Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Tannehill sharp, will start Sunday
QB not ‘100 percent,’ but confident he can make needed throws
DAVIE – Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a football for the first time in a team practice in five weeks on Tuesday, and was named the starter for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Tannehill threw passes of approximately 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 yards to teammates after missing the last five games to nurse a capsule injury to his right shoulder.
While Tannehill’s shoulder pain has reduced from a “stabbing” pain to a more tolerable level, he hopes to give his Dolphins teammates everything he can to help them make a push for the playoffs in the final six games of the season.
“I’m playing for the guys around me,” Tannehill said on Tuesday. “I see how much work these guys put in. I believe in these guys. I believe we have a lot of football in front of us, and we can win a lot of football games. I’m going to give everything I have to these guys, and hopefully we come out with some wins.”
The Dolphins hope a relatively healthy Tannehill can help kickstart an offense that has failed to score a touchdown in two straight games. Brock Osweiler, who started in Tannehill’s place for the last five games as the Dolphins went 2-3, failed to throw a touchdown in his last three starts.
The Dolphins are currently ranked eighth in the AFC playoff picture, two spots shy of a wildcard berth. They are tied with five
other teams, including the Colts, with a 5-5 record.
A win in Indianapolis, under Tannehill’s leadership, would be a nice start.
But which Tannehill the Dolphins will get in Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium remains to be seen.
“We need him,” running back Frank Gore said of Tannehill. “He knows he’s going to be in pain, but he wants to play.”
The last time Tannehill threw during a Dolphins practice was Oct. 14, shortly after he injured the shoulder in Miami’s road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5.
Tannehill threw during practice with the intention of playing the next game, against the Chicago Bears, but he was shut down to begin a lengthy rehabilitation process that began with him consulting with four or five doctors.
Tannehill tried to make his comeback sooner — roughly about three weeks ago, he said — but he simply did not have the arm strength needed to play.
“It’s been a long road to get back to where I am now,” Tannehill said. “It’s a tough five, six weeks of grinding, of frustration, of pain, of working through things. To finally be healthy enough to play again, I’m really excited about where I’m at.”
During the bye week, Tannehill’s throwing sessions ramped up to at least 100 throws at distances reaching at least 50 yards.
Tannehill says he is “not quite 100 percent,” but confident he can make the throws needed to propel the Dolphins offense.
Doctors are also confident he will not cause further injury to the shoulder.
“I’m totally confident in where it’s at, and hopefully it gets better,” Tannehill said. “But if it doesn’t, then I’m totally okay with that and we can get fully healthy in the offseason. I can make all the throws and do what I need to do, so that won’t be an issue.
“But as far as how far I’ve come, it’s been a big, big step from first injuring, then trying to throw a few weeks later and just couldn’t throw. That was the stabbing pain, and I just didn’t have any juice in the ball.
“From there to here has been huge steps.”
Tannehill’s throwing motion looked smooth and undisturbed as he threw a variety of inside and outside routes to receivers, while Osweiler and fellow backup David Fales again assumed their positions as the second and third quarterbacks on the roster.
The Dolphins made the decision to start Tannehill against the Colts on Monday night, with coach Adam Gase informing Osweiler to remain ready if necessary.
The Dolphins hope to reach the playoffs for the second time in Gase’s tenure, with their last appearance coming during the 2016 season. And they hope to do so with Tannehill at the helm.
“He’s ready to go. He’s been waiting for this week for a while,” Gase said of Tannehill. “[Tuesday] was a good start for us with him practicing the whole practice.”
Added Tannehill: “I’m ready to put this behind me, move forward, and start winning some football games.”