What no one else wants to admit

No one wants to say it. They are afraid to. They think making a big deal about it will upset the powers that be in the NFL. But I am not on anyone's payroll and there is no way I can be threatened directly or indirectly to not say what I am about to say. Brett Favre needs to leave. For good. Forever. It is time for his legend to be put to rest, and for the record, he was never that great to begin with.

Now I am going to get the inevitable argument from most football fans reading this. Brett is a gunslinger, the last of a kind. Brett holds the NFL record for touchdown passes. Yeah, so what? He also holds the record for most interceptions and is notorious for having many of his seasons end on his arm. In big time moments you can put money on it! Brett Favre will throw an interception. He will disappoint you. You will be going home empty handed. So let's stop this legend talk now. He was great in his prime, but he hasn't been in years. Don't dare point to his numbers last season as a defense that he still has something left in the tank. Regular season numbers may be impressive, but it's what you do in big moments that defines careers and Brett ended last season in similar fashion to the way he ended most of his seasons this decade...an interception.

We are not even half way through the 2010-2011 football season, but I am watching an old Brett Favre right now. I am watching Brett Favre single-handedly ruin any chance that the Minnesota Vikings have of winning a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, there is another story regarding Brett Favre that is somehow going under the radar. The Brett Favre-Jenn Sterger Scandal. No one seems to want to talk about the allegations swirling around that Brett Favre was sending nude pictures of himself to Jenn Sterger. Not only do we now have the picture evidence, but we have voicemails that Brett left on Jenn's phone. Say it ain't so Brett

Hand caught in the cookie jar?

Here comes the question that is sure to stir the pot, because no matter what anyone says this country is still racist and people are still oblivious to their own subconscious prejudices. Why is Brett Favre being treated differently in the media in comparison to someone like Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, or even Lebron James? Had Brett Favre been black, wouldn't we be hearing about him and the alleged scandal every single second on ESPN or the local evening news? Of course we would. It is undeniable. The only difference between Brett Favre and all of these athletes is color. You can't tell me it has anything to do with giving him the benefit of the doubt because he has never been in trouble because that's just false. During the 90's Brett Favre was in trouble quite often for his addiction to pain killers. Yeah that's right, I didn't forget that one even though the rest of the sports world apparently has. Besides, last I checked Tiger Woods had a spotless record before it was learned he was flying strippers and porn stars all over the country to have these secret trysts. Michael Vick had never been in trouble either (well there was that whole Ron Mexico incident). Yet when Tiger Woods and Michael Vick got in trouble it is all America spoke about. Race was a major part of the conversations people were having.

What about Lebron James? The guy goes from being loved by America to being public enemy #1 all because he left his hometown team for a better chance at winning a championship ring. All of a sudden he's a coward, he is selfish, he doesn't care about his fans, etc. He is now a marked man and all of the talk regarding him has turned from highly positive to degrading. Is it fair? No. It isn't. Not even a little bit. Brett Favre deserves to be ridiculed and embarrassed just like any other athlete. But he's white. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. All because of the color of his skin.

What no one else wants to admit

Time to go all in

I'm not a poker player. I don't gamble at all actually. I did one time and it ended in disastrous fashion. You see I was on a cruise with one of my best friends and he likes to gamble quite a bit. We started playing some black jack and I got up a few hundred bucks. I was feeling cocky so I kept playing instead of taking his advice to stop while I was ahead. Of course, I started losing money and I ended up in a situation where I was certain to lose--I wanted to get back the money I had already made. You see where this ends.

Even though I don't gamble, I am a firm believer that sometimes when making decisions you need to go all in instead of pussy footing around the issue. Case in point? When I was deciding whether or not to go to law school. I made up my mind that if I got a certain LSAT score I would quit my job as a teacher and go to law school. I went all in. Nothing was going to change my mind. You're probably wondering what the hell this has to do with a sports blog. I'll tie it in right now.

The Miami Dolphins need to go all in when it comes to Chad Henne.This past Monday night Chad Henne threw three (3) interceptions. Some of them at key points when the Dolphins were driving and could have taken momentum from the Patriots. However, when you sit back and analyze the game statistics Chad Henne shouldn't be blamed. He was 29-39 for a 74 percent completion percentage. He tossed two touchdowns. He was moving around in the pocket and looked more poised than he has in the past. Let's face it. Special teams lost the game for us, not Chad Henne. True, he threw the interceptions, but he was facing the New England Patriots defense.

