Cutler better than Tannehill? No. This article says it all

[<O>]

I'm increasingly of the view that the key to predicting how Cutler will perform is Jay Ajayi and whether we can establish the running game, or not. If Ajayi can run well and make steady yardage, Coach Gase can afford to be quite conservative in his playcalling for Cutler. However, if Ajayi struggles to get yardage for 1st downs or gets injured, the J-train #23 isn't rolling and Cutler will be more of a big gunslinger and risk increases as he becomes prone to throwing interceptions which have cursed much of his career. In Chicago, Cutler could rely on Matt Forte and the use of bubble screens to make big yardage from explosive plays. Last season Ajayi did his damage with traditional runs from handoff, but has apparently worked on catching the screen passes this offseason.
Currently we have concerns at O-line due to injuries. We are thin at Guard if we are talking about Jesse Davis, an undrafted player who has struggled to make an NFL roster over the past 2 years, now coming in as a starter at Guard. (Davis is a former NY Jets training camp castoff). We also need to see how healthy Pouncey and James are.
I am pretty optimistic that our Defense can improve with the acquisition of players like William Hayes, Laurence Timmons and now Ray Maualuga to stop the run. Our D-line and DBs should be good but I'm an optimist by nature. My concerns go back to the O-line and getting them healthy enough to dominate. O-line Coach Foerster needs to pull off a bit of a miracle if he's relying on players like Davis to come in and succeed at Guard.

I have no idea whether this is definitively true, but I suspect there are few if any teams that can establish a top-notch run game without the threat of an effective passing game. It's too easy to stack eight in the box defensively and stop a run game.

So yes, like you I do believe it's important to have the threat of the run game, but I think that comes primarily from using the threat of an effective passing game to keep defenses honest and off-balance, and from scoring points and not getting too far down on the scoreboard. Obviously when teams are down big on the scoreboard, the run game goes out the window, opposing defenses don't defend against it, and then your passing game can go down the tubes due to defensive pressure on the QB.

The days of compiling the sort of offensive line and running backs who can go out there and steamroll defenses and establish the run, thereby opening up the passing game, are over in my opinion. Nowadays the pass needs to be effective to keep defenses honest and open up the run game.

Ajayi and company surprised some people last year, which led to some big games early on, but the league adjusted quickly. The team will need good quarterback play to surmount that adjustment toward stopping the run by opposing defenses. You have to make 'em pay.

 

[hoops]

My biggest fear with Cutler is the boneheaded play. While we are concerned about him playing well in big games and good teams, a big question to me is will he throw a bad pick or two costing us a game against a poor team? This place will melt down if that happens.

Last year, we barely beat the hapless Browns and Rams, just as two examples. SD was a very tight win. If Cutler is at the helm in situations like that, does he cost you a game with an impatient pick or two? Can he play situational football? If he blows games against sub-par teams, you could be looking at 6-10 or 7-9. He has talent around him and does NOT need to play hero ball. Hopefully, our man Gase reigns him in.

I admit that I liked Cutler coming out of Vandy. He's physically very impressive but to me he has been one of the biggest underachievers in football. Let's hope Gase gets him to avoid the big mistake and he's motivated to put a huge positive stamp on his legacy. Look at some of the guys who have flipped the script on the back nine of their careers like a Rich Gannon or Jim Plunkett or others. The light switch comes on.

At his age, he should be very smart out there, but we haven't really seen it yet. I think he's a guy who's confident and knows how physically gifted he is. What he's lacked is decisionmaking, moxie, and savvy. Step one, win games you're supposed to. Step two, go on the road, and beat some good teams. That would be a huge step forward.

Excellent point about cutler being one of the biggest underachievers. Excellent. Only life raft I'm gonna give him is that he has played behind some tragic olines. Lots of em

 

[FinfanInBuffalo]

The days of compiling the sort of offensive line and running backs who can go out there and steamroll defenses and establish the run, thereby opening up the passing game, are over in my opinion. Nowadays the pass needs to be effective to keep defenses honest and open up the run game.

Purely semantics. There are teams that run the ball more effectively than others (even when opposing teams know their tendencies). Those teams have the luxury of taking pressure off of the QB. It is not simply a matter of keeping defenses honest. It is a question of managing down and distance. The biggest impact of a series of -1 yard runs is not the mindset of the defense, it is the 2nd or 3rd down and long that they create.

 

[<O>]

Purely semantics. There are teams that run the ball more effectively than others (even when opposing teams know their tendencies). Those teams have the luxury of taking pressure off of the QB. It is not simply a matter of keeping defenses honest. It is a question of managing down and distance. The biggest impact of a series of -1 yard runs is not the mindset of the defense, it is the 2nd or 3rd down and long that they create.

