If Chad Henne wasn't feeling any pressure before, well, he just might now.
Speaking at a local high school in Miami Beach on Saturday, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross predicted his team would be in Super Bowl XLV and said his starting quarterback will be a big reason why.
For comparison's sake
Chad Henne has a long way to go before being mentioned with Dan Marino, but Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is optimistic. Below are the quarterbacks' stats in their first years as starters:
**Chad Henne**
Games/Starts: 14/13
Passer Rating: 75.2
Completion Pct.: 60.8
Yards/Attempt: 6.4
TDs/INTs: 12/14
**Dan Marino**
Games/Starts: 11/9
Passer Pating: 96.0
Completion Pct.: 58.4
Yards/Attempt: 7.5
TDs/INTs: 20/6
Ross, who went to Michigan, said Henne has the potential to be the greatest quarterback in franchise history, according to the *Palm Beach Post*.
And that franchise history includes Dan Marino.
"Chad has been the greatest quarterback the University of Michigan has had," Ross told a crowd of several hundred kids and football coaches, "and I'm sure that I'm hoping, as is everyone else, that he goes down as the greatest quarterback in Miami Dolphins history –- and you know what that will mean."
Henne, who turns 25 next month, is entering his third NFL season. He took over as the starter in Week 4 after Chad Pennington was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
In 14 games (13 starts), Henne threw for 2,878 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His passer rating was 75.2, which ranked 22nd in the league.
With the lofty expectations that Ross has set, those numbers will have to improve drastically -- and fast.
"Chad Henne can handle pressure, that I can tell you," Ross said. "He started at the University of Michigan as a true freshman, playing in front of 110,000 people and leading them to the Big Ten championship as a true freshman. I think the Miami Dolphins have a great quarterback for the future, and I think everybody in South Florida is excited about what Chad Henne brings to this team."
