Teammates praise Tannehill's poise
Ask Dolphins teammates to describe rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill and one word consistently pops up.
"He's really poised," tailback Reggie Bush said. "That's kind of who he has been since day one."
"After that first game he never lost any confidence," left tackle Jake Long said, referring to Tannehill's three interception performance in the season-opening loss to Houston.
Philbin praised Tannehill for how poised he's remained throughout the season, and specifically mentioned how he battled back from a rough second-quarter in last Sunday's 35-13 win over the Raiders.
Tannehill completed 9-of-11 passes for 115 yards and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano in the second half, helping the Dolphins overcome a 10-7 halftime to deficit.
Tannehell turned four of Miami's seven second-half possessions into points, and that includes the final series kneel down to finish the game in field goal territory.
"He's responded pretty well to some adverse situations and he's come back and played pretty well in the second half of the last two games," Philbin said. "We like his decision making. When he comes to the sideline, we like the fact that he knows what just happened out on the field. He doesn't seem to be in awe or surprised too much."
The Jets will certainly challenge Philbin's opinion of his first-round pick on Sunday.
This critical AFC East showdown will show the world how Miami's inexperienced quarterback handles himself against a defense that feeds off confusion, and works to generate big plays feasting on a quarterbacks' mistakes.
"They throw some stuff at you and I'm excited to be tested," said Tannehill, who will make his third regular season start. "I think that it will really test us as an offense, test me personally to be able to pick up all the things that they show."
