BREAKING NEWS: Sparano names Chad Pennington starting quarterback

I think the bolded part is pretty much it. Certainly not what I was saying at the time, but we wasted the last few years of a great defense, not to mention a monster RW season, trying to make it work with Fiedler.

I think this means they've decided Henne is never going to be better than serviceable, and we have to try again in the draft next year.

 

PS: please tell me you're not blaming a 2nd year starting QB for not turning a "chicken s#!t" offense into chicken salad?!! We're not talking about an elite seasoned vet here ya know. Be realistic.

 

That presumes Henne will not eventually figure it out though St Louis, I BELIEVE, not "think" he will, there is no reason not to.

He had cleaned up some of the flaws in his game, poor play action motion, poor in pocket footwork, he was improving the nuances of being a NFL Qb so why wouldn't he eventually figure out zone defenses?

I do think at the moment, Gus Frerotte is a accurate comparison for Chad Henne, but Frerotte was fully experienced when he reached the 15 Td level, Henne is still a larvae and had 8 Td's in 8 games in his second season as a Starter, that tells me there is more there than what we have seen.

Add weapons, it comes out more quickly, don't add any and it becomes a slog.

 

if you want to call fact, drivel, then yes I believe this drivel. I guess I completely forgot what an OC's job entails. For a moment I thought it had something to do with running an offense. Like Robery Horry said who was at the game watching it first hand, it's all on Henning.

 

I don't believe that for one second.

 

It's funny that you choose Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as examples of how teams have loaded up on uber talented offensive weapons to feed their beasts of a QB. Those two would be the LAST QBs for you to make your point, and the FIRST QBs to make mine. Manning and Brady have had their successes DESPITE having what most people in the NFL would consider pedestrian, lunch pale toting nose to the grind stone type players. Doesn't matter who they're throwing to, they produce. Thus the chicken salad analogy. And your argument for excluding any of the higher end vets from the conversation due to an unfairness derived from a lack of experience doesn't hold water either. Right now as we speek, Sam Bradford is doing EXACTLY what I suggested right here in St. Louis. He has stepped into the locker room of a team that has been absolutely horrendous on the field the last few years, bereft of any noticeable talent when it comes to a recieving corps to begin with, and has since lost all of his first string guys to injury and is throwing to guys that 90% of NFL fans couldn't even pick out from a multiple choice test...and you know what? He's producing! He's making chicken salad!

But, I can tell you're not one to consider another's point of view and will cherry pick stats to support your own view while demanding that the other person provide a mountain of objective data to support their claims. I never said I was right and everybody else was wrong, so if you disagree with my, fine, disagree and debate, but I could do without the 7th grade buzzer button nonsense.

 

Buddy...I never once stated that our offense was chicken $hit. You're putting words into my mouth and I don't appreciate it one bit. If you can't figure out the intent in my use of that particular analogy then this will be my last post to you because you either can't comprehend complex sentences or are ignorning all but what you want to hear.

 

So they did not want to generate positive yardage on 1st down when Henne was the QB? Excuse me for maybe not reading what you are saying correctly, but if thats what you are saying it doesnt make a bit of sense, unless they were "sabatoging" henne.

 

I hear you. And honestly I don't know myself whether or not Henne will or will not finally develop beyond his corps weaknesses. And we may never get a chance to find out. I wanted nothing more than for Henne to be "the guy". But as this year has worn on, I just couldn't ignore what my gut was telling me, much in the same way that I got "the feeling" with Beck when I started to see the signs of a stalled QB, that there was something fundamental missing from his makeup that would be a part of his game no matter what system he's in, no matter what OC he has, no matter who he has running routes. I hoped and hoped that I was wrong, but with this move, I have to at least acknowledge that maybe that hunch that I wanted to ignore was right. And, I know for a fact that Sparano and Ireland have sen WAAAAAAAAY more tape on Henne than I have before they came to their conclusion (whether its temporary or permanent). They get to see how many guys are wide open and being missed, we don't. And that's something that fans conveniently ignore. It's easy to assume that Henne's not throwing deep solely because there aren't any deep routes open, I know I have on occasion, because we don't see any evidence to the contrary. However, the coaches see every single play over and over and they know what the "right read" should have been and when Henne should have been looking for a specific route to open up. With what has happened I can only assume that they have not seen good things.

