Arizona Cardinals’ Carson Palmer perfect in Seattle
By Jim Koch
A road game in Seattle isn’t appealing to NFL quarterbacks but Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is quite comfortable there
NFL oddsmakers didn’t give the Arizona Cardinals much of a chance against the Seattle Seahawks on Christmas Eve. Seattle is playing well and is headed to the playoffs, while Arizona will be at home when the postseason begins. Two teams headed in two totally different directions.
But what those oddsmakers forgot to factor in was that Carson Palmer would be the Cardinals starting quarterback in Seattle. The “12th man”, Seattle’s rabid fans, are usually able to overwhelm opposing team’s quarterbacks. But for whatever reason, those fans don’t seem to be bothersome to Palmer.
Since joining the Cardinals in 2013, Palmer has gone 3-0 at CenturyLink Field. That’s exactly half of the Seahawks losses at home since the Cards’ signal-caller landed in the desert. He apparently has been kryptonite to the ‘Hawks when he visits the Pacific Northwest.
The matchup there in December of 2013 was a defensive battle between the two teams. Palmer was awful for most of the day, tossing four interceptions. But a late, fourth-quarter drive produced an Arizona victory when Palmer found Michael Floyd for a 31-yard score.
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In November of last season, the Cardinals quieted the “12th” man for most of the day by dominating the home squad. But two late Seahawk touchdowns off of Arizona turnovers had the Cards trailing. An
impressive, Palmer-engineered drive culminated in a Jermaine Gresham touchdown, putting them back ahead for good.
Arizona again dominated during the Christmas Eve win before allowing Seattle to get back in it late. A late scoring-drive was needed and Palmer came through. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro booted a game-winning field goal with time running out, giving the club a 34-31 triumph.
There’s something to be said about a quarterback winning three times in a place where most can’t win at all. Palmer admitted at his presser after the game that he takes “great pride” in being 3-0 at such a tough stadium. It’s great beating a despised rival on that team’s home turf, and Palmer has become quite adept at doing just that.