I know New England's defense hasn't been as good as it has in the past, but this is still a team coached by Bill Belichik and his defensive schemes are still one of the most confusing in the NFL. Much has been made of the fact that a linebacker named Rob Minkovich was the one picking off Henne. Go back and look at the tapes though and you'll see what happened. Belichik used the outside linebacker to take away drag and curl routes. Henne didn't make the read and failed to adjust, a mistake that he shouldn't be making anymore. This doesn't mean that Dolphin fans should be panicking. Yet panic is exactly what is going on here.

Fans are calling the radio stations and calling for Henne's head. Chris Mortensen of ESPN is reporting Henne's job might be in trouble. Over reaction ladies and gentleman. We got our asses whooped. That is undeniable. Does this mean Chad Pennington wins this game, as some are suggesting? No. Pennington doesn't play special teams and he isn't going to be chasing around a 5'7" running back named Woodhead either. Should we start experimenting with Tyler Thigpen? It's too soon to resort to that, unless the Dolphins want to end up with a top five (5) draft pick. It's time the Dolphins went all in with Chad Henne. 

Time to go all in

NFL's 18 Game Season: More $$$ for owners and league, problematic for players

An 18 game regular season. It makes sense for the owners. It makes sense for the league. The NFL has proven that it never really leaves the spot light, as more people watched last year's NFL Draft than they did the NBA Playoffs. (Check the ratings). It is getting to the point where there is never a time period throughout the year where there is not a story related to football. In the off-season, all we hear about is the NFL Combine, the players who are entering the draft, what position does your home team need to improve in order to be competitive, etc. ESPN offers us analyst after analyst, expert after expert, to discuss football all year long. We read about  voluntary workouts, we are concerned about who is showing up to the team facility and who isn't. Is player "x" going to hold out? Even when there seems to be a lag in information, we scour the internet searching for trade rumors and scandals. Bottom line is it makes perfect sense for the league and the owners to want to expand the regular season. People will show up to the games. They will buy hats. They will buy jerseys. They will buy over-priced beer and hot dogs. The television contracts will continue to provide a constant stream of revenue.

Let's look at the flip side though. The players are not excited about this. Look no further than Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Fame linebacker, and see what his opinion is concerning the 18 game season. Lewis was quoted as saying: "If fans want to show their love, they should let everyone know that we are not machines. I've been blessed to play this game for so long, but it's time to start thinking about what legacy and impact changes like this will leave for the players of tomorrow, and us after we retire. I know our fans may not like preseason games, and I don't like all of them, but swapping two preseason games for two end-of-season games — when players already play hurt — comes at a huge cost for the player and the team. I know our union is on top of it, and players need to stay in touch with the union and our Executive Director to stay informed."

Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots and currently the NFL's highest paid player had this to add: "I've taken part in several postseason runs where we have played 20 games. The long-term impact this game has on our bodies is well documented. Look no further than the players that came before we did. Each player today has to play three years in order to earn five years of post-career health care. Our Union has done a great job of raising the awareness on these issues and will make the right decision for us players, the game and the fans."

Analyze this logically. Aside from the wear and tear on their bodies, the players have another reason not to expand the regular season. That reason? The same reason the owners want to expand. Money. Let's look at the trend at the running back position. In the 80's and 90's most teams had a clear number one running back, their "horse." Names like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, Emmitt Smith come to mind. Now fast forward to today. We have multiple teams utilizing a two back system, alternating their backs throughout the game in order to maintain their bodies fresh. The Miami Dolphins are an easy example because I live in Miami. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are one of the best running back duos in football. How did we get here though? Well Ricky Williams had a few great years when he first arrived to Miami and as I have mentioned many times before, he bolted to smoke marijuana. But Ricky has stated several times his body needed a rest. He felt the Dolphins were over-using him. Then you have Ronnie Brown, who is talented but injury prone. Hence, we need a two back system here in Miami. The New York Jets have Ladainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. The Kansas City Chiefs use Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. The list goes on and on. Teams do this because they fear losing their number one backs to injury, so they "stash" two legit starting running backs on their teams as an insurance. Moving to 18 game season will only cause this trend to become the norm for every single team in the league. This will translate into star running backs getting paid less money. It should be no surprise then that running backs like Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams is not fascinated with the idea of a two back system, or players with specific packages. Read Steven Jackson's thoughts on two-back system

