In the Miami Dolphins' last-second victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Dolphins fans were treated to a stellar fourth quarter performance from rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
With his team down by seven in the final stanza, Tannehill led his offense downfield against a stout Seahawks defense and scored a touchdown to knot the score at 21. The ensuing Seattle drive penetrated Dolphins territory, but the defense held strong and forced a punt.
Tannehill then delivered a game-winning drive, an occurrence that hasn't been common in South Florida in recent years.
With just 1:32 left in regulation and pinned at it's own 10-yard line, a situation in which this franchise has long sat on their hands and settled for overtime, Miami lined up in a spread formation.
Seattle responded with press coverage on the receivers and a single deep safety.
With Pro Bowl-caliber corners Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman on the outside, this is not only a difficult defense for Tannehill to beat, but also extremely risky considering the tied score and proximity to his own end zone.
Instead, the rookie singled out veteran corner Marcus Trufant in the slot, lined up against the Dolphins' quickest and most reliable receiver, Davone Bess.
After a couple of moves to gain separation, Tannehill was able to find Bess on a crossing pattern for a 19-yard gain.
Tannehill's recognition of the coverage and trust that Bess would be able to get open made this play possible.
But the Seahawks didn't always make their coverage so easy for Tannehill to diagnose.
After hurrying to the line of scrimmage, Miami lined up in a five-receiver set. Seattle still appeared to be in man, but not in press.
After the snap, Tannehill looked to his left, expecting man coverage and an open receiver down the sideline. Instead, Seattle fell into a short and deep zone with the slot and boundary cornerback.
After recognizing the disguised zone, and with his mental clock ticking, Tannehill did something that he hadn't much in his first 10 games. He tucked the ball down and ran with it, picking up 15 yards.
Earlier in the season, the young signal-caller may have taken a sack, forced the ball into coverage, or, at best, thrown the ball away. But his mental awareness on this play allowed him to gain another first down with his feet and keep the drive moving.
On the next play, after the ball had been spiked to stop the clock, Miami lined up in three-wideout set. Seattle showed press coverage to the left, and Sherman played off the receiver to the right. Bess had apparent one-on-one coverage by Trufant in the slot once again.
At the snap, Tannehill decisively exploited the matchup for a second time on the drive. Bess made a quick move to the inside, then went back outside and headed downfield, where Tannehill connected with him under the safety for a 25-yard pickup.
With the completion, Miami was comfortably in Seattle territory. Tannehill stopped the clock on a spike, then completed another short pass, and Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter then hit a 43-yard field goal as time expired to secure the final margin.
This notch in the win column will likely mean little as the 2012 season winds down. But Tannehill displayed not only his abilities as a passer on this drive, but the mental awareness and leadership it takes to win close games.
And that's something the Dolphins and their fan base hope to see for many years.
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