Who's to Blame For the QB Controversy?

[enigmatics]

All Joe Philbin had to say was "Ryan Tannehill is currently our starting quarterback. If we feel that we need to make a change, we will make that change and you will be informed of it." That's all he had to say. So easy. There would be NO controversy if he said that. None.

Self-inflicted wound. Horrible. Regardless of whether or not the media blew it out of proportion, the fact that the players themselves said it was a distraction and were obviously not thrilled to be answering questions about it, means that it can't simply be dismissed as media noise. Look at the Jets, man. Geno Smith is playing like pure dog****, and they don't have a QB controversy because when they asked Rex Ryan about it, he practically jumped in front of a machine gun nest for Geno.

And I freaking hate Rex Ryan! I think he's a buffoon! Yet he's less of a buffoon than Joe Philbin.

That's still controversy in the eyes of the media though. Anytime you make any kind inference (veiled or otherwise) that a change is possible, the media is going to run with it. Especially when it's regarding a former #8 pick who's not lived up to expectations so far.

Honestly, the Philbin comments are much adou about nothing to me. It's actually one of the few things I've been fine with Philbin doing as of late. Tannehill was gifted the role. The Sherman training wheels were removed. Time to step it up. There's a lot on the line for everyone and if there was ever a time for rapid progression in play maturity from the offense's most pivotal positions it's now.

I don't give two craps that it's only week 4 of Lazor's offense, if you go into the bye week 1-3 it's going to set an awful tone the rest of the way.

 

[whizafriz]

But even him saying that.... the media would have spun it to mean that he doesn't have confidence in his QB. It's like the Nick Saban situation. They asked him about Alabama several times until he had to say something. in which he chose to say he's "Not going to be the Alabama Coach" in which turned out to be a lie. If he had said "Yes I'm considering going to coach Alabama) then that would have been headlines and would have been a distraction. All I'm saying is that it's almost better for coaches to say nothing ala Bill B because no matter what you say or don't say, it will be blown up if the topic is your starting QB starting or not.

That's true that it would be blown up anyways somehow, but at least the statement that you're going to discuss it, is something your players can latch on to. At least Tannehill knows that Philbin's going to approach him, include him, and talk to him about it. The best the media could do then for controversy is postulate "Hmm, could Philbin not trust Tannehill? What will happen from this talk?" Well, at least you know there IS a talk, with a possibility of Tannehill getting a vote of confidence, so the media has a chance of being wrong.

What Actually happened was, Philbin didn't say Anything. That just creates a void where there's no tangible chance of positive connection with coach and player.

 

[Daytona Fin]

3) Ryan Tannehill's fall?: Joe Philbin didn't carry on all week the way he did for nothing, apology or no apology. A couple people inside the building certainly made it sound to me like benching Tannehill is not out of the question, and that the head coach's public fence-sitting on naming a starter should serve as a de facto warning shot at the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft. The problems with Tannehill? According to one informed party, the quarterback's ability to see the field hasn't developed as the team would've liked, nor has his pocket presence or deep accuracy. (That final issue is compounded by the heavy investment the club made in Mike Wallace.) It's added up to a quarterback rating that tops only three other qualifiers in the NFL, a completion percentage closer to 55 than 60 and a league-worst average of 5.03 yards per attempt. Miami, like Washington, will have to make a decision on its quarterback after the season, choosing by May whether or not to exercise an option that figures to hover around $15 million for 2016. Whether or not Philbin is involved in that call remains an open question. What seems clear is that he and the staff see backup Matt Moore as a potentially viable leader to get him there.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-londonbased-team-in-2022-notes-across-league

 

[jason_taylor]

Joe.

GUYs in noway can this be put on philbin ,WHO calls the plays ? OC , who runs those plays ? Tannehill and the Offence ,and so if something isnt working and you was the coach ,say in philbins shoes what would you think ? AND Philbins there everyday , there is only 2 parties that can be quilty and thats either the OC or QB ,NOT PHILBIN ,but if we look a little futher we will see that under the old offence Tanny ran he was pretty successful , im thinking Tannehill just cant or hasnt grasped the New Offence , and Joe is just like us , HE WANTS TO WIN .

 

[Zounds]

All Joe Philbin had to say was "Ryan Tannehill is currently our starting quarterback. If we feel that we need to make a change, we will make that change and you will be informed of it." That's all he had to say. So easy. There would be NO controversy if he said that. None.

Its just a bunch of meaningless words he said at a presser. Whatever he told the media during the presser had no bearing on the team or his ability to coach. If we were 2-1, nobody would give a **** that he refused to name a starter during a presser. What we have here is a bunch of angry fans looking for something negative to cling to. Being upset with Philbin for not having his team prepared or mismanaging the game is perfectly reasonable, but people wanting to hang this guy for being short with the media are just looking for something to bitch about.

