Sharpe: "Dolphins' Problems on Offense Can be Laid at Tannehill's Feet"

[j-off-her-doll]

First of all, let me start by saying that I'm not a fan of his antics, attitude, and the selfish behavior that he displays on and off the field. I think he's extremely immature mentally....but he's young, and he's good. He knows it. That's why he's so ****y.

It's not possible to watch Johnny Manziel game in/game out and not see that he's playing the game of football on a different level than everybody else is. He does this so naturally and instinctively. His ability to escape pressure and extend plays is better than anything I've ever seen. However, what's special about the way he does it is best described as calm chaos. He moves so quickly that it appears as if he's panicking.... but he's not. I just watched him spin the football with one hand to grasp the laces correctly WHILE the pocket was caving in, with pass rushers all around him, in the critical moments of a game. Nobody does this. Manziel has a unique ability embrace high pressure situations.

His ability to scan the entire field quickly while keeping plays alive is extraordinary. It's incredible to see.

Game manager is not part of his makeup. He's 100% gunslinger at all times. He's a mixture of Brett Favre, Michael Vick, and Doug Flutie.

He's a coach's worst nightmare because he thinks he can do anything and he's not afraid to try it. He has a bad habit of throwing up prayers into coverage that are often answered. This is something that he must get control of.

Spins the football extremely clean with velocity to all areas of the field. Throws dart after dart into the tightest of coverages.

I could go on, but the bottom line here is that he's a risky player with tremendous upside. I think he has some trouble operating from the confines of a pocket due to difficulty seeing cleanly from it. It's a height issue. I think that's why he breaks the pocket so much...but good things happen when he does. I'll refer back to comments made by LSU's defense last year in regards to Manziel... "He's like trying to catch a squirrel high on methamphetamine"...

My biggest concern with Johnny Manziel is his coachability. I don't know if he's coachable. I imagine Kevin Sumlin often wonders the same thing.

In a quarterback driven league, a player this unique is worth is the risk... for better or worse.

Thanks for excellent response, Slimm. I posted a link in the draft forum that has a write-up from Bill Walsh about every position and the qualities he looks for in it. I think his write-up of the QB position pretty much screams Johnny Manziel and is the antithesis of what Tannehill has proved to be.

I bolded the bit about his ability to escape, because I think it's especially important come playoff time - where it's hard (even for great QB's) to make a big play without extending the play.

 

[finjim]

 

[Canadianfishfan]

The way I see it is there is 11 guys on offense. 11 pairs of feet. 11 ways to lay blame.

Just ****ing MAKE A PLAY!

 

[FinHopeful]

The bottom line is that Tannehill has to play better for this team to win. He is better than his rookie year, but there are a number of areas where he really needs to perform better. The most important is pre-snap reads especially pass protection. He has to learn to identify when there is a risk of a free rusher. No QB is 100% accurate at identifying the risk, but RT needs to improves his rate of identifying this issue.

 

[Shouright]

The bottom line is that Tannehill has to play better for this team to win. He is better than his rookie year, but there are a number of areas where he really needs to perform better. The most important is pre-snap reads especially pass protection. He has to learn to identify when there is a risk of a free rusher. No QB is 100% accurate at identifying the risk, but RT needs to improves his rate of identifying this issue.

And until he learns that, he shouldn't be put in situations in which that risk can result in failure that can turn the tide in games.

In other words, you don't put a developmental QB on the field and then call the game as though you're using a much better one. Obviously you can't remove that risk completely, because he still has to be exposed to customary NFL defensive play in order to develop, but you don't expose him and have him "learn" when the game is riding on it.

This team has lost two games in a row because Mike Sherman is out there "toying" with games instead of realizing situations and personnel.

 

[Dolfan23]

And until he learns that, he shouldn't be put in situations in which that risk can result in failure that can turn the tide in games.

In other words, you don't put a developmental QB on the field and then call the game as though you're using a much better one. Obviously you can't remove that risk completely, because he still has to be exposed to customary NFL defensive play in order to develop, but you don't expose him and have him "learn" when the game is riding on it.

This team has lost two games in a row because Mike Sherman is out there "toying" with games instead of realizing situations and personnel.

Well we could always bring back Sparano and Henning since that's what you're yearning for, the great play it safe and kick the FG offense!

 

[Shouright]

Well we could always bring back Sparano and Henning since that's what you're yearning for, the great play it safe and kick the FG offense!

Strawman.

 

[iambanned]

While Tannehill's positive traits are ones that can't be coached (height, good foot speed, good arm strength), I have to wonder if the areas where he's weak are things that can't be coached either.Keeping your head and maintaining maximum info-processing capability in a foxhole when bullets are flying can be something that you either have or you don't. The ability to elude a rusher with a subtle move inside of a, 8 foot radius while keeping the eyes downfield is something else that seems innate. Even in 1999, Marino could make blitzers flat-out whiff. Tanny just stands there and waits to get hit. When things went south in the 2nd half yesterday, he should've been pulled because he was shot, mentally. He was clearly a basketcase.

 

[Dolfan23]

Strawman.

That's what you're begging for so how is that a strawman. Play it safe and kick the FG. THAT IS the Sparano - Henning way hooray!

 

[Dolfan23]

While Tannehill's positive traits are ones that can't be coached (height, good foot speed, good arm strength), I have to wonder if the areas where he's weak are things that can't be coached either.Keeping your head and maintaining maximum info-processing capability in a foxhole when bullets are flying can be something that you either have or you don't. The ability to elude a rusher with a subtle move inside of a, 8 foot radius while keeping the eyes downfield is something else that seems innate. Even in 1999, Marino could make blitzers flat-out whiff. Tanny just stands there and waits to get hit. When things went south in the 2nd half yesterday, he should've been pulled because he was shot, mentally. He was clearly a basketcase.

On 3rd and 2 on that key drive where we ended up missing the FG, Tannehill sidesteps the pressure from Ninkovich exactly the way you'd want your QB to. The problem is that Jerry couldn't handle his man who came around Martin and hit Tannehill the moment he escaped from Ninkovich. Quite honestly Tannehill has made some amazing escapes from pressure the last few weeks and the fact that he couldn't escape back to back guys in this game doesn't take away from his ability to do so.

 

[Shouright]

That's what you're begging for so how is that a strawman. Play it safe and kick the FG. THAT IS the Sparano - Henning way hooray!

I'm advocating for an approach in which the situation is appreciated more fully, especially with a developmental QB, not an approach in which conservativism is displayed across the board.

 

[Dick Pepperwood]

Then moment he says ALL THOSE SACKS are on Tannehill, he lost ALL credibility. Agendas are agendas I don't give a damn how much of an expert someone is.

Shannon Sharpe has some credibility dude. Get real man. I want to like Tannehill too, but I am not ignorant. If Ryan does not turn the Ball over so much we would have won a few more games. It's going to be a lot of people saying it, if this ship keeps sinking. We have not won in over a month. You got to put that on your QB. OLine or not.

 

[NCFINFAN13]

Shannon Sharpe has some credibility dude. Get real man. I want to like Tannehill too, but I am not ignorant. If Ryan does not turn the Ball over so much we would have won a few more games. It's going to be a lot of people saying it, if this ship keeps sinking. We have not won in over a month. You got to put that on your QB. OLine or not.

It is absolutely ignorant to say ALL THE SACKS are on Tannehill. It is agenda based bias. It's like saying ALL the running plays that are stopped for a loss are the running backs fault. Reality ... get some.