More games is going to lead to an expansion of the roster size. Anyone who knows anything about sports knows that expansion always leads to a worst product. Some may argue it leads to parity, but in reality it means we will see a lot of athletes wearing uniforms on Sundays who really have no business being there. Additionally, an athlete's career will most likely be shortened due to the new 18 game schedule. I've heard people say it isn't going to be much of a difference, that in reality all the league is doing is making some of the pre-season games actually matter. I feel this argument is ignorant in the sense that most teams don't play their starters full time during the pre-season (actually all teams) and teams are very careful in how they utilize their star players. If I was a player, I wouldn't be happy about the NFL moving towards an 18 game schedule.

NFL's 18 Game Season: More $$$ for owners and league, problematic for players

ESPN's John Clayton: "For those judging QB development, Mark Sanchez has a slight lead over Chad Henne."

ESPN's John Clayton

ESPN's John Clayton has been an NFL analyst for quite a while. He's old. Nerdy looking. He wears glasses. Honestly, he looks more like a tax lawyer than an NFL analyst. In this week's NFL Power Rankings, he made a comment on why the Jets are ranked ahead of the Dolphins. The reason? He claims Mark Sanchez is ahead of Chad Henne in terms of quarterback development.

I'm confused. I consider myself an avid football fan. I played the sport, albeit in high school and I never really had a shot in hell of advancing to the next level (although if you would have asked me when I was 15 years old, I was ready for the NFL). After I realized I had no future as a player, I decided to coach football. None of this makes me an expert, and I am in no way trying to say that I know more than John Clayton, but I am having trouble with the fact that he can so nonchalantly say that Mark Sanchez is ahead of Chad Henne.

Let's look at the numbers before I start going over personnel. Last year, Mark Sanchez had a whopping QB rating of 63.0. He threw 12 touchdowns compared with 20 interceptions. Yards? 2,444. Completion percentage? Are you on the edge of your seat? 53.8%. I did an entire post on how Chad Henne just played his 16th game last week, the equivalent of a full NFL season. In that post I went over Henne's numbers, and although the numbers are not Pro Bowl level, they are better than Mark Sanchez's numbers. Over 16 games Chad Henne threw 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, passed for over 3,500 yards, and his completion percentage was almost 10 percentage points higher than Sanchez's. What does this show? Simple. Chad Henne over a full NFL season is the more efficient quarterback. Less interceptions and completes the ball more often.

Then again, the media may have something to do with ESPN's enamoration with Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is the one posing for GQ Magazine. Sanchez was also a big part of the Ines Sainz scandal up in New York a few weeks ago when the Mexican reporter was attempting to interview him in the Jets locker room (for more details see my prior post on Ines Sainz). Sanchez was a higher pick, going 9th overall out of USC. It's not like he plays for the Cleveland Browns either, he's on the New York Jets who were just featured on HBO's Hardknocks, a show that goes behind the scenes of an NFL team during the offseason. They have a loud mouth coach in Rex Ryan who is in the spotlight every other week for some absurd reason. Mark Sanchez plays in New York City, the largest sports market in the United States of America, if not in the entire world. Of course Mark Sanchez is going to garner more of the media spotlight in comparison to country boy Chad Henne. You also need to consider that the Miami Dolphins are not exactly known for being media friendly ever since Bill Parcells rode into town. But when we look at the numbers, Henne has outperformed him over the course of a full NFL season.

The next Broadway Joe?

Let's look at head to head matchups:

November 1st, 2009: Miami Dolphins 30-New York Jets 25.