But are the teams that can run the ball more effectively than others also the ones that pose a bigger threat in the passing game, which would keep defenses honest against both facets of an offense, as opposed to stacking eight in the box and shutting down the run?

If that's true, then the QB is in effect taking pressure off of himself by opening up the run game with his own prowess, and the passing game is the prime mover in the equation.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Excellent point about cutler being one of the biggest underachievers. Excellent. Only life raft I'm gonna give him is that he has played behind some tragic olines. Lots of em

He's about to play behind another one, and THAT is what concerns me.

Adam Gase knows how to use Jay Cutler, and Jay Cutler has some good offensive weapons to work with that are a good fit for his skill set.

But Jay Cutler is going to be throwing off his back foot a lot, he's going to be rushing to get rid of the ball a lot, and he's going to get pounded a lot.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

There's a familiar bad smell in here. I thought we got rid of that a while back.

 

[FinfanInBuffalo]

But are the teams that can run the ball more effectively than others also the ones that pose a bigger threat in the passing game,

Not necessarily. Last season Tenn was 3rd in rushing and 25th in passing. It happens every year.

 

[Kdawg954]

There's a familiar bad smell in here. I thought we got rid of that a while back.

Tannehill's biggest detractors never left . . .certainly they were a lot quieter last season but they pretty much stayed silent in comparison to other years. Maybe heard a peep during the Ravens game or when Matt Moore had his early success but for the most part it was enjoyable.

But of course those same guys have some excitement about a legit QB option stepping in because Ryan is hurt and it really and truly bothers some of Ryans biggest supporters to where they have to make sure to make it known that this is an inferior option so don't get too excited.

Nobody wants to have any humility regarding this situation.

This is clear:

1. A healthy Ryan Tannehill going into year 2 of this system was the best option.

2. Miami being able to get a QB the caliber of Jay Cutler so late in the game, without giving up any assets, just doesn't happen. We all should feel very fortunate that he was available.

3. Jay Cutler can ABSOLUTELY make this a conversation if he plays well and the team has success . . . Anybody who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.

4. The smart money is on Jay Cutler being a one year stop gap with decent numbers but short of the playoffs and Ryan Tannehill comes back healthy and as the clear top option to start at QB in 2018.

5. God help us if we have to hear a "Well if Ryan was here" thread every week this year.

 

[FinfanInBuffalo]

3. Jay Cutler can ABSOLUTELY make this a conversation if he plays well and the team has success . . . Anybody who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.

If Tannehill is healthy, this would be stupid and short sighted.

I still hope Cutler has a huge year.

5. God help us if we have to hear a "Well if Ryan was here" thread every week this year.

That would be better than the "I wish Ryan wasn't here" we had to endure for 4 years.

I think Tannehill supporters will refrain from those threads unless we get a barrage of how much better Cutler is playing than Tannehill would have week after week. He hadn't thrown a pass yet before the "Tannehill is done in Miami" threads started. This thread is a direct response to those threads.

 

[Vaark]

Tannehill's biggest detractors never left . . .certainly they were a lot quieter last season but they pretty much stayed silent in comparison to other years. Maybe heard a peep during the Ravens game or when Matt Moore had his early success but for the most part it was enjoyable.

But of course those same guys have some excitement about a legit QB option stepping in because Ryan is hurt and it really and truly bothers some of Ryans biggest supporters to where they have to make sure to make it known that this is an inferior option so don't get too excited.

Nobody wants to have any humility regarding this situation.

This is clear:

1. A healthy Ryan Tannehill going into year 2 of this system was the best option.

2. Miami being able to get a QB the caliber of Jay Cutler so late in the game, without giving up any assets, just doesn't happen. We all should feel very fortunate that he was available.

3. Jay Cutler can ABSOLUTELY make this a conversation if he plays well and the team has success . . . Anybody who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.

4. The smart money is on Jay Cutler being a one year stop gap with decent numbers but short of the playoffs and Ryan Tannehill comes back healthy and as the clear top option to start at QB in 2018.

5. God help us if we have to hear a "Well if Ryan was here" thread every week this year.

Just judging from some of the old faces now scurrying out of the woodwork, IMO the biggest difference is that most Tannehill supporters believe he'd be better than Cutler for us, BUT will be rooting for Cutler to succeed and then confidently let the chips fall where they may next season.

Compared to that, I get the impression/opinion that most entrenched Tannehill detractors are secretly happy he went down and hoping that Cutler outperforms even his sterling 8 game stretch last season because their own egos and self-worth are so heavily invested in Tannehill's failure. They may be paying lip-service but in reality, for many of them, being proven right has been more important than team success.

