I can see what you're saying but isn't that essentially a performance benching? I mean he wasn't playing great before it happened.
Henne wasn't playing great at the beginning of the year, but I don't know that he was playing poorly enough to be benched - or at least with the stigma that a benching normally receives. Now, later in the year when he came back - THEN he deserved to be benched. Or cut. Or flogged.
He was benched after 8 games. During which the offense averaged 17.8 ppg and he had two games where he threw 3 INTS. Had he thrown for 12 TD's and 8 INTs during that stretch I can guarantee you he would not have been benched.
But his performance after the benching belies the whole argument that he was benched because he lost confidence, the team didn't have his back, etc. Tennesse and Oakland were the two games he played immediately following the benching and he had two excellent games in which he had ratings of 91 and 100 respectively. At that point both his own confidence and the team's confidence in him should have been sky high, propelling us to a playoff run. Instead, he has a terrible game against Cleveland and his highest rating the rest of the year was an 86 (against Detroit, in which he threw 2 INTS in 4th QTR)
The way it was handled was classless and wrong. Henning put all the blame on his young QB and not an ounce on himself or his scheme. He even came out in the media and threw Chad under the bus. Henning was covering his own ***. What kinda' coach does that. The guy was an egomaniac. Then everyone was happy Penny was getting the start. I knew it was a bad idea and stated just that but I got shot down here. At least until the two plays. They screwed up and did kill Henne's confidence although some here won't admit it. Good thing we have a real football guy here now to drag Henne out of the mindless trance the last OC put him in.
Or D, his backup is Chad Pennington. The guy that most of the locker room wanted to play for from the beginning.
I had been thinking the Dolphins would get killed. But my enthusiasm for the Patriots offense as being this unstoppable force at the beginning of 2011 like it was at the beginning of 2007 has been curbed significantly by mixed showings against the Lions and Giants in preseason. We'll see. If the Saints/Packers game was any indication, those established offenses with great systems and established smart players could be pretty darn productive and hard to stop, so I can't say it would surprise me at all if you're right and the Dolphins do get stomped pretty bad. There's been a tangible difference in Henne's feet in the pocket when he's pressured this preseason, I think everyone should have noticed that. But then, that was something I thought took root late last year in the Detroit game, so it's not much different from how he was in that game. The thing we don't know and won't know until we see in the games is whether the margin is enough to offset the increased exposure he's going to have to pressure this year. I don't know but people might still be underestimating the extent to which Dan Henning tried to keep Chad Henne incubated safely away from any and all pressure from 2009 to 2010. It was bad for Henne's development, but it also might have been done for a reason. We'll find out. The pressure and the defensive players chasing you play at a different speed in the regular season than in preseason. Henne was impressive enough with his increased foot speed to maintain enough margin to do some impressive things in preseason. Will that be the case when things get dialed from a 5 to an 8? And what happens when it gets dialed to 11, in the really important situations with the really good teams? That's what we get to find out this year. As for the eye quickness...that's not been something as easily observable, and we'll just have to see on it. I saw some of the same things that always disturbed me in this regard, this preseason...in all three games. But we'll see. I mean, it's tough to argue with a 93 or whatever QB Rating. But at the same time, when things get amped up and real bullets are firing, that's the challenge. I was never all the way sold out on Chad Henne being hopeless. I think some people just don't understand that I personally as an NFL decision-maker would not feel the necessity to be all the way sold on someone, one way or another, in order to make a move. I think if you operate like that as an NFL General Manager, you're going to end up dead in the water 9 times out of 10. I was enough sold out on Chad Henne to start rolling the dice again, and I think that would have been the SAFER move. What they're doing is actually quite risky. It's like doubling-down when you're already in the hole. It'll be GREAT if it pans out. You're a genius. If it doesn't, people are going to remember you for this. If the Dolphins tank and both Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano get fired, I don't know that either one would ever get an opportunity to be full General Manager or Head Coach in the NFL ever again. Sad, but that's kind of how I see it. But you never know.