 

He's a franchise QB plain and simple. Until you have one you make do with what you have. Plug Bradford into this current team, give him a decent speed receiver at the 2 position and he'll destroy teams.

 

Thanks Ven, but I've been a Club Member before and actually prefer the mains for discussion. Less homogenous.

 

Quite a jump to a Conspiracy Theory ether.

Running the ball, like passing it, has a rhythm, it is my opinion that Pennington will set a better rhythm and tempo for the Oline as he calls plays and reads defenses and they will come off of the ball more crisply as they also find that rhythm.

 

Iam not a big Henning Fan either Tp... but It just didn't look like the kid was progressing as a leader..

Listening to Ronnie brown in an interview, they way he talked about how everyone needs to ''MAN UP'', was quite telling to me how the team as a whole is being inconsistently lead.

Maybe this has more to do with that than anything else...I mean sure, it seemed like his statistics were improving, but was he putting plays and drives together to score enough points? was he getting the other players hyped enough to elevate their game, or, were they all more concerned about helping him out.

He didn't seem up to speed...let him sit, and see if he bounces back and learns something about leading an offensive unit to score points {I think if you ask any qb what their job is, they will tell you puttin the ball in the endzone}..That's his job, and at this point and time, he is the worst in the league at his job no?.

I think that his trajectory, lack of touch, and lack of mobility, and playmaking ability inside the redzone where there is so much less room, is heightened, I think those weaknesses are contributing to our futility of scoring points.

 

your making one hell of an argument, lot of good points..

I dont think the benching is the end all be all for the future of Henne...you?

 

very nicely said. you pretty much summed up my thinking on the matter and the one question thats hanging over Henne IMO. And you did it much more eloquently than me What I will say is we are at a fork in the road regarding Henne. He will either come out next time with fire and purpose or he will continue to play the scared, safe game manager type of game. I think its too early to know at this stage. I agree a bit with your post earlier that if they dont bite they never will but like you pointed out he bit as a puppy a little bit that first year. I have hope he will. Not just because I'm a Dolphins fan but because I find it hard to remember a QB with a rifle who played as scared as him. Generally the rifle armed QBs fail because they are too dumb, too inaccurate or too much of a gunslinger. He's young and maybe he has the personality of fear of failure too much. This rest may be good for him but it really boils down to how he bounces back. The really important thing right now is his QB Coach Lee has to speak to him and explain that they want him to attack more and not check down always and Henne needs to take that to heart

 

Horrible move.

Usually when this happens, there is a coach in the hot seat. A coach that is desperate for wins and doesn't have enough common sense to look and address other areas on his staff. He has proven to me at this point that he doesn't have what it takes to be a top tier NFL head coach. There has been a ton of bad plays called and there has been a ton of dropped passes. But with that said there has been too many interceptions.

 

StLFF...you just found out that TP is related to Henne. He see's nothing but the best in him and can not see any flaws. If you don't agree with him he calls you a Henne Hater. Even if you're not. I learned to just ignore his rants. I think his old sign on name was "SabanisGod".

I think he said it right too. Hopefully Henne can be salvaged. I would hate to see us waste another draft pick. We will need as many of those to work out as we can get.

 

lousy move. unless we win a SB with pennington, which i don't believe we will. we should have stuck it out with henne

 

Not to mention..... in 08 our defense had 30 turnovers which greatly aided our offense and it's field position. This year we have ONLY 8 (good for 2nd to last in the NFL).

In 08 we had DMart catch 450 yards for 14.5 ave and 7 games with 20+ yard catches that helped open up the field for everyone else.

Thanks to Ginn & Martin, we had 8 chunk plays of 40+ yards compared to 2 this year.

 

maybe the coaching staff should be benched...

