Miami Dolphins

Dolphins HC Adam Gase on Ryan Tannehill: 'Last year was a hiccup'

Published Jan. 21, 2016 12:37 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler: Those are the two quarterbacks Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase has helped develop in the past five seasons. Now, he'll add Ryan Tannehill to the (short) list.

Tannehill will undoubtedly be Gase's biggest challenge yet, given his inexperience in the NFL relative to Manning and Cutler. However, Tannehill has also showed improvement in each season ... except for his most recent.

He appeared to take a step back a bit, declining in completion percentage, touchdowns and rushing yards. He also threw the same number of interceptions (12) as he did in 2014. Gase is aware of Tannehill's struggles this season, yet he's not worried about them.

Via the Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post:

“I feel pretty good about what we can do with him,” Gase said on the Joe Rose Show. “I feel like we can help him.

“It was going upward from the time he started. I know last year was a hiccup and I know he was disappointed in last year and obviously every Dolphin fan was frustrated with the situation that occurred. We feel really good with the staff we’re putting together, how we’re going to build this thing offensively. I feel like we can help with the sacks, we can eliminate some of these hits he’s taken. That’s going to be key.”

Tannehill and Cutler have similarities between them, and Gase realizes that. He was able to elevate Cutler's play, so he hopes to do the same for Tannehill in 2016.

“I felt like we did a good job of it in Chicago as far as helping the guy that had struggled a little bit,” Gase said. “And I feel like Ryan, him being younger than Jay was, is to our benefit.”

The Dolphins have high hopes for next season under Gase -- and beyond 2016, as well. Owner Stephen Ross said Gase will lead the Dolphins to "many, many Super Bowls" in the future, and next season will be the first step in building something great in Miami.