What Can We Expect From Chad Henne?

If you have the time, watch Chad Henne dismantle the Florida Gators and outplay Time Rainbow (Tim Tebow for you Florida fans ;/ ).

With all the controversy surrounding the Dolphins young QB (much of it is insane, as the guy is going to start whether or not you like him) I have decided to set some progress bars for young Henne.

First though, what are you expecting from Chad Henne?

Over 60% passer rating? Perhaps a 60% or more completion percentage? More TDs than INTs? Big plays? Yardage galore?

Well, if you want your young QB to put up those kind of stat lines you would have passed up on a few of these guys.

That’s why you aren’t coaching though, isn’t it?

Peyton Manning

This was a bad Colts team. Midland defensive and offensive lines. Sub-average running game. Manning would blossom once some teammates were acquired.
http://www.nfl.com/players/peytonmanning/gamelogs?id=MAN515097&season=1998

Tom Brady

Tom “Not-So Terrific” First Season – One Outing
http://www.nfl.com/players/tombrady/gamelogs?id=BRA371156&season=2000

Second Season – Pay close attention to those first few games
http://www.nfl.com/players/tombrady/gamelogs?id=BRA371156&season=2001

You would have benched him, right?

Carson Palmer

Carson did not take a snap his rookie season.

Then he posted this for his second year.
http://www.nfl.com/players/carsonpalmer/gamelogs?id=PAL249055&season=2004

Drew Brees

In one outing his rookie year Drew put up solid numbers.
http://www.nfl.com/players/drewbrees/gamelogs?id=BRE229498&season=2001

Then he had a very pedestrian second year. Pay close attention to the preseason stats (for those of you that think Henne doesn’t have it because of…The Preseason?).
http://www.nfl.com/players/drewbrees/gamelogs?id=BRE229498&season=2002

Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben came in for Tommy Maddux after an injury. This was a Steelers team that had been irrelevant the year before but who would come alive this year. Note Ben’s first four games. Not exactly incredible stat lines. By the end of the year he was as good a caretaker as a team could ask for. If you remember, he wasn’t winning games as much as not losing them.
http://www.nfl.com/players/benroethlisberger/gamelogs?id=ROE750381&season=2004

So what is it we can really expect from Chad Henne?

As Bill Parcells says, we want to see if he can bite. I will not care about INTs (so long as they aren’t arriving in droves). What I want to see is Chad Henne throwing touchdowns.

A 2 TD / 3 INT stat line for the first few games will be acceptable to me. I'll take a 1 to 2 ration. Completion percentages are not something I will care about, unless they are abysmal or spectacular. TDs and a few impressive down field throws will prove to me that he can be our guy.

Basically I want to see toughness, leadership and the ability to get the ball into the end zone.

Everything else can work itself out.