Tannehill's Past Provides Reasons Not to Look Too Far Ahead
NASHVILLE – Ryan Tannehill has plenty of reasons to hold his head high. But he won’t.
The Tennessee Titans quarterback has restarted a career that was stuck in neutral, has performed at a level that exceeds anything he had done previously and has helped put his team in the thick of the playoff chase with victories in five of his six starts. These are good times, but not so good that he has any plans to alter his posture.
“For me, it’s a head-down process of taking advantage of the week,” Tannehill said Wednesday. “I’ve seen how this thing goes. The waves. The ins and outs of the season. So, if you start taking a step back at this point, then you’re doing a disservice to your teammates and to yourself of opportunities you could take advantage of this week.
“So, really just trying to lock in on the Oakland Raiders and do everything I can to prepare for them.”
One look at his seven seasons in Miami and it is easy to understand his attitude.
In 2016, Tannehill was part of a six-game win streak that ran the Dolphins’ record to 7-4. During that run, he threw nine touchdown passes against one interception, completed at least two-thirds of his throws three times and had a passer rating of better than 90 four times. He was only sacked nine times.
Two weeks later he sustained a season-ending injury and was unavailable for the playoffs, the only time during his years there that Miami qualified for the postseason.
In 2013, five wins in seven games from late October to mid-December had the Dolphins fighting for a playoff spot. Two losses to end the season in which Tannehill was a combined 30-67 for 286 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions left him and his team one game out of the final AFC wild card.
At 7-5 following Sunday’s 31-17 victory at Indianapolis, the Titans are a tiebreaker out of the final wild card spot with four games remaining. Tannehill currently leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt (9.1), is second in passer rating (113.9) and completion percentage (72.7), all of which easily exceed his current season-highs and career averages. He is 2-0 as a starter against division opponents and 5-0 when he has thrown two or more touchdown passes.
Yet he insists his primary concern is what is to come.
“It’s a big stretch for us here, last four in December,” Tannehill said. “We got the first one last week and look forward to taking advantage of our second opportunity.”
Tannehill’s career record in December is 12-15, a 44.4 winning percentage that is his worst of any month, and his record in Games 13-16 is 8-13 (a 38.1 winning percentage), which also is his worst among any of the season’s four quarters.
So, getting to this point was one thing. Getting to the finish in similar fashion is altogether different – and something Tannehill knows all too well.
“It’s been a good streak for us,” he said. “I think I said it a couple of times, we’re on the right path. Just have to keep taking it one game at a time, improving every day at practice and get ready for the next one.”