 

maybe you should let them coach.
still may be light @ the end of the tunnel in 2010
lets see if the recent changes result in wins.
got 2 days & about 16 hours to see if the offense is improved.
the proof will be on the playing field.

you need not speculate just watch the game

 

so you think all of the teams problems are henne's fault? i don't think the team will be any different with pennington in. we still probably won't make the playoffs, and henne's future goes down the drain for nothing. it's pretty obvious they've given up on him. i just think they should have stuck it out it him, at least until the end of the season and then see where they're at. way to develop a qb

 

Friend icx:
I've consistently posted what I think

however
out of a courtesy to a fellow poster, I'll repeat my position:
1) Pennington is the better QB for a Dan Henning offense
2) I don't think Henne is franchise material, he is a back-up
3) the changes to the offensive line were too radical & the run game has suffered because of them. we should have kept Smiley & Grove.
4) treating the special teams unit like a step-child is simply bad coaching
5) the WildCat doesn't work anymore
6) the coaching problems begin with Sparano
7) I want to contend in 2010 & there is still an outside chance we might do just that
8) Sunday will either make us or break us.
9) Henne should have been replaced after game four. we will be looking for another QB in the next draft or free agency
10) we should always play to win

 

The Dolphins are 4-4 and have only scored 11 TD's the entire season. Sparano is in his third year. The owner predicted before the season that the team would be in the Super Bowl. This owner was not the owner who originally hired Parcells, Ireland, or Sparano. No matter what anyone thinks of his coaching ability. Sparano is smart enough to realize that another season of not making the playoffs will most likely cost him his job.
He does not have the luxury of sitting back and letting Henne play QB and hope that he develops over the next few years. Because if it takes Henne
two or three more years to become a quality starter in the NFL. Sparano would be long gone from the Dolphins. So with his job on the line. He is going with the QB who led the Dolphins to their only playoff game in the last 7 years. I have no idea if Pennington is still capable of getting this team to the playoffs. Obviously Sparano has more confidence in Pennington to get the job done then he has in Henne right now. It is very easy for fans to question this move since they have nothing to lose if the Dolphins don't make the playoffs this year. Perhaps if all those who are upset at this move were placed in Sparano's situation. They would also go with the QB who gave the Dolphins the best chance to win THIS year. If it doesn't work out. Sparano is probably gone after the season. A new coach would have the opportunity to develop Henne or another drafted QB for a few years. Unfortunately for Sparano. Being that it is his third year as head coach and the owner expects a playoff team this year.
He doesn't have the time left to see if Henne can develop into a long time starter for the Dolphins.

 

the move would have sense if they don't think henne is our qb for the future. but sparano has said just that multiple times. now obviously that's changed.

Also, we played Henne in the tough part of the schedule, maybe the worst schedule of all teams in the NFL, and then we bench him when the schedule becomes easier?

i'm 90% sure we don't make the playoffs this year, and then the troubles at qb begin again, pennington is old, and the way we've been selecting qbs im sure they'll get another pat white or something. we've certainly shown we know how to draft a franchise qb, so i don't expect the qb situation to be any better in the near future

good thing out of all this is that this is probably hennings last year as a starter

 

nice post Friend jw3102 agree with much of what you said

 

Well see sunday the Titans are a very good team

 

No, I don't Deej.

 

i really hope we win. i'm just sick of all this dolphins qb trouble. i guess it's time to draft a top5 pick qb and be done with it

 

Marshall doesn't seem as convinced as you of Henne's weaknesses.

http://www.miamidolphins.com/video?bcpid=585645507001&bclid=260803762001&bctid=672278301001

If Pennington can jumpstart this team I'm all for it. But calling Henne a bust is borderline insane.

 

I've stated my position on Henne before, and I think he is improving, or at least he had done in the last few weeks in some aspects. However, at the same time, I said after I saw play Pittsburgh, that even though he made enough plays to win that game that he also left a few plays out on the field. There were at least 5 occasions I saw that he flat out missed the open guy. He still completed passes, but the ball wasn't going to the right people IMHO. One time was Fasano lumbering down the middle, and another was Marshall on a post route. That ball should have gone to Marshall. I like to sit in the end zone in the upper deck so I can see the field from behind an offense and defense. You see a lot of things back there.

Henne did leave plays on the field. It doesn't mean he's the only one ever, but he does do it, and if that was too much then so be it. But, he has also made some damn good plays out there too. Maybe I ignored it too, who knows, but in that game I can with certainty say Henne left at least 5 plays on the field that would have been bigger gains and maybe points IMHO.

I will also say bar none that some of Henning's play calls were also down right atrocious. Henning has called plays in the redzone that don't put one receiver in the endzone. Not one. That to me is a big no no. Make the defense defend all that area, get one guy into the endzone.