 

[dolphintodd]

You mean those sterling 8 games when 3 of those Ajayi runs for 200 yards, kiko has a pick 6 with a minute left and when A special teams TD return wins a game when the offense mustered 10 points? WOW that's a great 8 games by the QB.

 

[Vaark]

Actually I meant the 7-1 run before injury, with 13TDs to 4 Ints, over 100QBR and a 69% completion record. He was also the 2nd most accurate long ball thrower in the league in 2016. That's top 8, if not top 10 league QB performance!

Did I mention that he won 7 out of his last 8 after Gase's system kicked in? He's had a better winning percentage playing NE than does Luck; there was a 2014-2015 stretch where despite Matty Ice having great offensive tools and Tannehill working with the 32nd and 31st worst ranked OLs and terrible coaching, Ryan T won 1more game than Matty in a more competitive division! It's taken M. Ryan 9 years to get to a post season point where he doesn't always choke away the 2nd half of win or go home games. Tannehill has 4 more years.

But of course scoreboard only counts when it's not Tannehill involved LOLOL (PS thanks for playing)

 

[FinfanInBuffalo]

You mean those sterling 8 games when 3 of those Ajayi runs for 200 yards, kiko has a pick 6 with a minute left and when A special teams TD return wins a game when the offense mustered 10 points? WOW that's a great 8 games by the QB.

True story:

Tannehill Detractors: Look at the excellent efficient play and wins by Russell Wilson.

Tannehill Supporters: He has the advantage of a great running game, and defense.

Tannehill Detractors: Nonsense! Great QBs make those around them better. Stop adjusting!!!!!!

Tannehill Supporters: Look at the great stretch of games by Tannehill. Very efficient and a 7-1 record!!!!

Tannehill Detractors: Look at the great running game and defensive performances that carried Tannehill.

 

[tay0365]

Every quarterback is tasked with managing the game, yes, but not every quarterback can do it successfully.

The ones who can't are not game managers. They're game-losers.

This is why QBs like Tannehill and Alex Smith are better than Blake Bortles and Jared Goff.

So now Tannehill is on the level of an Alex Smith? :facepalm Amazing

 

[Kdawg954]

If Tannehill is healthy, this would be stupid and short sighted.

I still hope Cutler has a huge year.



That would be better than the "I wish Ryan wasn't here" we had to endure for 4 years.

I think Tannehill supporters will refrain from those threads unless we get a barrage of how much better Cutler is playing than Tannehill would have week after week. He hadn't thrown a pass yet before the "Tannehill is done in Miami" threads started. This thread is a direct response to those threads.

But he isn't healthy and he won't have more than 8 wins on his resume in any season entering the 7th year of his career and he will not have played football in over a year . . . and he never really has put up eye popping stats. So yea if Jay comes in and dishes and puts up a solid W/L record that gets us into the postseason and the team looks as good as it has on offense . . . . the Tannehill/Cutler "conversation" can certainly be had. Not sure what is so difficult to understand about that. It would be stupid and hort sighted if Jay did just that in 2017 and Miami didn't entertain their options.

The Tannehill is done in Miami thread was the opinion of one guy who said if Jay performs well than Miami will look to get rid of Tannehill next year. It's not an impossible idea . . . even if its not an opinion that I share because I just don't think Cutler will play to the level required to make Tannehill expendable. Doesn't mean it can't happen.

I was never the guy who wished he was never here but I was always the guy who got annoyed when crazy comparisons get introduced to put Ryan on some pedastool that honestly he never deserved to be put on . . . not then and honestly not now. People talk about the defense making plays and Ajayi having big games . . . . Ryan Tannehill was the biggest catalyst for Miami going on that 7-1 run last year and if people want to downplay that then thats them. I also believe he was the biggest reason why we did not have more than 8 wins the previous 4 seasons. He's the god damn QB and he was not instinctually moving behind center enough and was a liability from that aspect. Yea the Oline sucked, coaching sucked, etc. . . make a ****ing play dude . . . that was always my biggest issue with him. Too much inconsistency . . . he strung together consistency and became a playmaker in the process in 2016 and I didn't hide from noticing it.

And you are right . . . there will never be a winner in these threads because there is no humility. I've been a harsh Tannehill critic in the past but last year I made several threads on how great this guy was coming along. I'm tied to the Dolphins, not Ryan Tannehill, and I hope Jay Cutler puts up the type of season that makes Ryan Tannehill an afterthought . . . because that likely means we had a damn good year and that is what I am about.