MythBusters: Why Ryan Tannehill is a scheme-transcendent, top-five NFL quarterback

Ryan Tannehill isn’t often recognized as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, but the stats and tape tell the story: He absolutely is.

On this three-yard touchdown pass to the Lions in Week 15, Tennessee has tight ends Anthony Firkser, MyCole Pruitt, and Jonnu Smith on the field, and watch how motioning Smith into the backfield pre-snap forces Detroit’s defense to become even more compressed, leading to an easy shot to Evans on the wheel route. This isn’t play-action, but it is a great example of using motion to make a defense do what you want it to do — and without Derrick Henry.

And here, out of “12” personnel with Pruitt and tight end Geoff Swaim against the Browns in Week 13, Henry gets flexed out of the backfield pre-snap, and Tannehill exploits Cleveland’s lack of a deep safety of note with this 27-yard touchdown pass to Pruitt. No play-action, no threat of a running back, no problem.

So, what about “11” personnel — one tight end, one running back, and three receivers? The Titans have run “11” on just 39% of their offensive plays this season (only the Vikings are lower at 30%), but out of that grouping, Tannehill has a passer rating of 113.0, with 15 touchdowns and just one interception. Are we still saying that he needs this or that or he’ll fall apart? Perhaps we should move beyond that.

The Colts learned to move beyond it on this 69-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown in Week 12. Pruitt is the only tight end on the field, and he’s Tannehill’s first read on the short crosser. Tannehill passes that up to hit Brown on the slant, and helped by the Colts’ front-side blitz and receiver Cameron Batson taking slot cornerback Kenny Moore up the seam on the other side, Brown runs right through Indianapolis’ generally-sound defense for the score. The larger point here, though, is that if Tannehill was ever a simple one-read guy reliant on a running game and play-action to make plays like this happen, he’s not anymore.

One way in which play-action works for the Titans that you may not expect? Working Tannehill in as a productive runner. Remember that since Week 7 of the 2019 season, Tannehill is responsible for more touchdowns than Lamar Jackson, and this isn’t another “deceptively fast” quarterback. Tannehill played receiver his first two seasons at Texas A & M, and he can still get it done. Back to the Lions in Week 15, and if Detroit’s defense is going to fall for the banana in the tailpipe on the fake to Henry, Tannehill will be more than happy to scamper into the end zone for a 29-yard score. This play won’t make you forget Patrick Mahomes, but it is a reminder that Tannehill can also make defenses think about his actual athleticism.

Do you want a quarterback who’s composed and efficient under pressure? Only Russell Wilson and Justin Herbert have more passing touchdowns when pressured than Tannehill, who’s tied with Josh Allen at nine. Tennessee’s offense hasn’t featured an inordinate number of deep throws this season, but Tannehill had completed 17 of 35 passes or 20 or more air yards for 634 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 110.4 passer rating. He ranks fourth in DYAR and third in DVOA among the NFL’s starting quarterbacks this season, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s right where he should be — as a top-five quarterback who can help his team win in any scenario.

That’s who Ryan Tannehill is right now, whether he’s recognized that way or not.