The Man After Dan

           The NFL is a quarterback driven league, and for much of the 21st century the Miami Dolphins haven’t had a good one. From 1983-1999 Dan Marino started 240 of 269 games for the Dolphins. Since that time, 240 games, 21 different quarterbacks have started a game for the Dolphins.

            The once proud franchise, owners of the only undefeated season in the Super Bowl era have languished between mediocrity and downright futility since Marino’s retirement.

Marino’s career record over those 240 starts 147-93, a winning percentage of 61 percent. The 21 quarterbacks who have come after him have gone 107-133, a winning percentage of 44 percent.

Marino brought the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs 10 times in his 17 year career. In the 14 completed season since his retirement the Dolphins have made the playoffs a resounding three times.

So who can save the Dolphins and their terrible track record post Marino? Well the answer is of course Marino.

Allow me to explain. In the 2012 NFL draft the Miami Dolphins held the 8th overall pick, they were not going to be able to trade up to draft Andrew Luck, or Robert Griffin III so they decided to draft Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A&M.

Most people saw this as an extreme reach, and Tannehill as a project at best. Someone who had all the pieces to the puzzle, but would need good coaching to fit them together. He won the starting job out of camp and became the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Dolphins. He played decently but didn’t blow the doors off of the NFL, in his 32 starts he went 25 and 17, passed for 7,207 yards with 36 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.

These number aren’t too bad when it comes to rookie stats, but his mediocrity was compounded by the fact that his fellow quarterbacks drafted in 2012 had made the playoffs a combined 5 times, and won a Super Bowl.

The beginning of the 2014 season wasn’t great for Tannehill, after three games the Dolphins were 1-2 and head coach Joe Philbin was noncommittal when it came to whether Tannehill would continue to start for the Dolphins.

Enter Dan Marino, the Dolphins have quietly brought Marino in to mentor Tannehill at how to play quarterback in the NFL.

“It’s cool,” Tannehill said. “I appreciate the knowledge he has of the game, just little insights that he can point out and just him being around showing that he cares, it’s nice. He’s always just pointing out little things on tape, whether it’s a receiver’s routes or something I’m doing. He’s good at picking up little things and passing them along.” (profootballtalk.com)

Since Marino has come in the Dolphins have gone 5-2, and Tannehill has thrown for 1730 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. They are two late drives away from being 7-0 as they lost at the end to both the Packers and Lions after leading 24-20 and 16-13 respectively.

Tannehill has looked more than solid during this time, and you need look no further than Marino. He has helped out tremendously as Tannehill is playing the best football of his professional life, and has put the Dolphins in a position to not only make the playoffs, but also win the division. They are currently two games behind the Patriots who are 8-2, with one game against the Patriots remaining, and six games to play overall. 

Tannehill just won perhaps the biggest game of his career so far on Thursday night. A divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills, a team he had lost three straight against coming in, including a 29-10 lost earlier this year. The game served as a pseudo playoff game for the two teams, as both sat at 5-4. The Dolphins won in convincing fashion 22-9, as Tannehill went 26/34 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

It’s hard to say whether Tannehill will become the franchise quarterback the Dolphins have been looking for. According to Ian Rapoport the Dolphins are “cautiously optimistic” that he can become that guy. The real test will be this Sunday as the Dolphins take on the Broncos in Denver.

As for right now, Tannehill may not be Marino, but with Marino’s help he has a chance to become the man after Dan.