Grantland Article About Chad Henne
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/2290/blues-for-cha…
I think questioning whether his teammates have his back is a bit overblown. Teammates and fans will support Henne if he wins games. I lived in Miami the past 3 years and saw my fair share of games. Their entire offensive gameplan was suspect (running 2 Wildcats plays in a row then bringing in Henne for 3rd and Long) and archaic (way too much under center pass plays for strong-armed Henne). I think Henne will finally get his fair shake at succeeding this year and should be judged accordingly.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:26 PM ^
Maybe if it would help Henne if they stopped comparing him to Dan Marino.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
Wait...your saying he isnt Dan Marino? #confusedbear
August 17th, 2011 at 7:14 PM ^
Obviously up to this point Henne has proved he's not one of the 5 QB's of all-time and greatest in their team history. That's unrealistic expectations for anyone.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
well, if only he had a left tackle to help him out once in a while...
August 17th, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
there really are two facts in the entire article: 1) crowder isn't a henne fan, 2) miami fans have grown impatient with henne. fact #2 has been public knowledge for months.
i expected something better than a glorified gossip piece from grantland.
August 18th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
You expected something other than gossip from a website created by a guy who lives on gossip and 90's pop references? Welcome to the internet.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
That fan base should boo itself. How in the fuck Florida has 3 NFL teams is beyond me.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
But Florida is the 4th most populous state, as well as being a football player factory for the last 25 years. 3 teams might be 1 too many though....
August 17th, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^
How Florida has more than one pro franchise across all the sports (they can keep the Dolphins) is beyond me.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^
one could argue it has had 4 professional teams from 2002-2010.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:18 PM ^
and that number will be down to 3... permanantly.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:01 PM ^
How does Florida have anything should be the real question.
August 17th, 2011 at 8:42 PM ^
This had the potential to be clever and witty, and then you said nothing intelligent. Feel free to expound when you get the chance.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:40 PM ^
Despite my love for Chad Henne and what he accomplished at Michigan, he hasn't looked like an NFL QB. He's scared to throw over the middle. He checks down way too quickly. He pretty much looks constantly terrified out there. And when the fans are chanting for Kyle Orton, I think the Grantland piece is right - he's lost pretty much all the support. I hope I'm wrong, but it doesn't look like he's gonna make it as a pro.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:51 PM ^
How many guys really become legit, established, long time NFL starting QB's at any given moment? Especially in the current climate (seemed like nearly every team had their franchise guy back in the '80s). 10 guys (Manning, Brady, Cutler, Brees, Rivers, Manning, and I'm starting to blank already)?
No shame in not being that good. He'll still stick around the league for a while and make a few millions, no matter how much Dolphin fans bitch about his performance (and looking around the league it is hard to imagine them finding anybody too much better).
August 17th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
This is true. Only a handful of teams have their QB spot locked down, and many of the ones who do have guys who won't be around in a few years. With how often NFL QBs bust or get injured, Henne should have a job in the NFL of some manner for a while. Henne was statistically better than probably 5-8 starting QBs last year and it was his first year as a true starter. He'll never be a Manning or Brady, but he could be a Jeff Garcia calibur QB who spends 10 years in the NFL sometimes as a starter, sometimes as a back-up. And he'd make millions doing it.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:33 PM ^
Hassellbeck was with the Seahawks a while but just recently left.
Rodgers with the Packers.
Romo with the Cowboys (not the greatest QB but he's probably coming close to 5 yrs as a starter).
Carson Palmer with the Bengals but that just ended.
McNabb was with the Eagles a while but that too recently ended.
The QB's with the Falcons and Ravens are close to entering this territory.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:45 PM ^
Ben Roethlisberger, herro.
August 17th, 2011 at 9:21 PM ^
Phillip Rivers
August 17th, 2011 at 5:52 PM ^
The personnel and offensive scheme have not been tailored to Henne's strengths. I'm not claiming that Henne has played well or shouldn't be held accountable, but he has yet to be in a situation where he could succeed.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:01 PM ^
That's certainly true. The personnel hasn't helped, but he did have Brandon Marshall last year. Marshall may not be the best teammate, but all a QB has to do is heave the ball up and Marshall's gonna catch it. Henne was too timid to do that. Besides, look at Sam Bradford last year - he had far worse teammates but performed a heck of a lot better.
