Tannehill: You Play To Win The Game

[Daytona Fin]

To get a sense of the Miami Dolphins' ideal mindset in the final two games, look no further than the credo written on the wall inside the team's locker room.

“I will never accept defeat,” the Dolphins’ credo states in bold letters. “I will never quit.”

However, Dolphins players insisted that they will fight to the end. They still have a shot to finish with a winning season for the first time since 2008.

“The thing is that winning two games means something, so we take things one game at a time,” Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick said. “So beating Minnesota means something. Beating New York means something. But finishing 9-7 and not getting into the playoffs really doesn't mean anything.”

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill even cited a famous football line from former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards.

“You play to win the game,” Tannehill said Wednesday.

Philbin is doing his best to block out the noise, but he still must motivate his players to perform well in the final two games.

For players, this serves as an audition. Change is inevitable on a roster when teams are not successful, and Miami will have a lot of decisions to make in the offseason with high-priced veterans and prospective free agents.

It will be up to leaders such as defensive end Cameron Wake and Tannehill to keep the team focused.

“You play for each other, you play for your team and you play to represent yourself and what you stand for as a person and as a player,” Tannehill said. “I don’t have any problem getting motivation. I love to compete, regardless of if the playoffs are on the line or not.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/miami-dolph...ame?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[TKAllDay]

Thanks for posting but I refuse to buy into this nonsense anymore. And this is coming from the biggest homer fin fan there is

 

[EvilDylan]

A few of the posters here could learn a thing or two from Tannehill about not giving up.

It's sickening the amount of people who call these next two games meaningless, implying that winning them will only hurt our draft status and in the end hurt the team as a whole. Garbage attitude from posters who have never competed for anything worthwhile in their lives.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

A few of the posters here could learn a thing or two from Tannehill about not giving up.

It's sickening the amount of people who call these next two games meaningless, implying that winning them will only hurt our draft status and in the end hurt the team as a whole. Garbage attitude from posters who have never competed for anything worthwhile in their lives.

Really?

I'm not the one playing in the game, so my competitiveness doesn't matter one bit. In fact, I have absolutely ZERO impact on the outcome of those games, and those games have absolutely ZERO impact on my livelihood or even my enjoyment of the season at this point. The only real result of winning or losing those games for me is the likelihood that ownership realizes that our head coach isn't working out, and the quality of talent that will be available with our 1st and 2nd picks in the 2015 NFL draft.

9-7 or 7-9, what's the difference? Your season is over on December 29th either way.

I could flip that right around on you: Only short-sighted people who are ruled by emotion will refuse meaningful long-term gain in exchange for marginal short-term satisfaction.

 

[Despacio]

Another meaningless season in the books. That's the reality. Wins are just to try to sell season tickets for next year at this point. A 9-7 winning season is absolutely pointless. And it's sad.


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[phishxhead]

A few of the posters here could learn a thing or two from Tannehill about not giving up.

It's sickening the amount of people who call these next two games meaningless, implying that winning them will only hurt our draft status and in the end hurt the team as a whole. Garbage attitude from posters who have never competed for anything worthwhile in their lives.

I hope they lose both games, winning will only hurt our draft position and our team as a whole. Play the young guys and tell RT to take chances throwing the ball downfield. If we win that way, I wont complain.

 

[Yessir]

LOL....Leading the offense to THREE POINTS in the last two second halves most certainly isn't playing to win.

 

[Phinfan99]

This thread kinda sounds like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-iJUuPWis

 

[EvilDylan]

Really?

I'm not the one playing in the game, so my competitiveness doesn't matter one bit. In fact, I have absolutely ZERO impact on the outcome of those games, and those games have absolutely ZERO impact on my livelihood or even my enjoyment of the season at this point. The only real result of winning or losing those games for me is the likelihood that ownership realizes that our head coach isn't working out, and the quality of talent that will be available with our 1st and 2nd picks in the 2015 NFL draft.

9-7 or 7-9, what's the difference? Your season is over on December 29th either way.

I could flip that right around on you: Only short-sighted people who are ruled by emotion will refuse meaningful long-term gain in exchange for marginal short-term satisfaction.

Sorry man, it's a competition and competition is and always will be ruled by emotion. Not to be cliche, but "You play to win the game" couldn't be more true in respect to sports. I just can't fathom watching the team I love and support trot out a group of players that just don't give a damn.

I have to disagree that competing to win only satisfies a short term narrative. Confidence, pride, resolve, just to name a few are built when you push through the dark times in sports. These things teach valuable lessons that can be leaned upon in the future.

 

[CamWakeForest]

I don't care if we lose to Minny, but Jets game are always must-wins IMO.

8-8 can still get Philbin fired (hopefully). And the draft position difference won't be much.

 

[dolpns13]

A few of the posters here could learn a thing or two from Tannehill about not giving up.

It's sickening the amount of people who call these next two games meaningless, implying that winning them will only hurt our draft status and in the end hurt the team as a whole. Garbage attitude from posters who have never competed for anything worthwhile in their lives.

They're meaningless to me. Have been for two weeks. I will watch the remaining games and likely laugh my ass of at these clowns

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Sorry man, it's a competition and competition is and always will be ruled by emotion. Not to be cliche, but "You play to win the game" couldn't be more true in respect to sports. I just can't fathom watching the team I love and support trot out a group of players that just don't give a damn.

I have to disagree that competing to win only satisfies a short term narrative. Confidence, pride, resolve, just to name a few are built when you push through the dark times in sports. These things teach valuable lessons that can be leaned upon in the future.

I don't play for the Dolphins, or coach them, or work for them. So, when I think that it would be good for us in the long run to lose out, and say that to the forum at large, that's not what's going to cause those players to go out there and play like a bunch of bums. They've been doing that for three weeks now when I was rooting for them to win out.

 

[vere76]

17 needs to step up and act like a leader. He leads as well as Henne.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

BTW, you want to see a football team that is tanking for draft position?

The Chicago Bears announced just now that they are starting JIMMY CLAUSEN this Sunday.

Jimmy. Clausen. One of the absolute WORST quarterbacks I have seen in the past decade, bar none. He is so bad, he is worse than Blaine Gabbert. He is Ryan Lindley bad. He is worse than John Skelton. He makes Thad Lewis look like a Pro Bowler. With zero exaggeration, the guy is legitimately John Beck bad.

That is how you tank for draft position.

 

[KTDolphins]

Hindsight is a bitch, and those clamoring for us to win will get the biggest dose of it.