It Is Up To You, Spartacus Cannonarm

A few weeks back I did a piece on what can be "expected" from Chad Henne. I cautioned against knee-jerk reactions to errant passing and an interception or two. I stated that many great NFL QBs have started very slow and supported this claim with links to first season stats of a few of these guys: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

Each of those now household names struggled early on. The fastest to gain success was Ben Roethlisberger, who after three games became a skilled game-manager for a dominant Steelers team, which came within a hair of the Super Bowl. They won the next year.

The reason I cautioned against the quick reaction to any on-the-field struggles of a new QB was that the Miami Dolphins fan has become accustomed to seeing poor QB play. In the back of their mind they picture Dan Marino, who needed no warm-up games. Dan the Man simply showed up and dominated. I didn't want a slow start to be quickly translated into a failed draft strategy by fans.

Chad Henne will always be the guy the Dolphins fished for late in the second round instead of drafting Matt Ryan. Ryan's spectacular start to his rookie season left many a Dolphan wondering if it was the right decision.

Now obviously many of us feel it was. Jake Long was a great pick-up and has played dominant ball after a rough start in Atlanta. But now what if I told you that Chad Henne is off to a better start than Matt Ryan was in his first two starts? What if I told you he is off to a better start than any of those household names were in their first two starts? Now, egads man, what if I told you that Chad Henne (aka Spartacus Cannonarm) was off to a better start than Dan Marino (hallowed be thy name) was in his first two starts? Would you be impressed?

Okay. How's this statement:

Chad Henne has a better QB rating in his first two starts than any other quarterback in the history of the NFL.

That's what Matty I at The Phinsider is reporting this bright Autumn morning. No QB has posted a better rating through two games at the start of their career. Not Johnny U. Not Danny M. Not John Elway or Joe Montanna. Not even Steve Young, who had plenty of experience and was handed the keys to a Ferrari, out-played Chad Henne through the first two starts.

Now it is only two games we're talking about and Henne faces the biggest test of his young career when the unbeaten Saints come marching into Miami this Sunday night. It is a somewhat kooky statistic but one worth noting. If nothing else it means that the composure and stoic field awareness some of us saw in Henne is clearly a reality.

So this Sunday night, when the Dolphins secondary is exploited for the sieve that they have resembled all year long, and the pass rush is spinning its wheels against a dominating New Orleans offensive line, the Dolphins offense and Chad Henne will be asked to pick up the pieces. The league's number one rushing attack will have to shred the clock to pieces and Spartacus Cannonarm will have to punch lunch tickets for six-bucks a pop.

This is not a game for field goals.

A win here, Cannonarm, and even ESPN will have to note that you just might be the second coming.