The kid looks impressive so far, sounds good, and has outperformed his 2 rivals. No question about THAT. But to quote Alan Iverson "It's practice, it's da*mn practice" and that's all it is. Should we be encouraged? Yes. Should we annoint Henne the heir apparent on the basis of a few weeks of practice? Errr, not so fast.
While Beck's being dissected like a jackal feeding on carrion, by comparison there are some who are anxious to label Henne "Marino-like." Maybe he'll end up that way or maybe he'll end up like Ryan Leaf who actually had a superior rookie TC and actually won the first 2 games before his head overcame his physical skills. Could this be the same with Henne? Maybe but who's to say, other than there are red flags that no amount of slavish fan worship can candycoat:
1) Rarely won the big one: 1-3 in bowl games and 0-4 against OSU, in probably the games that mattered most to his team.
2) Ability to rally his troops: interrelated with #1 and interesting because stat-wise he had few substandard games if we're gonna measure using that criterion. HOWEVER, his difficulty in coming back and overcoming deficits surely can't all be blamed on others. It boils down to the kind of Elway, Brady confidence that a QB instills in his teammates, especially in big games, creating a "yes I can" contagious leadership mindset
2a) Leadership Questions: Related is the fact that when you consider he was the de facto leader of his team for 4 years yet never was voted a co-captain by his peers, his teammates, speaks to questions about their perception of him as a leader and someone they trust and depend on. You can say that as their star QB, he already had the accolades and it was an opportunity to elect and recognize some unsung heroes.. but in reality Jake Long was voted Co-Captain twice, and was joined in the senior year by Hart and Crable. So we're talking stars here. IMO (which is a convention that should be used here alot more than it is), being slighted for 2 years running suggests a lack of respect. Who knows why, but there's no way the star QB, especially one who's a 4 year starter, shouldn't be so honored. Is something wrong here? Who knows? It's certainly doesn't represent a "stop sign" but more of a "Proceed with Caution" sign.
3) "Past UM QB History" Does history repeat itself or is Chad an anomoly? Certainly hope it's the latter. Sure you can point to Brady, but obviously he was a victim of stereotyping based on the perception of UM QB mediocrity, and essentially was the Kracker Jack prize that was unexpected, even by NE. Otherwise you have QBs who had fleeting moments of success before slipping into mediocrity, but outside of ancient-history Harbaugh, using the benefit of a time machine, the Grieses and Grbacs would have lasted well into the 3rd or 4th round or beyond. Will Chad be another product of a lacklustre QB developmental program or will he be the Brady type surprise? Who knows?
4)The Wisdom of Draft Experts vs. "Gurus" The gurus had him going anywhere from the low 20s to the low 30s. Why did he tumble as far as he did, potentially 35 spaces, especially when there were teams with QB questions and needs?? Chicago, where in an interview he believed he'd be going, scrutinized him in every which way and decided Kyle Orton was a better option. KC with all their early picks and a QB prospect with stats not much, if any better than Beck's ignored him several times. NC with disappointments like Carr and a QB already fading before injury, passed him by twice too. No Brady Quinn type excuses here. Green Bay, thinking the prima donna queen was retiring passed him by twice. Sure lots of mistakes are made and lots of hidden treasures are there for plucking, but on a consensus basis, the wisdom of the actual draft executives, not the gurus, get it right a lot more often than wrong. I'm not saying they got it right here and hope our FO is smarter than the perception curve, but you know that old saying "A thousand Frenchmen can't be wrong".....
5. Progressions and Checkdowns: Anything on youtube is selective and limited. Sure I've seen the funny OSU video where he looked more lost than Hansel and Gretel, but I've also seen plenty of selective videos where Chad's looked great so who knows. But that criticism is out there by some analysts who do know, and I've already seen arguments on FH conceding that he's wooden in the pocket, locks onto primary receivers but he's very accurate and doesn't need to see the entire field. Who knows which is right.. but you can't close your eyes and ignore it. If the critics are wrong then , Fantastic! If they're right, we have a slow-thinking and reacting Daunte redux on our hands (without the original mobility) and should hope that beyond the transition years, we better put into place the pieces that counteract his shortcomings.
As a Finfan, I'm hoping for the best, and am definitely encouraged by what I see/hear so far in this very limited sampling and through this somewhat biased blogger feedback. I'm certainly pulling for him to fulfill this empty hype being slobbered on him over time in real game conditions...but am in no way at this point ready to bet the farm on him. Parcells is not always right, including trading for Henson, starting QCarter and only reluctantly inserting Simms after his preferred starter (I forget his name) stunk up the place, among others examples.
If Henne works out great, and it's good that he gets to sit a year unless Mr Fragility takes one too many hits. (whom no matter what I think of his present skill set, happens to be a Rhodes Scholar and a good guy). but if we end up in or near the cellar again, and if, the consensus real deal, Matthew Stafford replicates his last season confirming it's not a fluke, IMO, we'd be foolish to pass him by if having the chance to grab him. If Henne works out, great! Regardless, guzzling from his Koolaid pitcher at this point is no different than the SD fans being excited about Ryan Leaf as their next leader.
