Titans' QB Ryan Tannehill receives NFL Comeback, MIP awards

Ryan Tannehill, quarterback of the Tennessee Titans throws a pass on the bench in the NFL playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, January 11, 2020. /AP Photo

The Tennessee Titans, as the biggest dark horse this season, will challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in the upcoming AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. On Friday, the team's quarterback Ryan Tannehill was named winner of both the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

The last player who received the two honors in the same year was Jon Kitna of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.

"It is definitely an honor. It's cool, and it's something that you really don't think about as things happen. But it's cool to be honored in such a way and it just makes me thankful for the guys I got to play with this year and how this team has responded to everything we've been through," said Tannehill.

Derrick Henry #22, running back of the Tennessee Titans, runs with the ball in the NFL playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, January 11, 2020. /AP Photo

Compared with his teammate, running back Derrick Henry, who achieved a total of 377 yards to help the Titans knock out the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens in their previous two games, Tannehill seemed to keep it low profile. However, his work matters as much as Henry's.

It's worth remembering that the Titans started the 2019 regular season with a terrible 2-4 record in their first six games. It wasn't until coach Mike Vrabel decided to replace Marcus Mariota with Tannehill that the team began to move forward on the right track.

The Titans won seven of seven of their following 10 games while Tannehill impressed the league as a top passing QB. He threw 2,742 yards that led to 22 touchdowns but only got six interceptions. His passing rating was a beautiful 117.4 points.

Ryan Tannehill, quarterback of the Tennessee Titans tcelebrates after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, January 11, 2020. /AP Photo

The Titans would never get the last wild card if it were not for Tannehill, but it only took the team a sixth-round draft pick to land him from the Dolphins. Back in 2012, Tannehill was selected by the Dolphins with the eighth pick in the first round in the draft. Nonetheless, the seven years in Miami were not pleasant. He started off throwing 8,253 yards and his passing led to 51 TDs in two seasons (2014, 2015), but in 2017 he missed the whole season because of injury. Even worse, he was playing for a team that was losing games on purpose.

Joining the Titans gave Tannehill a new start and he wanted to continue to add new chapters to the epic playoff journey of the team.