Mark Sanchez- 20-35, 265 yards, 2 touchdowns, QB rating 100.3
Chad Henne- 12-21, 112 yards, 1 touchdown, QB rating 87.8

October 12, 2009: Miami Dolphins 31-New York Jets 27

Mark Sanchez- 12-24, 172 yards, 1 touchdown, QB rating 87.5
Chad Henne- 20-26, 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, QB rating 130.4

September 26, 2010: New York Jets 31-Miami Dolphins 23

Mark Sanchez- 15-28, 256 yards, 3 touchdowns, QB rating 120.5
Chad Henne- 26-44, 363 yards, 2 touchdowns, QB rating 91.4

In three head to head matchups, Chad Henne has won two out of three games. Look at the numbers and you'll see both quarterbacks have played fairy well against each other, however it looks like Chad Henne might have a slighter edge in the last two games they played. Henne came out on the losing end last Sunday, but anyone watching the game would tell you Henne was the better quarterback. Mark Sanchez was the beneficiary of a few botched plays by Jason Allen and a few dropped interceptions. Henne was shredding apart what has been called the NFL's best defense by many of the so called experts.

Next, let's take a look at the personnel on both teams dating back to last season and the beginning of this one. Mark Sanchez had a better supporting cast last year. Not only does he have what many believe to be the best offensive line in the league, he also benefits from something that Henne doesn't have--an athletic tight end in Dustin Keller that creates mismatches against opposing defenses. That was highlighted against the Dolphins last week as the Jets proved yet again that the middle of the field is the Achilles heel of the Dolphins' defense. Also, Jerricho Cotchery was a better receiver than anything the Miami Dolphins had on their roster last season. Throw in the Braylon Edwards trade towards the end of the season and it is clear the Jets had a better receiving corp then the Dolphins did at any point last year. The same can't be said this season, as Brandon Marshall is clearly the best receiver if not player on any of the Dolphins' or Jets' rosters. Sanchez also had the league's best rushing attack last season. While the Dolphins didn't have a shabby running game, Ronnie Brown was injured and we relied on Ricky Williams most of the second half. Although he filled in admirably and rushed for over 1,000 yards, the element of the wildcat was gone.

It is easy to see these two quarterbacks have a bright future ahead of them. To say Mark Sanchez is slightly ahead of Henne is not a fair statement though. If anything, I believe Chad Henne is ahead at this point in their careers.

ESPN's John Clayton: "For those judging QB development, Mark Sanchez has a slight lead over Chad Henne."

Men lie, women lie, numbers don't

Chad Henne has started 16 NFL games going back to last season when he took over for Chad Pennington. Technically, he just finished his first NFL season. When we look at the numbers he has compiled, Henne seems to be off to a good start.

In his first 16 games Chad Henne has thrown for 3,604 yards and completed 60.6% of his passes. He has thrown 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His quarterback rating is 77.4. The numbers don't necessarily make your jaw drop, but let's compare the numbers to the player most consider to be the best quarterback of this generation--Peyton Manning. In Manning's first NFL season he threw for 3,739 yards and completed only 56% of his passes. Manning tossed 26 touchdowns, but threw 28 interceptions. His quarterback rating was 71.2.

Steve Mitchell/US Presswire

Keep in mind that Manning started off his career with Marvin Harrison as his number one receiver, whereas Henne didn't have a star receiver on his roster until the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall. It was not until Peyton Manning's second NFL season that his numbers really improved and he began turning into one of the most talented quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.

This is not to say that I believe Chad Henne will be the next Peyton Manning or that his career will resemble Manning's in any way. All I am saying is maybe we should keep things in perspective as Dolphin fans.

Men lie, women lie, numbers don't

Chad Henne and what could have been...

Athletes become legends right before our eyes. Sometimes we are aware of the moment we are observing, sometimes we are ignorant of it. I knew I was watching greatness back in the 2006 NBA Finals when Dwyane Wade did his best Michael Jordan impersonation. I also saw it when Josh Beckett shut down the Yankees back in 2003. Last night as I watched the Miami Dolphins play against the New York Jets, I was watching carefully in anticipation as the game went on thinking to myself, "Am I watching Chad Henne turn into the leader of this Miami Dolphins team right now?"

As the clock ticked down in the 4th quarter with the Dolphins in possession, I was sure of at least one thing: Chad Henne had an opportunity to win over his entire team, fan base, critics, and take his first step into what could become a great career. This one drive could be the beginning of the Chad Henne legend, after all it is The Drive that makes John Elway such a big part of NFL lore. Here was Chad Henne, having what many would say is the best game of his career, about to lead his team down the field to victory. He completes a pass to Brandon Marshall, who turns it into a 30 yard gain. With the Dolphins on the 11 yard line and 52 seconds left in the game, the scene was set. Chad Henne was about to win our hearts.