OT:Thanks Bernie Mac, I'll miss ya :rip:
While Beck's being dissected like a jackal feeding on carrion, by comparison there are some who are anxious to label Henne "Marino-like." Maybe he'll end up that way or maybe he'll end up like Ryan Leaf who actually had a superior rookie TC and actually won the first 2 games before his head overcame his physical skills. Could this be the same with Henne? Maybe but who's to say, other than there are red flags that no amount of slavish fan worship can candycoat:
1) Rarely won the big one: 1-3 in bowl games and 0-4 against OSU, in probably the games that mattered most to his team.
2) Ability to rally his troops: interrelated with #1 and interesting because stat-wise he had few substandard games if we're gonna measure using that criterion. HOWEVER, his difficulty in coming back and overcoming deficits surely can't all be blamed on others. It boils down to the kind of Elway, Brady confidence that a QB instills in his teammates, especially in big games, creating a "yes I can" contagious leadership mindset
2a) Leadership Questions: Related is the fact that when you consider he was the de facto leader of his team for 4 years yet never was voted a co-captain by his peers, his teammates, speaks to questions about their perception of him as a leader and someone they trust and depend on. You can say that as their star QB, he already had the accolades and it was an opportunity to elect and recognize some unsung heroes.. but in reality Jake Long was voted Co-Captain twice, and was joined in the senior year by Hart and Crable. So we're talking stars here. IMO (which is a convention that should be used here alot more than it is), being slighted for 2 years running suggests a lack of respect. Who knows why, but there's no way the star QB, especially one who's a 4 year starter, shouldn't be so honored. Is something wrong here? Who knows? It's certainly doesn't represent a "stop sign" but more of a "Proceed with Caution" sign.
3) "Past UM QB History" Does history repeat itself or is Chad an anomoly? Certainly hope it's the latter. Sure you can point to Brady, but obviously he was a victim of stereotyping based on the perception of UM QB mediocrity, and essentially was the Kracker Jack prize that was unexpected, even by NE. Otherwise you have QBs who had fleeting moments of success before slipping into mediocrity, but outside of ancient-history Harbaugh, using the benefit of a time machine, the Grieses and Grbacs would have lasted well into the 3rd or 4th round or beyond. Will Chad be another product of a lacklustre QB developmental program or will he be the Brady type surprise? Who knows?
4)The Wisdom of Draft Experts vs. "Gurus" The gurus had him going anywhere from the low 20s to the low 30s. Why did he tumble as far as he did, potentially 35 spaces, especially when there were teams with QB questions and needs?? Chicago, where in an interview he believed he'd be going, scrutinized him in every which way and decided Kyle Orton was a better option. KC with all their early picks and a QB prospect with stats not much, if any better than Beck's ignored him several times. NC with disappointments like Carr and a QB already fading before injury, passed him by twice too. No Brady Quinn type excuses here. Green Bay, thinking the prima donna queen was retiring passed him by twice. Sure lots of mistakes are made and lots of hidden treasures are there for plucking, but on a consensus basis, the wisdom of the actual draft executives, not the gurus, get it right a lot more often than wrong. I'm not saying they got it right here and hope our FO is smarter than the perception curve, but you know that old saying "A thousand Frenchmen can't be wrong".....
5. Progressions and Checkdowns: Anything on youtube is selective and limited. Sure I've seen the funny OSU video where he looked more lost than Hansel and Gretel, but I've also seen plenty of selective videos where Chad's looked great so who knows. But that criticism is out there by some analysts who do know, and I've already seen arguments on FH conceding that he's wooden in the pocket, locks onto primary receivers but he's very accurate and doesn't need to see the entire field. Who knows which is right.. but you can't close your eyes and ignore it. If the critics are wrong then , Fantastic! If they're right, we have a slow-thinking and reacting Daunte redux on our hands (without the original mobility) and should hope that beyond the transition years, we better put into place the pieces that counteract his shortcomings.
As a Finfan, I'm hoping for the best, and am definitely encouraged by what I see/hear so far in this very limited sampling and through this somewhat biased blogger feedback. I'm certainly pulling for him to fulfill this empty hype being slobbered on him over time in real game conditions...but am in no way at this point ready to bet the farm on him. Parcells is not always right, including trading for Henson, starting QCarter and only reluctantly inserting Simms after his preferred starter (I forget his name) stunk up the place, among others examples.
If Henne works out great, and it's good that he gets to sit a year unless Mr Fragility takes one too many hits. (whom no matter what I think of his present skill set, happens to be a Rhodes Scholar and a good guy). but if we end up in or near the cellar again, and if, the consensus real deal, Matthew Stafford replicates his last season confirming it's not a fluke, IMO, we'd be foolish to pass him by if having the chance to grab him. If Henne works out, great! Regardless, guzzling from his Koolaid pitcher at this point is no different than the SD fans being excited about Ryan Leaf as their next leader.
OT:Thanks Bernie Mac, I'll miss ya :rip:
