Tannehill Enough to Best Hapless Jets, but Can He Mask Dolphins' Inconsistency?

On Monday night, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill helped accomplish a feat that has been a rarity for the franchise in recent years.

He helped lead a fourth-quarter comeback on the road.

It was only the second time the Dolphins had completed a fourth-quarter comeback away from home in their past 50 attempts. Doing so raised Miami to 7-5 on the season and in position to make a run for a playoff spot in the final month of 2014.

The victory also helps to reinforce the idea that Tannehill is indeed the signal-caller of the future for the Dolphins franchise. 

Since starting as a rookie in 2012, Tannehill has compiled a 22-22 record with the Dolphins. He is also currently ranked ninth overall among all NFL quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While the former Texas A&M standout has not always been perfect, he has shown steady progress with head coach Joe Philbin and appears to have what it takes to steady the quarterback position for the foreseeable future. 

However, the immediate question for the Dolphins is whether or not Tannehill has what it takes to lead the team to the postseason this year.

There are currently six AFC teams with a 7-5 record. Add in the 8-4 San Diego Chargers and the 6-6 Houston Texans, and that makes eight teams vying for two wild-card spots with four games to play.

Assuming the Dolphins cannot overtake the 9-3 New England Patriots in the AFC East, the only way Miami gets in is by finishing ahead of at least six of the eight to earn a wild-card berth.

Thanks to tiebreakers, the Dolphins currently sit in the driver's seat and can get into the postseason if they win out. However, that will not be an easy task with tough games against the Baltimore Ravens and Patriots coming in the net two weeks.

The harsh reality is that the Dolphins are a talented yet inconsistent team that is going to have to find a way to play much more consistently over the final month of the season.

Yes, the Dolphins just completed a fourth-quarter comeback to keep their hopes alive. However, they were put in that position because Miami's sixth-ranked defense (19.9 points per game allowed) permitted the woeful Jets to control the tempo of the game and pull ahead by a touchdown through three quarters.

This is the same defense that has appeared entirely dominant at times, but has also allowed the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers to complete memorable comebacks of their own this season. Had Jets quarterback Geno Smith been able to rise to the occasion in the fourth quarter, you might have been able to add New York to that list. 

Of course, had Jets kicker Nick Folk not missed a pair of field goals, the Dolphins might have not even completed their comeback, which is a discouraging thought.

Against the Jets, Miami's 10th-ranked rushing defense (104.2 yards per games allowed) was gashed for 277 yards of ground offense. You can expect the Ravens and Patriots to look at this as a possible weakness worth exploiting.

Baltimore and New England both have quarterbacks who can make things happen in must-pass situations.

After watching Tannehill lead his team on Monday, the Dolphins may feel confident that their quarterback is capable of delivering late in the game as well. However, it is worth noting that before Monday, Tannehill's fourth-quarter passer rating in 2014 was just 74.1 (93.4 overall).

While Tannehill was good enough against the Jets (25-of-35, 235 yards and one interception) and has played impressively over the past month, the next month presents an entirely different challenge.

The Dolphins certainly cannot rely on Tannehill to deliver late-game heroics in all of the final four games, which means the team is going to have to play more consistently, and more efficiently, throughout each contest.

Otherwise, Miami is likely to spend another postseason watching the action from home.