Video: Carson Palmer Proving His Value To Arizona Cardinals
By Scott Allen
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer got off to shaky start in his 2013 debut season with the team. The first half of the season he threw for eight touchdowns but a whopping 14 interceptions. Many questioned if it was time for backup Drew Stanton. Palmer improved and the ever since then he’s been proving the Cards right in trading for him before last season.
In the second half of the 2013 season, Palmer threw for 14 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, four of those interceptions coming in one game at the Seattle Seahawks last December. He’s started this season right where he left off last season. Having only played two games due to injury, he’s thrown four touchdowns and no interceptions in his two starts.
If you take the second half of 2013 and the first two starts he’s had this season, that’s 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions over 10 starts. Take away the Seattle game, which he won by the way thanks to a beautiful touchdown pass to receiver Michael Floyd, and he’s thrown 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Four interceptions over those other nine games. That’s pretty darn impressive for any NFL quarterback.
When Palmer went out with his nerve injury in his throwing shoulder after the game against the San Diego Chargers, Stanton came in and performed admirably. Stanton performed so well in the win over the San Francisco 49ers, people started calling for him to be the starter going forward, even with a healthy Palmer. Ludicrous. Insane. Pick your adjective. How do you not go back to Palmer? With 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in eight of his previous nine games and the ninth game, a first-half disaster in Seattle, seriously you’d have to check yourself to believe Stanton was the better option.
What has now impressed me the most though was Palmer’s determination to get back on the field. He did everything in his power to get better, even knowing he wasn’t losing his job when he returned. He wanted to come back so bad, he was willing to go to Denver at the end of last week to get another treatment and turn around and come right back to test his shoulder out and try to convince himself and the coaches he could play. He talks about his game, a 30-20 victory over the Washington Redskins here:
As he said, he had some rust but that’s to be expected. He still didn’t throw a pick and threw two touchdown passes. The guy is a winner. This is no knock on Stanton because he did great and now I feel more comfortable knowing what the Cards have as a backup, but this is Palmer’s team.
Now there is possible talk of extending Palmer’s contract and rightfully so. Feel blessed to have a real quarterback behind center in Arizona. He’ll make mistakes. He’ll eventually throw his interceptions. Just don’t give up on him. He didn’t give up on you.