No Audibles?! You’re Kidding Right!
It was early on last year when I heard the Dolphins didn’t use audibles. I had rationalized and dismissed it because it was a new system, new coordinator, and Tanny was really only beginning his 5th year as a QB ( 2 at A&M and 2 with Fins). And actually, after that I totally forgot about it – I’m not the sharpest spoon in the drawer. It was again a few weeks ago that it surfaced, here or there, can’t remember where, that Tanny wasn’t calling audibles. Again, I thought they meant wholesale swaps of plays, but he was making adjustments at the LOS.
Last week it hit me like a collapsing mountain as the announcers were berating Tanny for not optioning out of obviously disastrous play calls based on the “D’s” looks – he literally has zero control over his “O’s” calls…nada, zip, zilch: NOTHING! They went over in slow motion a run left that died the moment of the snap and asked what was Tanny doing?! They had zero clue about his offensive situation and the absolute lack of dynamics from a franchise QB, picked in the first round, in his 5th year, and projected as the savior of the franchise.
Last time I remember a Miami QB strapped with such chains was Dan Marino’s last year. Jimmy had taken his ability to call audibles and Dan had to walk up to the line and just snap – now he had WR adjustment calls on routes. But as far as moving out of obvious failed plays, being a on field general, he had zero control. Now, I’m not sure if Tanny has route options audibles or not – I believe so. I haven’t had time to go back and look over game tape to see (this week I sure as heck will be watching). BUT, even if he does, I know for damn sure that that’s about it!
There are only two ways of looking at this monumental decision and neither is comforting.
First rationale: Tannehill, a starting NFL QB, is just not smart enough, just not good enough to handle the load and he can’t read his fronts, secondary alignments and drops well enough to make even the most basic audible adjustments. Not even the best sportsbooks in the world would bet that smart in books equates to smarts on the field, I know, but he was a chem major with a 3.5 or so G.P.A – so this means he is a near moron on the field, or at least that is how he is perceived. The problem here is legion. The obvious, Tannehill is a body without a brain on the field and that we are strapped with a QB who will NEVER beat good teams because good team force QB’s the adjust – no adjustments no wins, no rings. But, this also reveals absolute ineptitude in those who are at the top. Why would you pay him like they do? Why would you strap a franchise to such an inept leader? This is disastrous in totality and the rudder of the ship is a rotted mess and we are screwed.
Second rationale: offensive coaching staff is inept, controlling, and either can’t or has no desire to turn over the reigns to the QB. This is the better option. It would mean that Tanny has been strapped with weights and we have not seen the best of him. This would also speak volumes of his inability to deal with good teams, why his first halves are often terrible, and also his narrow vision in blitz adjustments. In this scenario, he has been trained to be a robot. He goes out and follows a map the best he can. When the map is a good one, he comes out hot, when it adjusts in the second half he does better, when plays are the right ones he has a chance, and when the map is wrong he fails. This also has its obvious problems in regards to the staff. The curious thing though is if this is the case, it reaches beyond simply Lazor to Campbell’s doorstep and the FO. It could simply be that Campbell can’t make such changes mid season and Philbin was too gutless to release control – I have no clue.
I am so surprised that this hasn’t exploded on the scene as a MAJOR issue – it seems like a Jedi mind trick has been played and the “zero audible thing”, “Are not the droids you are looking for”. But in my mind this a the crux of our issues in regards to the uneven play we see from the Miami Dolphins. This needs answering, pronto. I don’t have those answers, only questions, and I truly look forward to the Findom’s thoughts because this an elephant in the room and it’s sitting on my head!! Go Fins!!
Ive been saying for a while. All roads lead thru Ross. Campbell inherited his predecessors mess, including Lazor who as an OC is not the answer. RT is the starting QB, yes not all the negative rests on his shoulders, different systems, OCs, etc but hes getting paid all that money with the results being ok but not great. Hopefully under the current HC things will change for him in that aeea. Hes an athletic guy, smart but also we can move the ball from the 20 to the 20 but if we dont matriculate it in the endzone we loose. In the end they do keep score. I want to beleive RT knows this and as far as Lazor,I thought he would have been gone with Philbin, its too late in the season to change it. Lazor should allow RT to audible, that should be a given, if RT is allowed to audible and he screws the pooch then we also have a high priced lame duck QB and that should never be acceptable wether his contract is for $1.00 or $100 million, Lazor should also put both Ajay and Miller as a 1-2 punch simultaneously in the backfield. I like coach Campbell, hes actually not only talking the talk but walking the walk and should continue to push the envelope, test the boundaries and get all he can and actually changing the culture, something that has not been seen in this storied franchise in a long long time. Ross should hire him permanently and allow him to follow thru and build on the foundation hes currently laying.
All roads lead thru Ross, an owner who has shown more interest in the facade of this team from the stadiun renovation, as nice as it is, to the uniform changes all the while not doing anything about the type of players with the right caliber to fill those uniforms, while still making bank. Coach Campbell can make that happen. Ross is a savy bussisnessman but in this league sometimes that doesnt translate into a winning combo.
Hopefully Coach Campbell has finally opened his eyes and he can actually taste what a winning organization should look like.
Fins up! Go Fins!
I think if you pay a QB $100 million dollar new contract, then you should let him audible. I don’t buy that he is simply not capable of recognizing situations. The guy is going to med school and will be a doctor someday. He is no dummy!! You paid him that kind of money, let him audible. He is handcuffed! Either let him audible or release him/trade him. This is stupid and opposing coaches and defenses know this. They can have the upper hand at times even coming into the game! Tannehill needs to speak up and if necessary, go in and have a closed door meeting with Campbell! My thoughts.
