They may not have helped Smith but Henne has a very nice 93+ QB Rating this preseason. Carry that through the regular season and I think we have ourselves a division title.
You and I just philosophically disagree on these kinds of things DJ. You seem to be an "intangibles" guy, which is fine. I just simply don't buy into stuff like chemistry, "wanting it more", etc. Henne was benched for performance. His offense wasn't scoring enough points and was turning the ball over too much when he was benched. That's the bottom line.
On the issue of Player workouts: If you don't have room to grow, what's the point? IMO, I don't think our workouts were beneficial from a play standpoint. Some guys running around on a field without structure isn't going to make the Super Bowl. The workout really was more for us about building confidence, getting some guys on the same page, and getting at least a rudimentary understanding of a completely different playbook, new terminology, and some new players' skillsets (if I am correct in that some rooks practiced as well). The Packers had the same playbook, full confidence, were on the same page, and just won a Super Bowl. Were they supposed to come out and score 70 had they had workouts? They reached their plateau, which is pretty damn high. We still had non-play related steps to climb.
If he carries it over into the regular season that will be great. It also will likely have little to do with being voted a captain or organizing the workouts. It will be that he improved with time and that he has better pieces around him.
what the heck are you talkin about Schmoot?..so his confidence can't get stronger because if you have enough to enter the league, your good? His confidence was shot last year, he got benched for not being a good leader and getting the team on the same page..cause I'll tell you this, he surely shouldn't have gotten benched for his play..That to me is a non argument at this point.
You are correct in quoting my assessment that teams with established offenses and systems, and established players, should have MAJOR advantages this season versus teams that are in flux, due in part to the lost time due to the lockout where coaches could have had access to the players openly and been helping them make transitions and helping them improve as players. Where you're incorrect is making the jump to me saying therefore having these players-only practices where guys run around with basically no direction like chickens with their heads cut off would actually therefore be important to the success of the team. I don't think those practices accomplished much in particular, I think they're a non-issue, and what will matter will have been what I have said would matter...which is that teams with established players and established systems would have a significant advantage this year. The mistake people make is thinking I'm laying out a situation the Dolphins could have donw well in, and/or changed. Some things are just fated. Sparano begged Dan Henning to stay on an extra year even though he didn't particularly want to. As a result, we're making the transition of offensive systems in a lockout-shortened off season instead of having already made that transition prior to 2010. What's done is done. Those players-only practices weren't going to change what's already done.
It wasn't henne fault in those 10 games..The record would of been better with better special teams, better running back stable, better speed on the offense, better coordinator, with the same performance from the Qb..
I do just from a practical standpoint, the terminology has to be learned and better to do so during the lockout then using valuable time in Training Camp learning it. I also think that unless there were defenders, of some sort, participating it amounts to little more then a game of catch with cones involved.
Thought this was a good question so I did some Googlin'. According to this Wiki site (which could be full of crap), 25 out of 32 teams have named their QB as a captain. Some interesting names that are not captains - Sam Bradford (similar position as Henne last year - 2nd year starter) and Kevin Kolb. The rest are mostly rookies (Cincy) or a strange situation (Wash, Jax).
Players may have had those playbooks. They may not have. It doesn't matter much to me. Whether they had a few pieces of paper stashed in a 3-ring binder somewhere to me is 10x less important than having actual coaches there teaching, organizing and helping players get better.
I think a player can get "hot" during a game, or stretch of games, but no, I don't think players get more or less confident for the most part. If players lose their confidence they often don't get it back. See guys like Rick ankiel and others who get the "yips" and then flame out. If Henne's confidence was shot last year then how did he come back immediately after the benching and have his two best games against Tenn and the Raiders? And why after those two games, when under your analysis his confidence should have been sky high, did he become about the worst QB in football over the last month? He was 8 TD's 12 INTs when he got benched and was absolutely awful against Baltimore. The benching was performance based.
