Can Ryan Tannehill throw for more than 30 TDs in 2014? (USATSI) DAVIE, Fla. --
Ryan Tannehill doubled his touchdown passes from 12 to 24 from his rookie year to his second season in 2013.
Is another double-up coming?
"That would be nice," said Tannehill, the
Miami Dolphins' third-year quarterback.
Nice and unlikely. It would mean he's special. That would be 48 touchdown passes, the number Dan Marino threw in 1984 -- a number that was an NFL best until
Peyton Manning took it down in 2004.
But I do believe Tannehill can get that number over 30. He also needs to cut down on his interceptions after throwing 17 in 2013.
It all starts with a new offense that is designed to help get the ball out of his hands quicker. With Mike Sherman out as offensive coordinator and Bill Lazor in, the offense has more pre-snap movements, which will help the offense dictate to the defense.
"This allows us to create matchups we like and puts pressure on the defense to get lined up right," Tannehill said last week. "It also puts the pressure on them to make the right calls and checks. When you do a lot of shifting and motioning, you make them be up front with their calls. A missed call, and you have a wide-open guy."
Tannehill was sacked 58 times last season, and he was hit a lot more than that. It's hard to complete passes from your back. The line struggled, but there was also talk that Tannehill wasn't great in the pocket.
"We went back and looked at (the sacks), and not a lot of them were from not having good pocket presence," he said. "But this offense is good about getting the ball out quicker."
All of these changes, plus the natural growth in his third season, will make Tannehill better. It has to be that way. There are still many who wonder if he's the long-term answer for the Dolphins.
"I'd take that guy in a minute," said a coordinator from another NFL team. "There's a lot there to work with."
Russell Wilson, from the same 2012 draft class as Tannehill, won a
Super Bowl last season, which puts pressure on Tannehill to step up his game and lead the Dolphins to at least the playoffs. He said he blocks all that type of talk out of his head.
"I don't hear it a lot because I don't listen to a lot of media or read the newspapers," Tannehill said. "It's a quarterback-driven league, so I understand that talk. I just want to go out and play well and lead this team to the playoffs."
So far in the preseason, Tannehill is 28 for 41 for 291 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It hasn't been great, but it hasn't been bad either. He has missed some long shots down the field, which is something he needs to improve on in 2014.
The Dolphins' first-team offense got only a field goal against the
Cowboys, thanks in part to a lost fumble by tight end
Dion Sims and a bad end-zone interception from Tannehill.
Still, I do think we will see a better Tannehill this year, which is why he's the headliner of a list of 10 guys who I think have to -- and will -- step up their games this season.
