by: Omar Kelly November 26th, 2010 | 11:41 AM

There are plenty of pros and cons for both quarterbacks so I figured we’d break them down.
Pros for Henne: His 21 starts makes him the most experienced of the two, therefore he has a better grasp of the offense…. Despite his benching two weeks ago he’s still somewhat viewed as the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback. He need more time to prove himself…. This would be Henne’s opportunity to show he can overcome a demotion and an injury, proving he’s got mental and physical toughness to him…. Henne finally started using his strong arm against the Titans, playing with a nothing to lose approach, and he might stick with that approach in his next few start.

Cons for Henne: Henne won’t be nearly as mobile considering his knee isn’t fully healed, and he’ll be playing with a brace. That means he could possibly suffer a serious setback…. The Dolphins wouldn’t be able to use many, if any roll out plays with him because of his limited mobility….Even when healthy his QB rating (79.4) was unimpressive, which hints he might be the problem and not the solution to the offense’s struggles.
“I think he’s had a couple interesting weeks obviously back to back. One where he’s A) told he wasn’t going to start and then the next thing you know he’s in the game in four plays. From his end that was a really hard test in that if he mailed in the work week you didn’t get the result and he was a major factor in why we won that Tennessee game,” Sparano said. “I mean the guy really did come out and play well for us coming off of the bench there. Then he goes through a week when he’s down and still prepares…. Now he’s in a spot this week where he has to juggle his preparation with his treatment, and he has this laptop that just doesn’t leave his side. It’s got all the film on it and all that stuff and the guy is really grinding around the clock. I’ve been impressed with what he’s done and the way he’s handled it and he hasn’t changed to me at all.”

Pros for Thigpen: Thigpen’s already played in Oakland, which features the Black Hole. In fact, his one and only victory as an NFL starter in 2007 came against the Raiders….. Thigpen’s mobility brings something new to the table, and would allow him to keep plays alive if the offensive line struggles again…. Thigpen has shown (against the Steelers in 2009 and Titans in 2010) he has a tendency to produce big plays, which is exactly what this offense is lacking (outside of a respectable running game)…. The Dolphins need to know what they have in this upcoming free agent because there’s a possibility he could be a successful NFL starter at some point in his career.Why not give him a real shot to unseat Henne?… His undisciplined approach would force the coaching staff to stop being rigid with their play calling approach. He’s exclusive worked with Marlon Moore and Roberto Wallace, the two rookie receivers who will likely be called on to fill in for Marshall.

Cons to Thigpen: Could this stage, a road game with an injury-depleted team on the fringe of a disappointing season, be too big for this Coastal Carolina product?….He’s only worked with the first-team offense for less than two full weeks, which means he’s still getting a feel for the personnel and the play calling…. His desire to produce big plays can be costly at times, leading to unnecessary sacks and interceptions…. It would be slightly easier to start Henne and then go to Thigpen if the offense struggles, or Henne gets hurt rather then do it in the reverse order.
So, which quarterback would have his number called if you were in Sparano’s shoes?
Deuces.

According to a source, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is leaning toward starting Henne against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Sentinel says other wise:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miam ... 2156.story

Just about to post that.

We'll see. Usually ESPN wins those battles. Hopefully this time Omar is right.

I say you start Henne and commit yourself to running the ball, even if you aren't getting much in the first half. The run hasn't abandoned the team, the OC has abandoned the run. Run in conventional sets, and throw in the wildcat if you have to, but not if the offense is already clicking and moving the ball without it. In other words, use the WC to get unstuck offensively, don't use it just to add another dimension to an already functioning offense.