1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Should we sign Pennington to an extention after this season?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by SkapePhin, Nov 19, 2008.

  1. Zod

    Zod Ruler of the Universe

    3,415
    1,557
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    For some reason this thread conjures up images in my mind of Dolphins' fans being cast under a spell by Tony Robbins similar to that which he placed upon Shallow Hal......


    Me, I'll never forget the day I was enduring another loss to the Jets at Dolphins stadium and the only retort I had for the Jets fan in front of me was........

    "You know your team isn't going anywhere because you have Chad Pennington at Quarterback. I'd rather suck in an attempt to reach greatness than rest assured on being average."

    Now after a couple of years of sucking I may have changed my opinion on the matter of "sucking to reach greatness" but it still doesn't change my opinion of Chad Pennington. I ain't trying fool myself. Give us another year of the current contract and we can be competitive. Then let the young gun have it so the management and coaches can prove their worth. I've already lost too many years of my life watching a coach hang on to his job with a 9-7 quarterback......
     
    like2god and padre31 like this.
  2. GARDENHEAD

    GARDENHEAD Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    11,681
    10,413
    113
    May 7, 2008
    New Orleans
    Look at the results: Pennington is not playing "average". Pennington is playing like a Pro Bowler. Extend his contract today.
     
  3. Zod

    Zod Ruler of the Universe

    3,415
    1,557
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    He is playing no different than he did every other year that he wore a green and white uniform. The only difference now is that you are looking at him through teal and orange sunglasses. :up:
     
    like2god likes this.
  4. GARDENHEAD

    GARDENHEAD Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    11,681
    10,413
    113
    May 7, 2008
    New Orleans
    Then I guess we were wrong to doubt Pennington back then. If he starts all 16 games (plus playoffs?), then there is no reason to try to replace him.

    And our colors are AQUA and Orange, dammit!
     
  5. DOLFANMIKE

    DOLFANMIKE FOOTBALL COACH 32 YEARS Luxury Box

    5,403
    4,485
    113
    Mar 22, 2008
    California
    You dont let go of a great QB in hopes that his backup can also turn out to be great. Penny is one of our best players and is the reason we are playing so well on Offense. Keep him until he is legitimately beat out by Henne or Beck. Personally, I doubt either player beats him out. He's too smart and doesnt make mistakes. He may outlast both.
     
    Themole and GARDENHEAD like this.
  6. NJFINSFAN1

    NJFINSFAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    17,358
    9,641
    113
    Nov 24, 2007
    Northwest New Jersey
    I don't think so, just go back and look at our QB's since Marino, there was no light coming off them, I'm just happy to have a QB that is shinning so I can wear glasses again.:up:

    Plus he is the perfect mentor, smart, knows the game and is willing to teach.
     
    FinSane likes this.
  7. Zod

    Zod Ruler of the Universe

    3,415
    1,557
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    I can't believe I did that. It must be the sleep deprivation. It's got to be that or either the 20 year old that is also responsible for all of my grey hair.......
     
  8. Zod

    Zod Ruler of the Universe

    3,415
    1,557
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    Well right there is the issue Mike. I do not think he's great.


    To tell you the truth, I think this team and this season are VERY similar to what Bill Parcells took to the playoffs in his first year with the Cowboys. They are a pleasant surprise and nothing more....
     
    calphin likes this.
  9. FinSane

    FinSane Cynical Dolphins Fan

    19,862
    5,792
    113
    Dec 1, 2007
    Melbourne, Fl
    ill take "pleasant surprise" over 1-15 anyday
     
    Themole and calphin like this.
  10. like2god

    like2god Typical white person Luxury Box

    19,529
    9,219
    113
    Nov 22, 2007
    CNY
    Like others have said, Chad is a player who will do well one year and then not so well the next. I think you bring him in next year with the idea that he is the starter, but if Henne impresses and Penny struggles at any poiint, then Henne should get his chance.

    You don't want to invest long term in a QB who has only played 16 games once in his 9 year career and 10 or less games 6 times. Penny is fragile and his arm strength, or lack thereof, really handicaps the offense and players like Ginn aren't utilized properly. If you like what you've seen of Ginn the past few weeks, imagine what he could do with a QB that could take advantage of his speed and throw the ball accurately 50 yards on a consistent basis. Henne can do that, Penny can't. As well as Chad has played, it hasn't changed the fact that he has limitations.
     
    calphin likes this.
  11. keypusher

    keypusher Well-Known Member

    1,351
    448
    83
    Nov 29, 2007
    Drew Brees has 13 passes that gained over 40 yards this year (note, not passes that traveled 40 yards in the air; passes that gained over 40 yards by any means. A screen pass that a running back takes 41 yards counts.). No one else in the NFL is even in double figures. Pennington has five, which is average.

