Dolphins coach Joe Philbin started the week in Miami by by refusing to announce the team's starting quarterback, creating an unnecessary controversy when there wasn't one. He apparently forgot to tell Ryan Tannehill or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor about the plan, because they made it clear that Tannehill was the guy all along.
Philbin ends the week in London, essentially apologizing for creating the mess in the first place. NFL Media's Jeff Darlington reports that Philbin addressed the team about the issue, admitting that he should have handled it differently. Tannehill says he and Philbin are now on the "same page" after a week where the public messaging has been all thumbs.
To prevent further confusion, Philbin announced Friday that, moving forward, the depth chart the team releases early in the week will reflect the team's starting lineup ... unless he decides differently. So it's good that's cleared up. Philbin also noted that the team's coaching staff, perhaps feeling a bit guilty, gave up their first-class seats to the players on the way to London.
(The obvious question: Did backup quarterback Matt Moore get upgraded?)
"They had a lot more leg room than I did," Philbin said.
Compared to other moments of crisis during Philbin's tenure, this story feels pretty minor. A strong performance by Tannehill and a win over Oakland to push Miami's record to 2-2 should quiet things down considerably for a few weeks.
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