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Teams definitely have an advantage knowing this when prepping a game plan. As far as smarts, it doesn’t matter if you have scored the highest wonderlic test (Fitzgerald) score ever or went to Harvard or Yale, etc. Football is a different beast and being able to decipher what you are seeing and what to expect and translate all that into a proper play call/formation etc. within a matter of 10+/- seconds is not something you just pick up or are taught. Only select few are truly capable of doing so. I’m sorry but I’m just not sure if Tanny is capable of that. He just looks like a deer in head lights on the big stage thus far and having the whole plate in those situations I could not see any different results.
Sounds like excuses to me. The Miami Dolphins will not get any Prime Time conversation until this team muster up these wins. They have 7 games left in this season Matt Moore should run this half of the season. Enough with the crying please? Lets wins some games.
Steve if you truly think that Matt Moore should run the ship from here on out? Then you must be one that thought we should have kept Philbin as well. Right???
I didn’t state any excuses, just the obvious that every regime implements.
I would like to think Miami has a talented team as such. But lets look at the ridiculous game they played last week. It was almost laughable except they won. I wonder what Belecheck would have done if his punt returner caught the punt (after he muffed it) then decided to run it out and slip and fall on his ass on the one yard line? He wouldn’t have benched him. he would have shot him!! But the whole game was a comedy of errors, not withstanding there is a new coaching staff, the player should have known better–hell a high school player knows better. I like the choice of coach Cambell and I think he will thrive in Miami but he will have to be tougher on the idiocy that is this Miami team. How doe you fix it? I don’t have a clue. I guess he will also have to get past the injuries and tht’s done with depth.
tbone, It was a kick return (not punt), which makes it worse. Billacheat wouldn’t have shot him, he most likely would have cut him though, at the very least sat him. I don’t mind the aggressiveness, but as most young players he was trying to make a play. He needs to know or at least be told, there is a time and/or an opportunity for such plays, you as a player need to know when to kneel and when not to. As soon as you muff it, you take the knee and start at the 20. No damage done!
No coach can control injuries and depth at the time, it is what it is, next man up, and that is what we saw Sunday. I must not have watched the same game you did. Outside the first quarter, Miami controlled the game though, yes they missed a few opportunities offensively, I’ll take kind of effort every time.
I have been saying all season that we have what we need to win. Our talents are not being used properly. And I say this in all seriousness. Are coaching staff is either dumb or, incompititant or something more sinister is going on. Now I know that doesn’t leave us with much hope. But this is where I hoped Campbell would come in. Come on coach Campbell wake up, don’t drink that koolade. Do what you started to do. Make a difference. Go Dolphins!!!
hey was put in a very difficult position by the franchise. If he even breaks even with the games he has coached it will be a tremendous feat. I love his persona…still evaluating his ability in X’s & O’s and situational coaching, but he is light years better than Philbust!
My guess is that the staff does not believe that Tanny is capable of such responsibility. I mean, Tanny can’t even recognize an oncoming blitz that whole stadium sees coming pre-snap majority of the time. And if this is the case, the staff needs to (maybe not mid season, definitely next year) allow Tanny the full ability to audible at any time out of any play.
I could see the case coming from the Philbin era. Philbin trusted no 1st or second year players, so why would he trust a QB to change plays if needed? And if this is the case, shame on the front office for not demanding their franchise QB the ability to do so. If I payed a CEO (QB) to run my business (team), you better be damn straight he will have the right to make the calls whenever he deems necessary for whatever reason. That is why I made him my franchise (QB) director.
So who knows? I would like to think that Campbell (being a player himself) would allow for his franchise QB the ability to do so. Maybe its Lazor??? So we might not know the truth until next year, should Campbell return. For me personally (hope I’m wrong), I don’t feel that Tanny is capable of putting his team into the right call while taking them out of a bad one. He just doesn’t have “it”. QBs that have “it” know when to call timeouts, they don’t need the coaches to call it for him. I mean look at the debacle before half vs Buffalo, the Brady’s of the league are calling timeout immediately after a play to allow for them to run 2 maybe 3 plays before half instead of one. Maybe only the staff can do this also, but the “it” QBs and the “it” coaches are on the same page and do so.
One rant before I begin my day. Does any so called professional sports writers, commentators, your “Mike & Mike’s” of the world even know that the Miami Dolphins do have a football team? A football team that is capable of playing well enough to beat anyone, especially the Cowboys? All I keep seeing/hearing/reading is about Romo’s return (understandable), but not one person has taken a stance in Miami’s defense. They are ALL assuming that Dallas wins this game with no trouble. They talk as if it is a Varsity team playing a JV team. REALLY? Not one person has said,”well Miami is playing decent or Dallas better be careful here, Miami can be dangerous”. Nope, note a single person even recognizes Miami as at least a threat.
Please, Please use all this BS as bulletin board material (not that Miami needs it). And please Dallas look ahead of this game to your Thanksgiving game, so Miami can let the world know that they do have a football team in Miami, and a darn good one at that!!!
found three articles http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/12/09/omar-kelly-ryan-tannehill-cant-audible-miami-dolphins/ Omar says he cant as of last DEC because he isnt trusted and Lazor just said he can and last week Tanny wouldn’t say….really?! Total FUBAR!