DAVIE, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill will start Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders in London, but it wasn’t easy for the team to arrive at that conclusion.

During the week, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin refused to say for sure that Tannehill would be the starter.

On Wednesday, Tannehill confirmed that he would start and seemed a bit perturbed that he had to answer such questions.

“Obviously, it doesn’t feel good,” Tannehill said of having his status in flux publicly. “It creates a bunch of stir and a bunch of distraction in the locker room, mostly from the outside coming in, and guys having to deal with the distraction of it. So it’s not a good feeling, but (Philbin has) been clear with me, and I know where I stand.”

Tannehill said he became aware that Philbin didn’t publicly name him the starter when he started getting text messages “from basically anyone I’ve ever known offering their support, which is a good thing, I guess.

“And then Coach came to me and was clear, and he told me what he said and why he said it. But he was clear with me on my standing and my position in the game. He has his reasons, as does everyone.”

Tannehill is struggling in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s offense. He ranks 29th in passer rating (74.1) and 29th in completion rate (56.5 percent). His accuracy and pocket presence are often questioned. Lazor said the passing statistic he trusts most is yards per attempt. Tannehill is last in that category at 5.03 yards.

Dropped passes by Dolphins wide receivers haven’t helped Tannehill’s stats, however.

Wide receiver Brandon Gibson, who dropped a pass last week, thinks the key is simple.

“Just focus, make the play, he said. “It’s not anything, not a lot of guys here have bad hands. No one has bad hands. Just make the play. That’s all it comes down to.”

The strange twist on this story is Philbin and Tannehill are linked. They are both in their third season, they both have a 16-19 record, and most likely either both will return next season in their current role or both will lose their jobs.

Sunday’s meeting is the 33rd during the regular season between the teams. Oakland leads the series 16-15-1, although Miami won the last four meetings.