Philbin expresses regret in the way he handled Tannehill & QB situation

Written by Matthew Cannata | Twitter: @PhinManiacs
After a week full of stories, distractions and rumors, Joe Philbin finally addressed the manner in which he handled Ryan Tannehill and the quarterback situation over the past several days. On Monday, Philbin said that he would play the best 46 players regardless of position and continued that stance on Tuesday and Wednesday. Within minutes of Philbin's pres conference ending on Monday though, national media outlets picked up the story and ran with it and criticism from former coaches and players started to pour in. On Thursday, Philbin expressed regret in the way he handled the situation. 

“Let me just say this, one of the functions of the head coach is to create an atmosphere free from distractions and, to the degree that I contributed to any of those distractions, intended or not, it doesn’t really matter. That falls on me. It’s my responsibility. Certainly, I accept that responsibility as the head coach. Really that’s all I have to say on that.”

When asked if he would consider pulling Tannehill out of the game on Sunday if he struggles, Philbin said that he would be evaluated just like any other player on the team.

“I don’t think it’s any different. Every position, you have to get a sense for the game, you have to get a feel for the game and look at it clearly from that perspective and decide. Everything should be based on what gives your team the best chance to win at any position. It really shouldn’t matter what position you’re playing.”

Over three games, Tannehill has completed 70 passes on 124 attempts for a 56.5% completion percentage. He has thrown for 624 yards and averaged 5.03 yards per completion. His touchdown to interception ratio is 4:2 and while his quarterback rating is only 74.1, there is plenty of blame to go around for that. We'll see if Tannehill can bounce back after a rough week dealing with the media and the distraction that Philbin caused in the locker room and outside the organization.

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