    QBs that consistently throw accurate 50 yard passes exist only in fans' imagination. (Funnily enough, the flea-flicker TD against the Seahawks, which traveled about 48 yards in the air past the line of scrimmage, is one of the most accurate passes of that length I can remember.) It would be nice if Pennington had a stronger arm, but he's not holding Ginn back.

    NFL Stats: by Player Category
     
    Themole likes this.
  12. SkapePhin

    SkapePhin sigpicz.blogspot.com

    588
    479
    63
    Jan 3, 2008
    Fort Lauderdale
    Wow, he has more than Peyton Manning this year! Crazy...
     
  13. like2god

    like2god Typical white person Luxury Box

    19,529
    9,219
    113
    Nov 22, 2007
    CNY
    When I said accurately, I meant a pass that isn't underthrown due to a weak arm, not necessarily 5 on the money 50 yarders a game. Chad is holding Ginn back because they aren't taking the chances down field that we would be if Chad had a stronger arm, this has been discussed at length. Ginn's game is speed, he can get separation by utilizing that speed, we just don't take advantage of it because we don't have someone that can hit him. It's a toss up 50-50 when Penny airs it deep, either our guy will catch it or the other team will.
     
  14. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

    99,377
    37,301
    0
    Nov 22, 2007
    inching to 100k posts
    Ehh...sort of...Consistency is more important then a bazooka arm, you can game plan around consistency.

    Where Penny's weakish arm hurt Teddy Ballgame is not on the deep stuff, it is on the 20-30 yd outs across the hashmarks to the sidelines, a stronger armed Qb could hit Teddy ballgame on those routes rather then the fades and seams and the stop and goes and curls and outs.

    Henne can make those throws, IMO Beck can as well.
     
  15. Zod

    Zod Ruler of the Universe

    3,415
    1,557
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    Padre, I've seen some more of the Chad hurts Ginn in this thread. I do not think Chad has a weakness that has hurt Ginn. I think Ginn has a weakness that hurts Ginn.

    In a nutshell, I think Chad Pennington is a machine. I think he goes through a mental process on the football field better than any quarterback not named Peyton Manning. Of course, that is where the Manning comparison stops. Pennington will give your team a shot to win the game. He will give your team a shot to win by limiting his mistakes to virtually nonexistent. We once saw the same mental process with Jay Fiedler. Any time Jay Fiedler made a mistake (errant throw) you always got a camera shot of Jay looking at the field. Some looked at their screen and saw a dumbfounded quarterback. I saw a guy counting back his thought process from before the play (what was shown in the secondary) to the completion of the play (errant throw). Jay wanted to know what went wrong. He wanted to know whether they gave him a different look than the actual coverage that took place or did his receiver hang him out to dry. We never knew what went wrong on most but Fiedler had to do this for a number of reasons other than the schematics of the defense.

    A receiver has to read the coverage too. Before arriving in the NFL, receivers like Ginn are not asked to read coverages. His instruction is to run the route and run it fast. His god given ability will take care of the rest of the play. In the NFL it is quite different. There were nine basic routes on the passing tree before defensive coordinators jumped on reading patterns. Defenses now utilize the offense to telegraph their plays based upon their alignments, field position (relative to the hash and marker), down and distance. Tendancies are developed based upon all of the aforementioned. I have personally scouted and formulated a plan based upon tendancies. Versus most teams we face in high school I can be in a damn fine defense 80% of the time versus 50% of our opposition. The other 50% are multiple in what they do and their being multiple reduces my effectiveness to 50% (or less) of the time. All of that taken into consideration, I think of myself as a novice at the assignment and yet I still find myself successful more than 50% of the time. Players executing the assignments is a totally different story but I digress.......

    As a result of scouting and it's effectiveness, offensive coordinators have turn to the route tree and say "we need more". They know the coverages and they know why the defense is in them. The post now becomes a skinny post. All of us know that much. What we don't know is the pre snap reads. We don't know them because we have never played quarterback or receiver in the NFL. What I'm saying is that (basically) the route changes if based upon a number of factors. The quarterback has in his a play call the three step drop, five step drop, seven step drop, and roll out. The receiver has in his play call a technique (within a route) versus press man (inside technique), press man (outside technique), off man (with safety), off man (without safety), and the various zone coverages. All of these factors contribute to how the receiver will run his route and where the reception point will be.

