phinfanNY08
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Miami Dolphins: Is Chad Henne the answer at QB?
If you were to simply look at the statistics, quarterback would not necessarily be the biggest hole on the Dolphins. Safety Chris Clemons struggled badly getting to the sidelines to provide help over the top and offenses frequently targeted him in isolation in the deep middle of the field; the interior line could use some more help even after Mike Pouncey is inserted into the starting lineup and of course, the special teams were consistently horrific from beginning to end.
In contrast, Henne's 621 DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) was 17th in the league, which is to say just a bit below average. Henne's season was crippled by the 19 interceptions he threw, but a closer look suggests that he was the victim of some terrible luck. Almost every mistake throw Henne made ended up on the stat sheet, as he only he had only one dropped interception all year. With even average luck, Henne's interceptions will decrease this season, and he will return to being a middle-of-the-pack quarterback with some potential for growth.
Of course, there are lots of things that statistics don't cover, and it's those things that turned Henne's season from disappointing to catastrophic. Brandon Marshall publicly allied with backup Tyler Thigpen, and took his grievances with Henne to the airwaves, complaining about Henne's refusal to throw him the ball with sufficient frequency. Henne was benched during the season, reclaimed his starting job only because of injuries, and then was injured himself.
In the offseason, owner Stephen Ross was adamant that the Dolphins bring in competition, and the team tried to do just that, fumbling around with Denver over Kyle Orton before deciding that Orton's contract demands were too high.
Instead, they signed Matt Moore, he of the minus-270 DYAR and minus-37.5 percent DVOA, who lost his job last year to Jimmy Clausen of all people. Now the Dolphins will have a quarterback controversy on their hands in training camp, and there will be pressure to give Moore a legitimate shot at the starting gig, which means fewer reps for Henne as offensive coordinator Brian Daboll installs a new offense.
This can go one of two ways and still work out: If Henne comes out of the gates fast and grabs a stranglehold on the starting job, Miami can go back to developing their young and talented quarterback with no harm done. Alternately, Miami can pony up for Orton, who is the only guy out there who represents a legitimate upgrade over Henne. Right now, though, it looks like neither of those things is happening.
If you were to simply look at the statistics, quarterback would not necessarily be the biggest hole on the Dolphins. Safety Chris Clemons struggled badly getting to the sidelines to provide help over the top and offenses frequently targeted him in isolation in the deep middle of the field; the interior line could use some more help even after Mike Pouncey is inserted into the starting lineup and of course, the special teams were consistently horrific from beginning to end.
In contrast, Henne's 621 DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) was 17th in the league, which is to say just a bit below average. Henne's season was crippled by the 19 interceptions he threw, but a closer look suggests that he was the victim of some terrible luck. Almost every mistake throw Henne made ended up on the stat sheet, as he only he had only one dropped interception all year. With even average luck, Henne's interceptions will decrease this season, and he will return to being a middle-of-the-pack quarterback with some potential for growth.
Of course, there are lots of things that statistics don't cover, and it's those things that turned Henne's season from disappointing to catastrophic. Brandon Marshall publicly allied with backup Tyler Thigpen, and took his grievances with Henne to the airwaves, complaining about Henne's refusal to throw him the ball with sufficient frequency. Henne was benched during the season, reclaimed his starting job only because of injuries, and then was injured himself.
In the offseason, owner Stephen Ross was adamant that the Dolphins bring in competition, and the team tried to do just that, fumbling around with Denver over Kyle Orton before deciding that Orton's contract demands were too high.
Instead, they signed Matt Moore, he of the minus-270 DYAR and minus-37.5 percent DVOA, who lost his job last year to Jimmy Clausen of all people. Now the Dolphins will have a quarterback controversy on their hands in training camp, and there will be pressure to give Moore a legitimate shot at the starting gig, which means fewer reps for Henne as offensive coordinator Brian Daboll installs a new offense.
This can go one of two ways and still work out: If Henne comes out of the gates fast and grabs a stranglehold on the starting job, Miami can go back to developing their young and talented quarterback with no harm done. Alternately, Miami can pony up for Orton, who is the only guy out there who represents a legitimate upgrade over Henne. Right now, though, it looks like neither of those things is happening.
