Henne vs. White a nice subplot, but Pennington’s still the main story

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, May 05, 2009  |  Comments( 3 )

Miami Dolphins
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

If Twitter buzz decided the Pat White-Chad Henne backup quarterback competition in Miami, we’d already have a winner. I performed a quick search Tuesday evening and found that there are roughly a dozen mentions of White’s name in the past 24 hours alone (nothing for Henne since Monday) on the popular Web site. The distribution is a bit more even on key fan communities like finheaven.com and thephins.com, but the point is clear.

Both of these young quarterbacks are a hot topic among Dolphins fans.

Meanwhile, starter Chad Pennington has fallen back into the shadows. He gets some Twitter mentions here and there, and some folks bring him up on the popular fan forums from time to time, but for the most part, he’s become yesterday’s news.

All things considered, it's a bit ironic; after all, Miami’s short-term future is tied to Pennington’s success, not White or Henne’s. Sure, White will likely get his fair share of snaps out of the "Wildcat" formation. And yes, there is a slim chance that Henne ends up taking over the starting role at some point during the 2009 regular season. But if the Dolphins have any shot of returning to the postseason, Pennington will have to be one of the key catalysts.

And why not? He managed to post borderline Pro Bowl numbers in 2008 despite joining the team just days before the start of the regular season. This year, he’s quietly working behind the scenes, fine-tuning his knowledge of the offensive system and syncing up with his offensive counterparts. Also, the arrival of veteran center Jake Grove should help further solidify what was already a very steady pass-protecting offensive line. Oh, and having a fully healed Ronnie Brown in the backfield can’t hurt either.

So, go ahead. Indulge in all of those fun and exciting conversations regarding Pat White and Chad Henne. That’s what the offseason is good for. Just don’t that Pennington will be the real main when the season rolls around.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (3)

About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
konquereyez		12:50 AM
05/06/2009
Look how can you guys be talking about the back up when the starting quaterback of the team was runner up to the MVP whats the ...
No.2
JimmyD		07:33 AM
05/06/2009
You are not the only one, brotha. I was as excited as anyone to see Pennington become a Dolphin....mostly because he wouldn't be ...
No.3
konquereyez		11:25 AM
05/06/2009
I mean 4 real if it wasnt for manning pennington would be the MVP So why are we talking about his backups? Is anyone talking ...
Team News  |  View All Dolphins Content
Dolphins Ginn in New York ...
Returning a kickoff for a touchdown is a very rare thing in the NFL. W ...
2 weeks, 5 days ago   |   Dolphins Ginn in New York ( 1 )
Attacking The Wildcat ...
The very name “Wildcat” seems to bring with it a pulse quickening unli ...
3 weeks, 1 day ago   |   Attacking The Wildcat ( 1 )
For Dolphins, Fast Starts Ar ...
Every good coach knows the best way to beat a high-powered offense is ...
3 weeks, 2 days ago   |   For Dolphins, Fast Starts Aren’t Enough ( 1 )
Dolphins vs. Saints Sunday N ...
Here are some random observations from Sunday afternoon's debacle, whi ...
3 weeks, 5 days ago   |   Dolphins vs. Saints Sunday Night Observations ( 3 )
Top 5 reasons for Dolphins o ...
On Monday night, the Miami Dolphins delivered one of their most electr ...
1 month, 1 week ago   |   Top 5 reasons for Dolphins optimism ( 5 )