Photo: Dirk Hansen, Flickr
BY SEAN DONOVAN
Tannehill had been battling with veteran Matt Moore during training camp and the preseason for the job.
"It was a close competition, but in the end we feel that this is the best decision for our football team at the present time," Philbin said in a Monday press conference, according to the team.
Moore was the incumbent starter, and after a 6-3 record down the stretch in 2011, many felt he deserved a chance to start this season. Each player was given one start in the preseason, and the rookie capitalized on his opportunies.
He completed 25 of his 44 attempts for 267 yards and one touchdown in two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. He has also avoided turning the football over.
Tannehill was originally buried at No. 3 on the depth chart but had been gaining momentum in recent weeks, after a knee injury removed frontrunner David Garrard from the quarterback race. His steady improvements from June OTAs to training camp were evident and were enough to give the coaches confidence to move forward with him.
For Dolphins fans, the announcement ushers in a new era of quarterback play. Tannehill was the first QB taken by the Dolphins in the first round of the draft since Dan Marino, and Miami has been a revolving door for quarterbacks since the Hall of Famer retired in 1999.
Now that their starting quarterback is determined, the Dolphins can fully turn their attention to a difficult Week 1 test in Houston. The Texans stout defense will be a crash course for the young signal-caller.
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