I don't think it's all Henne, and I think Henning truly should be moved out at season's end. Thats my stance. I can understand multiple ideas as to why Sparano did this, but at the same time some things also ring true. Sparano has now fully acknowledged in some fashion that things weren't working, changes needed to be made, and that he may in fact be feeling some heat himself. He's already had to get rid of a family friend in Bonamego for a debacle on Monday night, and now this......a year after having to replace his DC for a lack of production. Some of these guys were "his guys", so his stamp is on this too.

It is what it is, as they say. And right now, it is getting pretty deep, and pretty ****ty here.

 

And Ryan ain't too shabby himself apparently

 

Of course. It's like the Sound of Thunder. Who knows if a move we made before for say, a Matt Ryan, doesn't make us a perennial 0-16 contender somehow

 

What an awesome drive! Endings like that always remind me why I love football.

 

I agree with you on Henning. He makes some calls that just drive me crazy. I don't think he's the lone culprit by any stretch, as I've stated in this thread, but I just can't frget the play action passes on fourth down and long type stuff...just mind numbing. I won't be upset at all if Henning was fired at the end of the season. I'd like to see a much more aggressive approach. And IF Henne is to be retained and continued to be groomed for the future, Henning MUST go. He's water to Henne's fire.

 

back-up is not a bust & many eventually develop into starters. I used the word back-up, not bust.

about Henne:
1) Henne is a thrower not completely unlike a robo-machine. he can go deep & hard with the best of them. unfortunately, his ability to actually pass the ball is not up to NFL standards @ this point in his career & no real dolfan is willing to repeatedly lose games & play-off opportunities on the gamble that somewhere down the line a switch will go on & suddenly we have a franchise qb. the simple truth is we have a better QB, a proven commodity sitting on the bench. It makes no sense to await Henne's 'awakening" because it may simply just never happen. he's had enough time & grooming to make the transition smoothly. no one threw him to the wolves or denied him opportunities to excel. He has not met expectations after every consideration & now will sit.
2) Henne is a very tough guy both psychologically & physically which bodes well for NFL football. however, he seriously lacks both mobility, creativity & accuracy.
3) I see subtle improvements but nothing that would indicate he is anywhere near the franchise tag. I see him as a back-up or gone.
4) If Pennington can't make it work & we fail to make the play-offs I believe Sparano would & should be fired. I've said it before many times Sparano is a parcellian experiment in coaching gone wrong. he is an incompetent. after this season we will probably be in the market for a new QB & HeadCoach.
5) Henne should have been benched after game four. Sparano may have waited too long to make the inevitable decision to go with Pennington. tomorrow is a must win & everyone after that if we are going into post season. it is what it is.

 

I also love how now Pennington is going now save this offense, when strangely numerous calls to have Henne in there so he could make the throws Pennington couldn't, as defenses had caught up to what we were doing offensively. I remember those sentiments and belief by obviously not just us, but in some fashion and some manner by the powers that be as well.

Strange how this has come full circle. I guess the old saying is true:

'The most popular player on a football team is the backup quarterback.'

 

my posts have always been up-front & consistent

1) give Henne every reasonable opportunity to prove his metal without scrapping the season, that was done

2) bench him in favor of the better QB if he fails expectations. this has happened, but I'd have pulled the cord on this charade after game four.
@ this juncture there is no room for any misfortune or mistake. Pennington enters cold in a must-win situation.

3) win games & make the play-offs in 2010

too early to talk about this & that...

the proof is awaiting Pennington on the field against a formidable opponent
I believe Miami will beat the Titans, that's the easiest part of the task at hand
then Pennington has to lead this team to successive victories for the rest of the season.
it begins or ends tomorrow. either he get the job done or not
the only thing I ask is that Miami leaves no effort unspent. let there be blood!
& no more excuses
Miami by three

 

"...until he steps on the field."

I agree with you. I remember in 08 our three biggest gripes with Penny were: His receivers got no YAC, he couldn't get the ball deep, we sucked on third down.

Maybe, MAYBE the YAC gets better. It wasn't great with Henne, though I suspect that could have a lot to do with the routes and defensive coverages we're seeing.

The deep ball is what it is. I don't expect that to change.

We'll still be mediocre on 3rd and Long with Pennington. Maybe better with Marshall, but probably not much. Say what you will about Henne, the guy was damn good on 3rd down. In the upper echelon of NFL QB's in this area.