Inside Look: Football

Carson Back On Late Night

This particular Carson is bringing in more of a fan base then Johnny ever could have. Carson Palmer has brought hope back to a city that had watched losers in 14 consecutive seasons. His precision, accuracy, and leadership have opponents on the ropes and Bengal fans in astonishment.

The cool Palmer threw for 32 touchdowns last season along with the top QB rating in the league (101.1). The new found glory and trust placed in his arm has washed away all misery brought in by the failing campaign of Akili Smith in 2001.

Even with the early accolades and recognition as a top player, people still want to question his integrity. The questions that surround him are attributed solely to former Steeler defender, Kimo Von Oelhoffen. On a 64 yard explosion in the sky on the first drive of the playoffs, Carson found himself clenching the turf after the "hit heard around the world". It was a shot to the knees that would tear not only his knee up, but the glue that held the team together through 11 wins.

Cincinnati fans quickly canceled their loan applications to buy skybox season tickets for the next ten years and went home sporting some yellow and black. It was all just a fluke... right?

I think the question now is, who dared ever to question the resiliency of Carson?

The media has been exploding over every little detail of his offseason. Included was the overly exaggerated sparring between him and coach, Marvin Lewis, over playing the preseason early. But Palmer has done what any great player would do, and he takes it all in stride.

The fear of putting him in action this preseason was quickly diluted by his three touchdown performance against Green Bay. The stadium held it's breath on the first hit Palmer took on the night. Almost as astounding as his quick recovery though, was the way he reflected his 2005 season that night when he got up and continued marching downfield.

Palmer says, "I definitely have a long way to go to get where I need to be". But if he truly believes that 9 of 14 with 140 yards was far off from his potential form, then Dan Marino may be taking a seat to Palmer by the end of number 9's career.

Maybe it does surprise a few writers and fans alike. Coming back from serious knee surgery only 7 months later is well ahead of the average man. To Palmer and coach Lewis, this is how they expected the recovery to go. "I can't say I'm all that surprised", mentioned Lewis after the 48-17 rout, "Maybe he was a little sharper than you'd expect, but we've seen him working every day for six months". (Hey let's not forget the 16 games last year either)

With only one more preseason game until things get serious, Palmer can take a break. He has shown he can play tough and can expect to throw for a series in the finale. Look forward to another season where he continually puts up top numbers and makes Peyton Manning realise their is some competition for Pro Bowl starter in the AFC. Make room for Carson.