Tannehill brightens Fins' night after loss of Garrard

BY SEAN DONOVAN

The Miami Dolphins opened their preseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday, but the worst part of the night came before the team even stepped on the field.

It was revealed that projected starting quarterback David Garrard was going to miss at least a few weeks after an arthroscopic knee procedure set to take place on Saturday.

While the day provided some tough news for one of their veterans, the Dolphins were treated to a promising show by one of their rookies.

Matt Moore was pushed into the starting lineup by Garrard's injury, but the most effective offensive performance came with No. 8 overall pick Ryan Tannehill under center.

Tannehill entered the game midway through the second quarter, and had one drive end after a touchdown was called back and led another impressive drive that was capped off by an 11-yard scoring strike to Charles Clay.

The rookie showed poise and command in the pocket against the second- and third-team Buccaneers defenders, completing 14 of his 21 passing attempts for 167 yards and the one touchdown.

It's just a preseason game, but it's surely a nice sight for Dolphins fans to see their eventual franchise quarterback playing proficiently in his first game action.

At the very least, Miami should be happy that it's getting good play out of a guy who is one Garrard knee injury closer to starting games for the Dolphins.

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