Even if you truly thought Philbin's post-game presser words were so meaningful, you have to also point the finger at Tannehill, who publicly retaliated through the media by saying he didn't think his coach did the right thing. When is it ever ok for a player to call out his HC?

 

[Austin Tatious]

For you guys living in a bubble. I live in Chicago and people know I am a Dolphin fan. Bears fans are regularly coming up to me and laughing with a WTF on this. This was a national story. The football country saw this. This isn't limited to isolated questions by Andrew Abramson or Armando. This is being ridiculed at a national level. Perception is reality. Philbin is viewed nationally as the guy who presided over Bullygate and has a laughable quarterback controversy.

 

[psfign]

For you guys living in a bubble. I live in Chicago and people know I am a Dolphin fan. Bears fans are regularly coming up to me and laughing with a WTF on this. This was a national story. The football country saw this. This isn't limited to isolated questions by Andrew Abramson or Armando. This is being ridiculed at a national level. Perception is reality. Philbin is viewed nationally as the guy who presided over Bullygate and has a laughable quarterback controversy.

Really? Because here in Dallas, my Cowboy friends like to talk football and not media driven drama....so no. This hasnt even come up once this week.

 

[Zounds]

For you guys living in a bubble. I live in Chicago and people know I am a Dolphin fan. Bears fans are regularly coming up to me and laughing with a WTF on this. This was a national story. The football country saw this. This isn't limited to isolated questions by Andrew Abramson or Armando. This is being ridiculed at a national level. Perception is reality. Philbin is viewed nationally as the guy who presided over Bullygate and has a laughable quarterback controversy.

Basically, its being ridiculed by people who don't have a clue. Anyone following the Dolphins, including the media members present during Philbin's press conference, knew Tannehill wasn't going to be benched.

 

[hoops]

Basically, its being ridiculed by people who don't have a clue. Anyone following the Dolphins, including the media members present during Philbin's press conference, knew Tannehill wasn't going to be benched.

it doesnt matter...he shouldnt have left any doubt...

 

[Austin Tatious]

I don't think it's media driven. There is a significant locker room aspect to this. The locker room is a vital part of winning football. This didn't go well in the locker room, although Tannehill standing up to it may have won him points.

I think the team comes out furious and puts a whooping on the Raiders. Playing furious because your coach was an amateur is Forrest Gumping your way to success.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Basically, its being ridiculed by people who don't have a clue. Anyone following the Dolphins, including the media members present during Philbin's press conference, knew Tannehill wasn't going to be benched.

I think it's one thing to put his QB on notice. That's OK. But the way he's handled the whole thing is just bizarre, man.

You don't think it's weird that he claims to have some media policy not to name starters, yet we can find verified instances in which he hasn't followed that policy at all, as recently as like 3 weeks ago? You don't think it's odd that the quarterback HIMSELF had to come out and say he was starting, and that even after the quarterback came out and said it, the coach still wouldn't answer the question? You don't think it's just silly that his response is "I don't know" when asked who is going to start, even though he clearly knows who is going to start and has already informed the players of it?

Like it or not, dealing with the media in a competent fashion is part of Joe Philbin's job. He's bringing bad press and ridicule on the team by his actions. He's caused a 'distraction' for his players. All easily avoidable by simply stating an obvious fact.

 

[Zounds]

stuff

I think you are really nitpicking and digging deep to find a fault. Philbin didn't even answer the reporter's question. So he refused to answer some smart-ass reporter's question. Who ****ing cares. What I care about is how this team plays and prepares, and I'll judge my coach on that. I'm not going to sit here an pick apart a coaches semantics on a press conference like he was giving a commencement address at Harvard. He didnt have this team prepared last week, and mismanaged the game clock, so lets bash him for things that are material.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

What I care about is how this team plays and prepares, and I'll judge my coach on that.

Okay, well I think that dealing with the media and managing personalities and the press in an acceptable fashion is part of his job. I feel like he's doing a horrible job there and I don't think it's nitpicking to suggest that the coach deserves to be blamed when he's created a media ****show that his players are being questioned about simply because he couldn't give a straightforward answer to a very simple question.

As for how the team plays and prepares, well, the team plays and prepares about as well as Joe Philbin deals with reporters. How about that?

 

[JTC111]

There is no controversy.

Shakespeare wrote an entire play about our qb controversy: Much Ado About Nothing.

 

[Zounds]

Okay, well I think that dealing with the media and managing personalities and the press in an acceptable fashion is part of his job.

Of course it is, but being short with a reporter who was obviously baiting him for a controversial sound bite is not part of managing a team or personnel. You must not have been around for Jimmy Johnson or Nick Saban press conferences. Those were icy. If you are looking for media manger then maybe golf or tennis is what you should be watching.