Arizona Cardinals need Carson Palmer more than ever
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals will need quarterback Carson Palmer to step up his game
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer missed the game against the San Francisco 49ers. We all know this but the Cardinals may not have survived if the game had been against anyone other than the 49ers on their current schedule. Wednesday he returns to practice after being cleared from concussion protocol.
Backup quarterback Drew Stanton didn’t turn the ball over and while that was a definite positive, more than ever by the looks of things, the Cardinals are going to need Palmer to stay healthy and also improve his game starting now.
While some want to argue that the Carson Palmer of 2015 is not who he really is, and it may not be, I believe that is closer to the truth than what we saw of him in an Oakland Raiders uniform. His play early on in the season however certainly attracts the doubters.
He’s made mistakes, don’t get me wrong, but let’s not be quick to place all the blame on him. He has a different offensive line. He has receivers who don’t run correct routes and when they do, they can’t catch the ball.
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As the Cardinals enter a tough stretch of games against the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers before the bye week, this will likely make or break their season. They certainly can all be won but none of them will be easy. Forget the records.
Despite a rough start to the season, the 1-4 Jets still have a very good defensive line. The Panthers are 1-4 but let’s not forget what they did to the Palmer and the Cardinals just short of nine months ago in Charlotte.
If the Cardinals are to stay in the NFC West division race and continue to have a shot at the playoffs, then these three games are crucial. If they lose one of the three, they go into the bye at 4-4. With five of the last eight games on the road, that could be a tough pill to swallow given three of the road games are at Seattle, Atlanta, and currently undefeated Minnesota.
It is time for Palmer to get on the same page as his receivers. It starts in practice on Wednesday.