Scheme might be a bigger problem. From what I've seen though, I'm not sure he'd do well outside of a dink & dunk style offense - he just doesn't seem to have the tenacity to be much of a downfield threat.
But your point is well taken.
August 17th, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^
Chad Henne, since going pro, has yet to see a check-down he doesn't like. He completely refuses to throw downfield.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^
Maybe an offensive line and a legitimate running game would be of assistance. That way, he could at least have time to throw downfield, sell a play action, and not worry that he's always about to have his clocks cleaned? He could surely be playing better, but he has not been given the tools to win (minus Jake Long).
August 17th, 2011 at 6:11 PM ^
Henne has always had all of the tools but for some reason it doesn't quite click. I think the moment engulfs him and his fear sort of paralyzes his abilities. How many good QB's really give a shit what the fans and media say about them? They don't because they have confidence, something Henne lacks.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:24 PM ^
But he struggled in a lot of games with long pass accuracy. After Braylon left (who he could just throw it in his general area and Edwards would probably catch it), there were times Henne couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. His problems may come down to mental ones - like you said lack of confidence or indecision, who knows. I want to see him do well, but I'm not that surprised he hasn't hit it big yet in the NFL.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:35 PM ^
I think we are both on the same page but just haven't come out and said it. Henne really wasn't all that great while he was at Michigan, so struggling in the NFL isn't earth shattering news.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
If Henne wasn't really that great at Michigan, that means we have never had a good QB in the history of Michigan football. You know he is our all-time leading passer, right?
August 17th, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^
I am well aware of his stats at Michigan. He also started as a true Freshman and stayed 4 years. Henne had a great Jr. year but just never made that leap that many were expecting him to make. His Sr. year was subpar and so was his Sophomore year. Henne had flashes of greatness but he also had just as many throws that made you scratch your head.
August 17th, 2011 at 9:41 PM ^
Almost all of his senior year, right?
August 17th, 2011 at 9:48 PM ^
Yeah he dinged up his knee in the Oregon game I believe. He had a good career at Michigan, my point is I was waiting for that break through to the next level. Maybe it was just me.
August 17th, 2011 at 10:26 PM ^
wait, is my sarcasm meter broken? I thought he had a seperated shoulder for most of his SR season?
Did I imagine that?
August 18th, 2011 at 6:41 AM ^
No you didn't imagine it. You also didn't imagine the 50 drops his receivers had in the OSU game while playing on said seperate shoulder.- End Rant
I can see people saying he's not that good of a Qb in the NFL (yet?) but I don't buy that it's because his nerves. I always thought that was the one thing he brought to the table. He may not completely wow you but he won't hurt you either.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:35 PM ^
Henne has always been a little lacking in intangibles, in my view.
Not to take away some gritty moments he had battling injury in his senior season, but my lasting image of his personality during his time here was an interview he did that aired during the Oregon game. He was talking about the Appalachian State game the previous week and what things have been like on campus since. He treated it very casually, but in a way that communicated a lack of fire more than an abundance of confidence. It was striking and just didn't "feel" like the face a good leader would put on that situation.
Maybe he's still scared of that psycho coach he had in high school.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
I agree. I think nerves affect him to the point where it's had a tangible negative impact on his play. Whether it was in Ann Arbor or down in Miami, aside from checking down a lot, he makes throws that make you scratch your head, and in most of those cases, straight into coverage. Everyone does at times, but it was a problem at Michigan and it's magnified in the pro's and when you're not all that great a team. It's one of those things that could be tough to fix, even if you're completely aware of it, b/c then there's the danger of having that anxiety impact your play, leading to a kind of cycle. Call it an intangible, I guess, b/c I can figure out the best word (moxie?), but it's a nerves/focus problem.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:38 PM ^
I'd like to see him play somewhere else. We know he can play, but he's not flourishing in that rebuild situation.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:41 PM ^
Miami is a playoff team if Henne has a decent year. They are definitely not rebuilding.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
If the Dolphins can make the playoffs with the Patriots and Jets in their division, they may be good enough to reach the Super Bowl.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:01 PM ^
He is the wrong QB for that system. Surprised Miami did not go after VY.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
Henne has definitely disappointed in the NFL, but I don't think going to Channing Crowder for wisdom on...well, anything, is such a good idea.
