Summary: A solid, hard-fought win on the road.
Ryan Tannehill:
I thought it was fitting that, after the Dolphins defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on the road 17 - 13, someone on CBS leading into highlights from the game mentioned to Dan Marino that the rookie quarterback played a good game, and Marino replied that it was a "clean game".
That's because Tannehill on Sunday was not the guy breaking team records and turning heads. He was simply a "game manager". But, there's nothing wrong with that.
It's all that was needed against the Bengals on this day, and the QB pulled through with only his second performance without a turnover. He threw for 17 of 26 passes, 223 yards. Not the type of numbers that would get you a bust in the Hall of Fame, but pretty darn good for a rookie on the road, with a guy named Brian Hartline as your most talented target.
The best thing Tanny did was what he didn't do. No INTs. He made maybe three bad decisions, by my watch, and learned how to protect the ball with a slight lead in the 4th quarter. That's something he and the entire team did not do the past two weeks, when they lost in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Jets.
Dolphins Defense:
The front seven has already been playing lights out, holding back the league's biggest named running backs, but this week we saw the defensive backs play better.
The interceptions are finally coming and cornerback Sean Smith continues to minimize the damage from the monster wideouts in the NFL. This time it was A.J. Greene, the AFC Offensive Player of the Month in September.
Green led the AFC with 27 catches and 428 receiving yards. On Sunday, he caught 9 passes for 65 yards.
This may have something to do with the fact that the Fins' defense made Bengal's quarterback Andy Dalton look a bit nervous, especially in the first half.
Has anyone seen a Carpenter?:
Could someone find the real Dan Carpenter? Back in 2010, he was the second most accurate kicker in NFL history, kicking a 60-yard field goal that season, the longest in Miami Dolphins history.
He has now missed a kick in each of the past three games, though this one was from over 50 yards out. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else is kicking for Miami by the start of the next season, if not before then.
Bottom Line:
The Dolphins are a rebuilding team, but this time they mean it. I truly beleive the product on the field is better right now, than it was last season. In fact the product on the field in Arizona last week was much better (offensively) than on Sunday. But the team learned how to win the close one.
What's Next:
The Dolphins now head home to get ready for the St. Louis Rams, in a game that very well may be blacked out. If it airs, it will be on Fox 29. Let's see if the team can sell 51,000 seats to avoid a black out.
The Rams are not very good right now, and the Dolphins should match up pretty well with them, especially with WR Danny Amendola out for several weeks.
It would also be great for the Fins to beat the team that former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher chose over coming to Miami.
Joel Malkin
Photo: Getty Images