So what. He made it..... and the timing of it must really burn your chaps. 7 years? That must mean you expect freshman, sophomore, rookie, and 2nd year NFL players to earn this honor huh? okie dokie.
Yes those things you mention will unquestionably be a big part of why he improves but having the trust of your teammates and coaches and being recognized as a leader means something to every athlete worth a poop. Being named a captain will not alter his physical ability but it can alter his mindset so that he can better utilize those abilities. It does matter. To dismiss it entirely is wrong imo.
Well if 25 teams have done it, it likely means that there are some poor qB's who have nonetheless been voted captains.
I don't see how, since I've stated quite plainly in the past that if Chad Henne doesn't make Captain this year it's more of a reflection of something that is broken on the team than something that is broken in him. I've been predicting for a long time that Henne would finally get voted Captain this year. Aren't you one of the people that accuses me of wanting to be right more than wanting the Dolphins to win? Therefore why would you predict that it "burns my chaps" that Henne was voted Captain when I should be positively elated that I was right in predicting that he would be voted Captain?
Yeah, Tavaris Jackson is on that list. But, like I said, Bradford was NOT a captain - and I don't know that it is some huge sign of weakness for Stafford. Another point - I wonder how often a former offensive captain is on the roster when a new one is selected - with Pennington still on the roster last year, it isn't overly surprising Henne didn't get it. If Pennington was a leader of the team (as we all know he was), he didn't suddenly stop being the leader, but was still in the clubhouse. It makes for a somewhat strange situation that explains why henne might not have gotten the votes. Although I agree the whole "Captain" thing isn't a huge deal.
He was benched because of his performance?...Disagree.. The plan during the offseason and what happened, and more importantly what did not happen only backs my analysis.
He was 8/12 TD/INT ratio, the team was 4-4 and already in a deep playoff hole and he had just had one of his worst performances as a pro at the time of the benching. We weren't scoring enough points, even in the games we won and we were turning it over way too much. Tony even said at the time that we needed a "spark" offensively. Just because he was given another chance, either due to some belief in him or the lack of superior options doesn't change what happened last year. If you've got an explanation for what happened after the Oakland game then I'd love to hear it. He had two of his best games as a pro and then was basically terrible the rest of the season. His confidence should have been over the moon after the Oakland game. What happened?
I think it reflects poorly on Sam Bradford that he wasn't voted a Captain this year. If he misses that distinction again in 2012 then he'll be in the same boat Henne was last year IMO, and that would be an eyebrow-raiser, especially since I heard from some people in the know prior to the Draft that if there was one thing to question about Sam Bradford aside from the shoulder injury, it's his love for the game. Stafford though...I can give him a pass just because of all the injury issues he's had to deal with. I mean the dude hardly even played last year because of injuries and that's not the first time. That's just one of those situations where football players naturally gravitate toward guys that are there...and there's a stigma around guys that are hurt a lot.
I can only think of a few reasons players are benched. Health, performance, or discipline. I see two of those that we can definitely rule out...
Stafford is the perfect example of why this whole thing is pretty much meaningless. the guy had a perfect QB rating in the pre season and looks set to have a fantastic year health permitting. His not being voted a captain will have no affect on that
Good for Henne. Based on numerous comments from teammates and coaches he earned it. I thought when the lockout happened Miami would be one of the teams most negatively affected. Turns out it may have been the best thing that could have happened for the Dolphins. Some guys are born leaders others have to develop those skills. The lockout appears to have been the perfect situation to help Henne develop leadership skills. Anyone who has been a part of a successful team knows the importance of chemistry along with leadership and failure that accompanies lack there of. From a team perspective, I can't see how Henne being named a captain is anything but a positive. Must be painful for the Henne haters though.
What sort of QBR would that equate to? 75 hrs or so until kickoff, I'll just be glad to get the thing started so everyone can calm down a bit one way or the other, this offseason has probably been worse then the post 07 offseasonin terms of disharmony among Dolphins fans.
