The Miami Dolphins had some ups -- and a few more downs -- in 2012. Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill was along for the ride.Tannehill was a bit off and on during his first season as a professional signal-caller. Here's his passer rating in order from Week 1 to 15 (not including Week 7, when he left the game early): 39.0, 91.0, 50.2, 86.5, 92.3, 112.0, 90.9, 42.4, 46.9, 97.1, 66.2, 74.0, 123.2.
Tannehill's Dolphins sit at 6-8. But it's not necessarily the results that has the young quarterback's coaches confident in his future. It's how he deals with them. (photo: June Rivera, Flickr)
“His mind-set, that’s the beauty of Ryan," Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman said Monday, via the Miami Herald. "He knows when he makes mistakes. He’s fairly critical of himself but doesn’t beat himself up. When you evaluate quarterbacks, you really have to look at their psyche as much as their talent."
Aside from two three-interception games (one of which came in his first NFL start), Tannehill has just two other multi-interception games and seven games without a pick, not counting Week 7, when he attempted just five passes.
Tannehill's calm demeanor and smart play has been encouraging, and he's been safer throwing the football as of late. He's thrown three touchdowns and no picks, with one rushing score, in his last three games, though he does have three fumbles (two lost) in that span.
"As a rookie quarterback, you’re going to make mistakes," Sherman said. "You just can’t let every mistake weigh heavily on your shoulders, and Ryan doesn’t do that. ...That’s the sign of a good quarterback that has a chance to be a great quarterback."
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