BY SEAN DONOVAN
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill's low point of release resulted in a number of batted passes in the preseason, and the problem carried over to the regular season opener.
Two of his batted throws Sunday went high in the air and were intercepted by Houston Texans defenders Kareem Jackson and Brian Cushing and gave Houston's offense a short field.
"Some of it was protection. We’ve got to do a better job knocking their hands down, no question about that," Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said after the game, according to the team's website. "And some of it might be the throwing lane. Maybe Ryan has to peak, maybe he can move and slide a little bit and adjust his throwing angle. I think it’s a little bit of both. Typically that is when that many get tipped."
Tannehill completed 20 of 36 passes for 219 yards and no touchdowns. But he was intercepted three times, once on a poor throw and twice on a ball batted at the line of scrimmage.
The Texans converted both of the interceptions into touchdown runs by running back Arian Foster.
Miami did have a couple of positive takeaways from Sunday's loss. Reggie Bush rushed for 69 yards on 14 carries (4.9 YPC), and the Dolphins were able to involve seven different receivers in the passing game.
But the three Tannehill interceptions, a Daniel Thomas fumble and a number a dropped passes stymied Miami's offensive production.
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