The more Cincinnati Bengals games I watch, the more I realize Carson Palmer just isn’t what he used to be. A former Pro Bowler and top-5 quarterback in the NFL, Palmer has had a lot of trouble protecting the football over the past few seasons. More specifically, he has never appeared to be the same Carson since he tore his ACL during the playoffs back in 2006.
Palmer’s seventh interception of the 2010 season was a costly one. The Bengals found themselves trailing the Dolphins 22-14 late in the game Sunday afternoon, but still had a chance to send the game to overtime. They even got some help from Miami when a roughing the passer call put Cincinnati into Dolphins territory. Just when it appeared the Bengals had a shot to drive the field and at least give themselves a chance to tie with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, Palmer threw the ball right into the hands of Miami defensive back Sean Smith. It was the first pick of Smith’s career.
If you add in Terrell Owens’ lucky touchdown catch that should have been an interception, you get a tough day from the Bengals’ leader. With Chad Ochocinco and T.O., Palmer has plenty of talent to throw to and just hasn’t been able to get it done. The Bengals now find themselves in a hole with a 2-5 record, and for once we can say a lot of the blame rests on their quarterback’s shoulders.
