Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne must drive passing lane

dolfan7171 · Sep 2, 2010

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/02/v-fullstory/1802775/miami-dolphins-qb-chad-henne-must.html

A record for net passing yards was set in 2009. A record 12 quarterbacks threw at least 25 touchdown passes. A record 10 men surpassed 4,000 yards. A record five topped a 100 passer rating. It was like a broken record: Passing was king.

``It's a quarterback's league now,'' as quarterback-turned-analyst Dan Fouts said this spring. ``It's how the game has evolved. You've got coaches willing to throw and receivers who are the best athletes on the field.''

The evolution was by necessity, like most trends, like most things cyclical.

``To score points consistently, you have to find ways to create big plays,'' said San Diego coach Norv Turner, who has always preferred run-oriented teams. ``With all the things defenses do now, like zone blitzes, multiple looks and multiple personnel, it's harder to put together those 10-, 12-, 14-play drives.''

Miami's front office showed signs of recognizing the evolving trend in 2008 by spending a high draft pick (second round) on what it hoped would be the quarterback of the future: Chad Henne.

Miami gave into the trend fully this past offseason with the major trade for prolific receiver Brandon Marshall -- an admission that Sparano was kidding nobody, except maybe himself, in insisting throughout 2009 that his receiving corps was good enough when obviously it was not.

``We're going to do whatever we have to do to win games,'' Sparano said recently.

He recalled that last season opposing defenses would jam eight or nine players in the middle of the field, ``daring you to throw the ball,'' because they didn't fear Miami.

Now, finally, in 2010, the Dolphins are equipped and poised to finally enter the NFL passing lane, if . . .

If!

If Henne is up to the job.
Click to expand...

Post-Marino, only Chad Pennington in 2008 has truly distinguished himself, although even Pennington was a caretaker, not the future, when his shoulder injury in Game 3 last season hastened what had been the unhurried development of Henne.

Miami dreams that Henne will become elite on the rare top tier with guys such as Manning, Brees, Tom Brady and now Aaron Rodgers.

They would be satisfied if he proved as reliably solid as more experienced contemporaries such as Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan.

For now, he must first distinguish himself from the likes of Josh Freeman of Tampa Bay, Kevin Kolb in Philadelphia, Matthhew Stafford of Detroit and, of course, the Jets' Mark Sanchez.

Dolphins left tackle Jake Long served the same role four seasons for Henne at the University of Michigan before both were drafted in 2008. That makes this the seventh consecutive season they have been teammates.

``We've climbed the same ladder together,'' Henne said.

Nobody knows Henne's game any better than Long and, a year ago as Pennington left the field injured and Henne warmed up, Long told his anxious teammates: ``I've seen this guy before. We're going to be all right.''

Results were mixed. Henne went 7-6 as a starter in 2009 with overall numbers (75.2 rating, 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions) that were mediocre.

There were signs, though. The three 300-yard games. The franchise-record-tying 17 straight completions against Jacksonville. And a performance vs. the Jets -- 20 for 26, 241 yards, two TDs, no picks -- that made you think the future had arrived.

Earlier this training camp Long said, ``Chad Henne's not afraid of anything. Especially pressure.''

You want pressure?

This is the 37th season since Miami last won a Super Bowl, the 26th since last appearing in one and the 18th since reaching the AFC Championship Game.

That's a lot of waiting and want, and it is Henne's job to end it
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Pariah · Sep 2, 2010

I actually got chills reading the second part.

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Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne must drive passing lane

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Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne must drive passing lane

dolfan7171 Well-Known Member

Pariah Revolutionary

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