Dolphins fans were none too pleased with our decision to write about Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden after Miami's 23-10 win Sunday. In their minds, Ryan Tannehill was the topic du jour.
That's fair, because Tannehill showed plenty of moxie against the Browns.
As we mentioned on Sunday's "Around The League Podcast," Cleveland battered Tannehill with four sacks and repeated knockdowns. The Dolphins also were abysmal on the ground, running for just 20 yards on 23 carries, but the difference between Tanny and Weeden was clear.
Where Weeden couldn't turn a 7-6 halftime lead into a win, Tannehill pushed through the issues on offense to produce 17 second-half points.
"They came out and played a little differently than we expected them to," Tannehill said, per the Dolphins' official website. "The first game of the year, we didn't know exactly how they were going to play us. We knew their coordinator from last year, but they kept base on the field, and that was the change-up we really weren't expecting coming into the game."
Browns cornerback Joe Haden won his battle with wide receiver Mike Wallace, turning Miami's newly acquired deep threat into a ghost.
Wallace criticized the game plan in victory, but the double coverage he attracted helped Tannehill find receivers Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson for key yardage. By game's end, Tannehill was 24-of-38 passing for 272 yards and one touchdown, marking the third-best outing of his 17 pro starts.
"It took us just a little bit to get adjusted to that," Tannehill said. " ... I feel like once we did, the offensive line did a good job in the second half of picking up their pressures and handling the rush, and we were able to get the ball outside and move the ball down the field."
To the naked eye, Peyton Manning makes the quarterback position look like a stroll through a rose garden. For less experienced passers, like Tannehill and Weeden, on-field growth is about digging out from an ugly series or quarter to find the light. Weeden never did that Sunday. Tannehill -- like the good ones do -- found a way.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped every Week 1 game. Click here to listen and subscribe.
