If Henne’s coaches and teammates are going to have confidence in him this season, it has to start Friday with a good performance against the Falcons.
“The big thing is just finding ways for him to have success early,” NFL Network analyst and former quarterback Kurt Warner said by phone Wednesday. “The key is getting him in situations where he’s feeling good with where he’s at, his teammates feel good about where he’s at and that his coaches put him in positions to succeed in the preseason, because so much of this game is confidence.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Henne has to throw three touchdowns and complete 70 percent of his passes on Friday. A quarterback’s numbers can lie in the preseason – Atlanta probably won’t play several defensive starters, or unveil any exotic blitz schemes.
But several aspects of Henne’s game can still be evaluated. Can he make the right reads? Go through his progressions quickly enough? Develop a good rapport with Brandon Marshall? Deliver the ball downfield confidently?
Henne must make his limited opportunities in the preseason count to quiet the critics.
“You know he’s thinking about this, and you’ve got to get that stuff out of his head,” Warner said. “You’ve got to get him to the point where he’s not looking over his shoulder or thinking about somebody behind him. So how they handle him through the preseason is going to be critical.”
