Ryan Tannehill Quotes

Third down is a big thing with a quarterback: pinpoint accuracy, making good decisions.

It's fun to come in when it's first down. It's not fun to come back in when it's third-and-long.

I think a punt can be a big play in a game. If it's anything like a real game, then you realize that a Pat McAfee punt that downs someone inside the 2-yard line can really swing a game. I'm all for punting in video games.

To win those big games you're going to have to complete some third-down passes, you're going to have to be able to get some explosive games in the passing game.

Third down and long is the toughest situation for any offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Baseball, boxing, handball - sooner or later every game gets compared to narrative, but only in football are the plays perfectly linear, drawn up with letters, and only in football is the field itself lined like a sheet of notebook paper.

You play it the way you always play it. You look for matchups, and you go through your progression, and you throw it to the guy who's most open.

There's a lot to it, but the bottom line as a receiver is to run the right route, get open and make plays.

As we play, I just kind of make the best decision and try to move the chains.

Coaching was always intriguing to me as a kid. Watching 'Monday Night Football' with my dad and hearing him talk through the game management and watching the Tom Landrys and Don Shulas on the sideline was more intriguing to me than watching Troy Aikman or Dan Marino throw the ball.

You've got one football and a lot of times, defenses dictate where the ball goes.

As I say, 'Every tackle's nightmare is third and long.'

In New England, I learned so much about football. I always thought I was a smart player, even though I never thought about anything but the six inches in front of my face. In New England, I was forced to learn so many schematic concepts.

The third-down sacks are critical ones, 'cause that's getting off the field.

The key thing with any football player is, what can he do when he gets on the field.

Punt returns will kill you quicker than a minnow can swim a dipper.

The game of football, especially in the NFL, is all about situations, and coming out on the big end of that stick.

The most deceptive course in football is straight at the goalposts.

I could never understand why they did that to Barry Sanders in Detroit. I know that's one of the reasons why he retired, because they took him out on third down and let someone else catch the ball. I thought they must be out of their mind because Barry is such a threat.

Everybody goes through situations like this. A tipped ball, a shoe-string tackle on a third-down scramble by the quarterback where he has 40 yards to run.

Good third-down teams are teams that usually have success in this league.

I show up in a playoff game, I have my sideline sheet. I can't even spit plays out, I get so excited. I mean, you get nervous. These are critical, do-or-die situations. Third down and 1, Red Zone, what do I call? Two minute drill? Are we going to go no huddle? These are decisions that you wrestle with.

Anytime we can get the running game going it is a plus for me and it makes my job a lot easier.

I came from a high school where I didn't have a playbook or anything like that. Coach would draw it up and get the headset on, and we'd go after it.

Ultimately, the yards really don't matter. So you have to score enough points, and I have been fortunate in my career to have been around some really good play callers, starting with Gary Kubiak and then going with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, and that was always at the forefront of our minds: How can we create explosive plays?