NFL’s elite at the most important position on the field. He certainly hasn’t been consistent enough to earn that type of distinction as a whole, but Sunday’s game serves as a major stepping-stone for the Dolphins quarterback.

All stats used are from sports-reference.com.
Ian Wharton is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, contributor for Optimum Scouting, and analyst for FinDepth. 
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