When taking their final three matchups into account, it’s not a stretch to think the 7-6 Dolphins can still make the playoffs. They host the Bills and Lions these next two weeks before traveling to New England to play a Patriots team that may be resting starters by that point.

But the thought of everything resting on quarterback Chad Henne’s shoulders is enough to make some fans puke and others simply shrug their shoulders and say, “Hey, if he plays like he did against the Raiders then we still have a shot!”

The only consistent part of Henne’s game right now is inconsistency. For every 307-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Raiders, there’s a 174-yard, three-interception game against the Browns. (Or worse, a 55-yard, 5-for-18 day against the Jets.)

While some fans want him gone next year no matter how the 2010 season plays out, the numbers suggest that he hasn’t regressed like many think. He’s thrown one more interception through 12 games this year than he did in 14 last year, but he’s also thrown one more touchdown pass in two less games as well. His completion percentage is roughly the same (60.8 last year compared to 60.5 this year), but he’s also throwing for more yards-per-pass attempt (7.0 compared to 6.4 in ’09).

According to Pro Football Reference.com, his passing touchdown percentage, sack percentage, passer rating, yards per attempt, net yards per attempt, adjusted yards per attempt and adjusted net yards per attempt are all higher than last year, too. So while it would appear as though the on field product has been worse, it’s actually been slightly better on a whole in most categories.

The problem is that when Henne is bad, he’s really bad. Average quarterback play would have been able to beat the Browns in Week 13 and crush the Jets in Week 14 (the Dolphins were fortunate that Mark Sanchez was equally atrocious last Sunday or else they probably would have lost). Imagine if the Dolphins were 8-5 right now instead of 7-6. Their playoff hopes wouldn’t currently be on its deathbed right now.

Inconsistent interior offensive line play has been an issue, as has a shaky running game. But Aaron Rodgers hasn’t had a running game all season and he’s playing at a MVP level. Ben Roethlisberger’s O-line has been decimated by injuries and yet the Steelers are sitting at 10 wins. Drew Brees has been without Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas for most of the season and the Saints are currently on a six-game winning streak.

Granted, Rodgers, Big Ben and Brees aren’t in their second years and are more established in the league, but you get the point. Good quarterbacks find ways to win and of the teams with at least nine wins this season, only the Jets have been able to survive with inconsistent quarterback play. That’s why Henne needs to step up over these next three weeks and end the inconsistency madness. Even if the Dolphins don’t wind up making the playoffs, he could go a long way in convincing them that they don’t need to select a quarterback in the first round next April. He can prove to them that he is progressing and that he can be their future.

Or he can continue to churn out inconsistent performances and leave his fate in the hands of the Dolphins’ front office next offseason. The choice is his – he has three weeks.