August 17th, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
NFL fans are generally too impatient in terms of QB development. It's rare that any QBs can play well enough often enough to truly carry a team in their first couple years starting. Those that do have usually had the luxury of sitting on the bench a couple of years (Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers being the prime examples).
August 17th, 2011 at 8:37 PM ^
I think that part of the problem is that QBs drafted in first three rounds are now expected to be ready to be a star as soon as they're drafted. Guys like Ryan, Flacco and Bradford have basically made it impossible for guys to grow into their role. They get one or two seasons and if they don't produce, they're gone.
Look at guys from the 2007 and 2008 drafts. These are guys heading into their fourth and fifth seasons-- still relatively young, when you consider they're playing the toughest job in sports. Out of the 11 QBs taken in the first three rounds of those drafts, only four are still with the teams that drafted them.
2007: Out of the six QBs taken in the first three rounds only one is with the team that drafted him: Drew Stanton. JaMarcus Russell was awful, but some of the other guys were gone without much of a chance. Brady Quinn got run out of Cleveland after three years and 14 starts. John Beck started four games for Miami but was out of there after the 2008 season. Trent Edwards made the all-rookie team, but was gone two games into his fourth season. Kevin Kolb didn't play much and is now in AZ.
2008: Out of the five QBs taken in the first rounds, three are with the teams that drafted them (Ryan, Flacco and Henne). Brian Brohm was cut in pre-season in 2009 (the Pack chose to keep Matt Flynn) and Kevin O'Connell was cut in pre-season in 2009.
So, in a lot of these cases, these QBs were drafted high, some of them got early playing time and struggled, some didn't play at all and their teams basically gave up on them after two to three years. It seems like a waste to me.
August 17th, 2011 at 8:52 PM ^
This is a front office issue. The fins sign Tacopants and Henne can book his ticket to Canton.
August 17th, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^
That was the first thing I've read on Grantland and I considered it very poorly written. Given the big names associated with the site I assumed they would've surrounded themselves with better talent.
I do hope Henne achieves success. If Miami doesn't have he system or the patience, then maybe somewhere else.
August 17th, 2011 at 10:34 PM ^
Grantland is the business. This is poor for them but much of the best sportswriting on the internet is on that site.
Really them, Spencer from edsbs, and Brian during the season are it for me.
August 17th, 2011 at 10:32 PM ^
The thing that surprised me the most was that despite his obvious talents he never developed any touch on his passes (unless it was a corner fade route from the Red Zone). Every pass is thrown at maximum velocity and wth no arc.
I guess the idea of floating a pass over a LB and in front of a Safety just never occurred to the guy...I hope it's not too late.
August 17th, 2011 at 11:25 PM ^
My lasting images of Henne will always be Braylonfest his freshman year and the season-saving throw against Penn State his sophomore year. He was arguably Michigan's top recruit ever until Mallett and Gardner, and he got the rare chance to start for 4 years. He obviously has talent, but it seems like he never got a chance to develop it. He has always had the pressure on, as the One for four years at Michigan then the heir apparent in Miami, but never quite lived up to his potential.
August 18th, 2011 at 4:12 AM ^
When you think of all the NFl caliber talent on both sides of the ball during Henne's years at Michigan, I don't see how anyone can view them as anything but a dissapointment. The athletic department must have felt the same way since the teams underachievements cost coach Carr his job.
August 18th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
He was retiring after the '07 season. From what I've heard and read Carr was thinking about retiring after the '06 season but decided to come back for one more year.
August 18th, 2011 at 8:21 AM ^
about being under center and having a strong arm make no sense. Henne has never really been a shotgun exclusive kind of guy, and you can make any throw from any formation. Henne hasn't made the jump to where things slow down for him yet. I think he will eventually leave Miami and become a good QB at his next stop. Maybe his coaches aren't tailoring the plays they call to his strengths? Who knows, but I think the kid has all the talent to make it work. They should have signed Braylon and Breaston this offseason. Hell, Arrington is deep on the Saints roster and they might've gotten him also.
August 18th, 2011 at 2:48 PM ^
Henne prefers snaps from under center. He has stated he has trouble seeing the safety coverage in the shotgun.