Dolphins Bench Chad Henne

Added on Nov 10, 2010 by Scott in

NFL

‘Tis the season to bench starting quarterbacks. The Miami Dolphins have decided to sit down Chad Henne and hand the offensive keys to Chad Pennington. Yeah, Chad Pennington is still in the league. Who knew? At any rate, the move shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Henne’s recent erratic play, which culminated in a three interception game last week in Baltimore.

Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano tried to soften the blow so as not to condemn Henne:

“This is not an indictment of Chad Henne at all,” Sparano added. “It is not an indictment of his future. I do believe this player has gotten an awful lot better, certainly come two-fold from where he was to where he is right now. At this particular time, it’s something I feel this is something I need to do for our football team.”

Translation: We’re not winning games. I don’t want to get fired. Even though Henne isn’t our only problem, I’m desperate. Gotta love that coach speak.

So, another Chad Pennington era is upon us. He’s 34 years old, has a shoulder held together with bubble gum and bailing wire and hasn’t started a game since September of last year. On the plus side, the guy is pretty darn accurate and does have a knack for putting checks in the win column.

Miami’s upcoming schedule includes the Titans, Bears, Raiders, Browns and Jets. Not the easiest, but not overly tough either. Perhaps we’ll see the return of the Wildcat offense, with the focus placed more on Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, rather than Brandon Marshall and Devon Bess.

Whether the elder Chad is the answer remains to be seen. At 4-4, the Phins have little margin for error in a crowded AFC playoff picture. Losing the next two games at home would likely seal their fate. Here’s hoping there’s a little bit of magic left in Pennington’s right arm.

Source: PFW