Tony Sparano benched Chad Henne, not Henning. And was his confidence killed when he played those great games against Tennessee and Houston?
It cracks me up that people keep saying that 'haters are going to hate no matter what' ...... Henne hasn't given a reason not to hate. You guys are expecting people that dont believe henne is a good qb to finally come around because of preseason? Lol, that is down right ridiculous...
They were partners in crime man. Those two games don't mean a damn thing in the big picture. Henne was brainwashed into doing whatever it was Henning wanted at any given time. He wasn't allowed to be a QB. Your defense of Henning in this whole thing is quite shocking. Everyone knows he had a dead scheme man. Give it a rest. Chad Henne right now is in the only good situation he has been in since coming to the NFL. It is amazing the lengths you go to fight off the obvious
To me it just comes down to impatient fans who don't understand the development of a young QB...... Along with the inability to decipher what the problem really is. Henne will be much more successful given the chance to attack. We have all seen it. Scheme matters.
How about, there was a better QB on the bench behind him? A QB that had led the team to the division title before losing his job due to injury. Henne never beat Penne out he was just named the starter arbitrarily and IMO most of the team wanted Pennington to be the QB from the very beginning. After the B-more game I think the switch was made b/c the TEAM wasn't playing well, not just one player. Marshall was tipping balls to Ed Reed, Hartline falling down and allowing an easy INT, Ronnie botching easy 3rd down catches, Sean Smith dropping an easy pick 6, Punt team screwing up with no gunner and allowing B-More an extra possession, poor tackling across the board on defense, no one covering Ray Rice, and yeah Henne didnt play so well either. But it was more about giving a "spark" to the team than about punishing Henne's poor play. Henne's a developing QB but as a coach Sparano has to balance his development with the overall success of the team and in that spot I can see why he'd make the move. I'd stop short of saying it was due to poor play though, Henne was pretty good for the first half of the season.
You read alot more into a one line response than was there. I didn't defend Henning. I just stated, correctly, that sparano chose to bench Henne. And Sparano is still here.
To me Henne sucks and you guys are blind. That doesn't make it right. Ans Scheme matters sure, but where have we all seen it? Preaseason exactly. Scheme doesn't force you to be a terrible Qb, we actually all have seen that in regular season. Pennington was a very good player with same scheme and OC....
Just more confirmation of how Henne developed leadership skills by stepping into the role during the lockout... http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2011/09/09/chad-henne-joins-jake-long-yeremiah-bell-karlos-dansby-as-captains/ Looks like those off season workouts mattered after all.
I bet could start a thread that is simply titled: "Henne" with a ! in the first post and I guarantee It would be a 15 page thread.
How can you say "!" about Henne? Didn't you watch him last season when he was benched? I mean...didn't you watch him this preseason? Wait, is "!" a good thing or a bad thing? Whichever, I am sure it is WRONG!!!
I have one comment, but it ties into both issues (the voting of Henne as a Captain, and the value of offseason workouts). Guys like Aaron Rodgers exude confidence, ability, and swagger. Regardless of whether he participates in any OTA, he's going to be a badass, and he's going to be respected. If he throws a pick in that game, nobody is going to blame the OTAs. On the flip side, a guy like Chad Henne hasn't been battle-tested, hasn't won anything, and had some significant problems with how he was viewed by his fellow players (including one of the most important players on the offense). If Henne DIDN'T have OTAs and came out with a stinker, you can bet people would pile on with comments like "look who doesn't care enough to put in the effort to be a better QB." You have to really have played football to understand how valuable trust and confidence in a QB can be (from both directions... from you to him, and him outward). There is something to be said for getting in a huddle with someone you believe in. I played WR and I'll tell you, it is SO EASY to blame a QB when you feel like you're open (always) and he's making a bad decision. And let me tell you, it's HARD to run full speed for 20 yards on every play if you don't believe in the guy with the football. If you start to think, "that's never coming to me," it's easy to give 90%, but really hard to give 100%. Aaron Rodgers is a guy who commands the respect and doesn't have to work AS hard for it anymore. The election of Henne as a captain, to me, evidences that the offensive guys believe in him, and it's likely closely related to the work he put in this offseason when he didn't HAVE to. It's those moments that you grow your perception -- the moments where you do things you didn't HAVE to do. Setting aside the issue of whether 300 Henne-to-Marshall throws in the OTAs improved their timing, the fact that Henne was there makes the offense better. That's my 2c.
The Miami Dolphins: The only team who's fan base can spark a 7 page discussion on the announcement of team captains. Thank God the real thing kicks off in 3 days.
And that is how this here place works, Cam Wake? Big Jake? Psshaw! Hennezilla! Hennezilla is attacking the forum!!!
The point of this whole offseason of debate and disagreement, is that his performance did not deserve a traditional so called benching, it was other variables and coaches who affected the perception that it was mostly him responsible ..and from the looks of how the events this offseason have transpired, I believe they agree they may of made a mistake..maybe when the went back and watched all the tape, and realize if they did not have chad pennington on their roster, they would not of disrupted the progression of a young QB during a complete rebuild. Basically I knew he was having some issues from a confidence standpoint, and at the same time being strangled by his boss, probably because of his boss, so he lost the team in favor of the leader that won a title 2 years ago..He was in a no win situation..but don't get it twisted, he played the position well enough to win games if were just looking at his position..other factors including ref's led to losses.
Is it odd that the guys who care less about Henne's nomination as captain have the most posts in the thread about Henne's nomination as captain? It may not matter at all that he wasn't nominated in college or previously in the NFL, but it is a team game, and the QB should (and I think most would agree) be the captain of that team. Congrats to all the captains chosen, prove your teammates correct and your detractors wrong.
Well we very well could be onto something with Sparano still being here. I wanted him gone after the season due to his support of Henning. He played enabler and then praised him for his system and the way he was doing things on offense. That told me he wasn't the kind of take charge I had hoped. He listened to Henning and benched Henne so yes technically he did bench him. As far as what you are arguing in this thread you're losing me. If your point is Henne shouldn't be a captain because he was benched I have to totally disagree. If it is just the normal chance to bag on Henne I would say business as usual.
You are really going to compare Pennington in this scheme opposed to a first year starter in Henne. Wow I think Penny was a seasoned veteran with a little bit of experience when he came here.
Chad Henne this offseason.. More focused...check.. Better shape...Check Faster speed of motion...Check. Better feet..check.. Better pocket awareness...check Better leader...check. Dealing with offseason pressure of tremendous proportions and coming out and pissing on that adversity...Check Team captain...check.. Give the fu^%in guy some respect..are you a fan of this team or is your opinion about your analysis more important?, cause if its the latter it still shouldn't keep you from giving the guy some respect for what he has accomplished this offseason, if you continue to not acknowledge, and even rag on the latest happening, it only makes you look like an egoiste.
He was a first year full time starter last season man. No arguing it. It's an excuse that Pennington has a ton more experience than Henne? You cracking me up bro.
Ehh, not so sure Deej, that "we want Orton" stuff has gotten into Henne's biscuits. I'm glad the dude has been elevated by his teammates, but that bottle had best get a bit tougher.
Some people just refuse to give Henne some credit. He's had a great offseason, great camp, shown a great deal of improvement in the preseason games and now he got voted to be a captain. Like DJ just said, let's give the guy some damn credit.
IMO, the teams like us, installing a brand new offense, were more likely to benefit from players only workouts. Especially since Henne had the new playbook and was able to help the offensive players get a little jump start on learning it.
The Packers returned something like ten starters and have had the same offense for years. The Dolphins with a new offense to install were benefited by the off season workouts. Even Tony said so.
Seems like I have read comments recently that at some point since he was hired and before lockout, that Daboll gave a copy of his playbook to Henne.
Well not everyone can be Perry Mason or Clarence Darrow. The world needs some nondescript public defenders too.
EXACTLY!!! Packers, Steelers, etc, compared to teams like us, is like Apples and Oranges. I'm surprised anyone would want to infer otherwise.