    With all of this as a backdrop, I would suggest that Ted Ginn is still learning how to be a receiver in the NFL. Chad Pennington has all of this knowledge at this point in his career and he knows what his receivers know based upon performance in practice. Ginn is already susceptible to the whim of a defensive coordinator in a coverage call. What we do not know is what Ginn is susceptible in failing to run the correct route versus any given coverage call. I believe that Chad Pennington knows when something is "over" his receivers head. I believe that quartersbacks like Pennington make a conscious decision before the snap that which receivers will get a look and how long it will be there. It is one of the ways a quaterback can limit their mistakes. They see the coverage and they know what has been taken away be the coverage directly. They know who should have the chance to win their one on one and they make a judgement based upon the mental and physical ability of their receiver.

    Now given that I think Chad Pennington has all the makings of a quarterback who gives his team a chance to win, why would I not be on board with a contract extension? The answer is very simple. I believe his attributes will give the team a chance to win. I don't believe his attributes will win games for you. There is a big difference in the two statements.
     
    anlgp and keypusher like this.
  16. Larryfinfan

    Larryfinfan 17-0...Priceless Club Member

    He may very well be playing at a higher level than the average QB, like we've had here for years, but his age, his physical issues warrant that we hold off on anointing him Dan Marino, II and the future of the franchise. He's not quite that good. He's got physical limitations and whether he can take us further than what he has is in serious doubt. In the playoffs, his physical issues will be exploited. He needs to prove more, to me, than what he has so far. Certainly he's better than what we've had under center for years, but is he the one to take us deep into the playoffs. If not this year, perhaps next, but can he physically do it ?? I'm not convinced...yet...at any rate, by the time we find out, we'll be looking at a 33-34 yr old QB...do we want to put that much stock into a player that age that plays such a demanding position ?? It's not like he's Brett Favre at 33...there's a lot more wear and tear on him...I'm just not convinced yet...I like what he's doing and he's exactly what this team needs at QB right now, but there is still a question about him...
     
  17. keypusher

    keypusher Well-Known Member

    1,351
    448
    83
    Nov 29, 2007
    That makes more sense. (I mean, the part about Pennington. I think Henne can make those throws, and I don't know if Beck can or not.)

    Many things discussed at length on message boards are not true. Not saying this particular claim isn't true, but the fact that a lot of people have said it is not strong evidence that it is true.
     
  18. anlgp

    anlgp ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A

    damn zod.

    Hopefully by the end of Pennington's contract Henne will be ready and rarin' to go.
     
  19. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

    15,863
    6,275
    113
    Dec 12, 2007
    Evans, GA

    Throwing 40 yards down the field into double coverage is about as big a chance as you can take. No team just throws down the field all day, it's a risk with any QB.
     
  20. dolphans1

    dolphans1 New Member

    523
    58
    0
    Oct 15, 2008
    I don't think you make that decision right now.

    Which game was it that Penny threw a pic and it went for any easy TD and it either cost us the game or almost did.

    The reason this team has had the problems it did, was because we did not have a credible QB or Coach. 1) Wannstedt was not the answer, 2) Saban was not the answer, 3) Cameron was not the answer, 3) Jay Fiedler was not the answer, 4) Neither was Ray Lucas, 5) Brain Griese was better than all of the above, 6) AJ Feeley was slightly better than Fiedler, 7) Gus Frerotte was decent, 8) Trent Green, well blame Cameron, 9) Cleo Lemon - no, 10) John Beck no way

    Chad Pennington gives our team stability because he's a smart quarterback and you need one to be successful in the NFL.

    My biggest surprise has been our defense.

    My biggest worry is our special teams coverage and special teams in general.

    I would like a big-time play receiver.

    Donovon McNabb might be available next season and I would entertain thoughts of signing him and keep all options open.

    Chad Henne looked good, but most importantly, plays smart.

    d-1
     
  21. westernnyphinfa

    westernnyphinfa New Member

    67
    30
    0
    Aug 15, 2008
    Rochester, NY
    It's a tough call man, you have two young QB's waiting in the wings, and I can't help but wonder what our offense would be like if we had a QB with a strong arm.

    They should see how things play out into next season, before pulling the trigger.

    I'm not a capologist or an expert on who's signed, however many of the players Saban drafted or signed are also out of contract at the end of this year.

    The question becomes, are these guys playing good because they are playing in a contract year, or are they just better by virtue of more talent.

    It will be interesting to see what JI and BP decide to do.

    Big decisions coming at this years end, more pressing than QB.

    Just my opinion.
     
  22. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

    22,422
    9,819
    0
    Nov 27, 2007
    DC Metro Area
    Whether we give Penny one more season or not, thats not the decision that has to be made IMO.

    The sooner we turn it over to Henne (or Beck - long shot) the sooner we return to deep into the playoffs for the long run is how I see it.
     
    The Dude likes this.

Share This Page