Sunday Night Football, national audience, sold out stadium, the orange jerseys the team has only worn on four occasions, the star power in attendance (Lebron James was at the game), all made for great dramatic effect. I wish I could tell you the game ended in fairy tale fashion. For my sake, and for yours. On 4th down, Henne drops back to throw and fires a pass to Anthony Fasano on a tight end dump. The ball is deflected and inevitably ends up in the hands of a Jet defender. Game over. Moment vanished. We are left questioning what could have been.

What can we take from this game? Chad Henne sure as hell deserves a chance to prove he can be an elite quarterback in this league. The Dolphins coaching staff, whether it is Head Coach Tony Sparano or offensive coordinator Dan Henning, need to let this guy throw the ball. With Brandon Marshall at your disposal, why not throw the ball more? He had 10 catches for 166 yards last night and made it look easy. This is the same man who owns the NFL record for most catches in a football game! Not Jerry Rice, not Randy Moss. Brandon Marshall!

AP Images.

 There are plenty of people saying that this air it out style the Dolphins displayed last night doesn't win football games. Instead, we should stick to the style that got us two wins to start the season. Hand the ball off to Ricky and Ronnie, score 15 points and let the defense do the rest. Granted, the Dolphins need to mix it up a little more and there were several moments in last night's game where they should have stuck to the running game. However, you can't continue to handcuff Chad Henne and expect for him to blossom into a star. You have to let him loose, especially if he's capable of doing what he did last night.  

Potential star in the making?

Chad Henne and what could have been...

Thoughts on Canes win over Pitt

There has been a lot of drama for the Canes since their loss at Ohio State. Randy Shannon banned Twitter. Some fans made racist comments on Jacory Harris' twitter page, saying Miami didn't want a black quarterback. Randy Shannon allegedly ripped into the team according to the Miami Herald's Manny Navarro, rightfully so as I stated in an earlier blog. I was anxious to see how the team would come out against Pitt. After watching the game I'm left feeling confused. I'm not sure if I am happy. I am not angry either, but not happy. We won 31-3 and made Dave Wannstedt look horrible on ESPN. Yet I feel so unimpressed. Jacory Harris threw two more interceptions and had a very mediocre first half. At times I wanted to reach through the screen and slap him.

Eric Winston, a former UM player who now plays in the NFL, tweeted this:

"@ericwinston: Dear jacory, There is nothing wrong with dumping the ball in the flat. Even Babe Ruth didn't hit a homerun every at bat. Sincerely, Alumni."

At one point I told my brother I thought Jacory should be benched. The only problem with that is who would you play in his place? Then immediately after I say something like that Jacory makes a beautiful pass to Travis Benjamin. Moments like this frustrate me. I have seen Jacory Harris make big plays. I have seen him make gorgeous throws with such touch it looks like the ball floats into the receiver's hands. But then I am reminded of Ohio State and that four interception game. Then I remember that last year he threw 17 interceptions. I am not sure if Jacory Harris can lead this team to wins against big time teams.

Anyway, I'd like to talk about something positive I saw in this game. Damien Berry is a good running back. He kind of reminds me of Willis Mcgahee. He had 21 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. The numbers don't sound too shocking, but there was one play I was particularly impressed with. In the second half, Berry took a handoff for 27 yards around the corner. I have always thought of him as a physical, powerful runner, but on this play he showed some elusiveness and speed. If Berry has a breakout game at some point this year he could experience something similar to what happened with Edgerrin James before he was drafted. Edgerrin James climbed rapidly up the draft charts after he had a 299 yard rushing day against UCLA in 1998. Damien Berry was also a bright spot against Ohio State. In that game he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. If we had run the ball a bit more perhaps we would have had a better chance to win. With a little luck I can see Damien Berry getting drafted on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

I'll finish by completely contradicting myself. I wish the Hurricanes would watch the Miami Dolphins and use some of their philosophy. Run the ball. Control the clock. Play good, solid defense. Don't let Jacory lose the game for you by trying to do too much. These are the exact same things I criticize about the Miami Dolphins' offense, but right now I trust Damien Berry and the rest of the Hurricanes' stable of running backs in comparison to Jacory Harris' arm. 

AP photo/ Wilfredo Lee

Thoughts on Canes win over Pitt