It's what medicority will do to you Pad. The margins on the arguments are so thin that it becomes difficult to see the forest for the trees. It's much easier either being really good or really bad. We were all mad after 2007 (although there was a contingent of posters who wanted to give Cam another chance, the original Patience Brigade, lol)
Wow...we have opposite ideas of what's going to happen after this game, lol. You think it's going to be calmer around here? I think this place is going to be going nuts, and Finheaven might well just implode on itself and be wiped from all existence and memory.
If we win I think it's going to be great around here. I'll certainly be excited and if people want to gloat then that's fine. doesn't bother me. If we lose, then get ready for a supernova.
Yeah, I do, I've watched this stuff for awhile CK, what happens when one "side" or the other is proven decisively wrong is they then..stifle. Recall all of the arguments about Wake? Or signing Ricky W back? Or JT back in 2008? The fact it is just one game does not mean very much, the wind falls out of the sails of one side or another, BUT the daggers are still kept sharp just waiting for the misstep or bad game. Few recall that Henne is usually a quick starter, but then slumps as the season rolls along, that has been his pattern (I think do recall in 09 his first 3 or 4 games were great, then the ravens brought him back down to earth, in 10 the first Jest game he played really well in) as both sides have drawn a sort of line of "Henne will be terrible!!" or "Henne will be great in a new offense!!". Odd thing about Henne is I've chatted with people with wildly differing political, social, and spiritual views, all of which are known to inflame passions, but nothing comes close to the rocket fuel Chad Henne pours onto a conversation.
I don't think its a matter of winning or losing. We are big underdogs at home. Expecting us to win is not a realistic expectation. If we lose a close game, I don't see how it can be looked upon negatively.
This place will be a madhouse Tuesday morning. I have a feeling we'll get killed in this game - and Henne will look like crap. I think Henne has improved but that Belichick is still much smarter than Sparano or Henne and will force some mistakes. He also has some unpaid revenge to give Daboll after the Browns beating last year - so they'll be aggressive in their coverages and get their hands on a few balls. But I think the team will rebound from there - especially Henne. But next week is going to be a rough one around here. Lots of "I told you so" and excuses for Henne. CK - didn't want to ask over PM because I'm guessing a lot of people would want to see the response, and also didn't want to start a thread about it to guilt you into responding - but this week there was an article that mentioned they worked on Henne's footwork and eye quickness (for lack of a better term). Have you noticed a difference in this so far this preseason and is it something that you've noticed as an issue in the past. The 'eye quickness' thing in particular is something I thought you've mentioned in terms of Henne struggling to read the field after looking down for a shotgun snap or a playaction fake.
It's a sign, among many others, that Henne is earning the respect and confidence of his teammates, something that IMO he failed to do in his first 3 seasons.
Why does a player get benched in any sport? It's either for performance or discipline. Which do you think applied in this case? Or you can go on believing in some mystical theory that his performance (8/12 TD/INT ratio) was good but that he just wasn't a leader out there. If he was 12/9 believe me, he wouldn't have been benched.
I commented on you saying it's only been 7 years, which sounds a little bitter b/c we both know it's not rational to expect him to earn those honors during 4-5 of those years. If you had instead said, "great for him; it would've been nice to see him first earn this during his junior or senior year at Michigan", then it would've made more sense IMO.
We're not trying to figure out the JFK assassination here. He was benched because the offense was terrible and they were desperate for a spark. Fist pumper thought Chad Pennington might be able to provide a boost as well as throw more TDs than INTs. So to make a long story short, Chad Henne was benched based on performance.
The benching also came after the Baltimore game which was maybe his worst performance ever (the shotput pass comes to mind). Sparano was trying to save the season.
when you have Henning and a healthy Chad Pennington over your shoulder, the normal rules don't apply..My take is they benched the dude because they couldn't resist Pennington's energy, and how he could get the whole team on the same page, so they hooked him at first sign of trouble....His performance in those first 10 games was on an ascending plane from his previous year.
