Ryan Tannehill is finally ready to return as Dolphins' starting QB
Ryan Tannehill is ready to return as the Miami Dolphins quarterback, and the team he comes back to isn’t in terrible shape.
Tannehill will start on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, Dolphins coach Adam Gase told reporters on Tuesday. Tannehill has missed five games with an injured capsule in his right throwing shoulder.
The Dolphins weren’t great in his absence, but they’re still right in the heart of the playoff race. The Dolphins went 2-3 with Brock Osweiler starting, including an overtime win against the Chicago Bears that looks better each week. They’re 5-5, tied with a glut of teams for the final playoff spot in the AFC.
The question now is how sharp Tannehill will be upon his return.
Ryan Tannehill had a good practice Tuesday
Gase said Tannehill made “all the throws he needed to make” in practice on Tuesday, according to the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins weren’t going to rush Tannehill back. But they’re coming off the bye and this seems like the right time for their quarterback to get back in the lineup. Tuesday’s practice must have made an impression, because on Monday Gase wasn’t ready to proclaim Tannehill ready to start this week.
“He looks like what I remember,” Gase said, according to the Herald. “I feel like it’s forever since I’ve seen saw him throw. To me, he looks like what he wants to look like. Now it’s about the next day. ‘How do I feel the next day?’ and ‘How much can we do the next day?’ Then after the day off, how does he feel after that? Really, it’s going to be a test of, we go out to practice and now it’s a different intensity, different throws. He’s got bodies in front of him. The arm angle has to change. There are some things that we can’t do with him on air that that we’re able to do in practice.”
Dolphins still in playoff mix
Tannehill wasn’t having a great season before he got hurt (eight touchdowns, five interceptions, 92.9 passer rating) but he wasn’t bad and is an upgrade at quarterback.
Of the Dolphins’ final six games, four come against teams that are .500 or worse, including the 5-5 Colts. Miami hasn’t been a great team this week, but they’re right in the middle of the playoff race and their schedule isn’t too daunting.
The biggest factor for the Dolphins down the stretch is probably how Tannehill plays. At least he’s finally healthy enough to return.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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