Palmer may emerge as best QB of era

[oldschooler]

Palmer may emerge as best QB of era

Bengals star has size, poise, brains to surpass Manning, Brady

By Michael Ventre

MSNBC contributor

Updated: 4:54 p.m. CT Aug 15, 2006

All hail the prototype quarterback.

He’s big, around 6-foot-5 or thereabouts. He’s muscular, not lanky, to withstand punishment in the pocket. He’s mobile; he doesn’t have to be Michael Vick, he just has to be able to move well enough to avoid impending doom. He has an arm that flings footballs down the field like one of those Juggs machines with the dial set to “11.” And he has a fully functioning brain, which can process information quickly and allow him to make split-second decisions.

Ryan Leaf was a prototype quarterback, or so we thought. He had it all, except perhaps for the brain part. Leaf would look downfield, read the defense, then scream at a reporter. That is not the ideal sequence in the modern NFL.

Joe Montana was not a prototype quarterback. He was shorter than desired, about 6-2. He had a good arm, not a great one. But the fingers on that arm have four Super Bowl rings, and he is considered by many to be the greatest ever to play the position.

So where does Carson Palmer fit in?

At the moment, nowhere, because he’s still trying to return from a terrible knee injury. Reports from the Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp have varied; the latest, from the team’s Web site, quotes coach Marvin Lewis as saying that Palmer could conceivably start the season opener Sept. 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but not if the Heisman Trophy winner fails to appear in any exhibition contests.

But it’s safe to assume that Palmer will be ready to play at some point early in the regular season, if not at the very start.

That’s a barroom debate that could last a few rounds. The “best” is a difficult term to define. Many consider Peyton Manning to be the best, except when he gets into a playoff game against a formidable foe. Then there’s Tom Brady, who has performed brilliantly en route to three Super Bowl titles. But there’s some who feel that Brady is the beneficiary of a great franchise with a supportive owner and the top coach in football. Would Brady be nearly as effective with, say, the Oakland Raiders or the Houston Texans?

That’s why Palmer just might turn out to be better than both. He’s a prototype who is also a winner.

When Palmer was at USC, he was heralded, but not always revered. In his early years, thanks to a conga line of offensive coordinators, he often seemed confused and did not perform up to expectations. Some of the coaches quietly questioned his capacity to master a complicated offense and read defenses.

All that changed, however, when Pete Carroll arrived and installed Norm Chow as his offensive coordinator. Under Chow, Palmer learned patience. Before, he used his cannon to try and blow everybody away with one spectacular play. After, he calmed down and began taking what the defense gave him. What he got in return was a Heisman Trophy, an Orange Bowl trouncing of Iowa and the honor of being the top pick in the 2003 NFL draft.

In three seasons with the Bengals, Palmer has adapted gradually to the NFL game, to the point where he’s playing with the same confidence he developed under Chow.

It also helped that he came to the Bengals at just the right time. Lewis took over as coach in Palmer’s rookie season, and he put Palmer to work immediately — with a clipboard. Palmer sat and watched as Jon Kitna led the Bengals to an 8-8 season.

But Lewis, who had been passed over for head-coaching opportunities for years, created a franchise revival that coincided with Palmer’s arrival. If Palmer had gone to a team that has no idea what it was doing — like the Texans, for example — he probably still would have been coveted by fantasy leaguers, and he would have made that team much better, but he also would have been on his back a lot. And, he would be losing a lot.

What Palmer is now is the best of everything. He is a quarterback with enough experience to lead his team to playoff success. He is young and physically sound — assuming the knee passes muster, as everyone around it predicts. He has proved to be smart enough to pick apart the finest NFL defenses. He’s a good citizen who commands the respect of teammates and peers. He has the kind of arm that can make any throw on the field. He’s on a team that is good enough to be in the Super Bowl mix.

Most of all, he’s competitive. He never shrinks from a challenge. If he had not gotten carted off so early in that playoff game last year against the pissburgh stealers, it might have been Carson Palmer’s name on everybody’s lips instead of Ben Roethlisberger’s.

Manning hasn’t gotten worse, although without Edgerrin James, his team might have. Manning might be going through what John Elway went through. And perhaps like with Elway, Manning will win Super Bowls at the tail end of his career.

Brady is still highly regarded, and in the minds of many the best at what he does because he’s usually amazing under pressure. But he won three rings fairly early in his career, and in the “What have you done for me lately?” world of pro football, he might eventually be nudged aside in the active QB pantheon if he doesn’t rebound from the interception and 99-yard runback by Champ Bailey in last year’s playoff loss to Denver. That, it should be noted, was Brady’s first postseason defeat in 11 outings.

It isn’t so much that the Manning and Brady eras are over, but rather that the Palmer era is just dawning. When it reaches its peak — which could be any moment now — the debate over which NFL quarterback stands atop the rest will be made a lot clearer.

Michael Ventre writes regularly for MSNBC.com and is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14363321/

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Uh wow?

I love the Ryan Leaf comment

[bengalboomer7]

If that doesn't just pump you up, you should be toe tagged

[redsbengalsbucks]

Love the way he refers to "pissburgh stealers"

[Steel Legends]

Palmer may emerge as best QB of era

Bengals star has size, poise, brains to surpass Manning, Brady

By Michael Ventre

MSNBC contributor

Updated: 4:54 p.m. CT Aug 15, 2006

All hail the prototype quarterback.

He’s big, around 6-foot-5 or thereabouts. He’s muscular, not lanky, to withstand punishment in the pocket. He’s mobile; he doesn’t have to be Michael Vick, he just has to be able to move well enough to avoid impending doom. He has an arm that flings footballs down the field like one of those Juggs machines with the dial set to “11.” And he has a fully functioning brain, which can process information quickly and allow him to make split-second decisions.

Ryan Leaf was a prototype quarterback, or so we thought. He had it all, except perhaps for the brain part. Leaf would look downfield, read the defense, then scream at a reporter. That is not the ideal sequence in the modern NFL.

Joe Montana was not a prototype quarterback. He was shorter than desired, about 6-2. He had a good arm, not a great one. But the fingers on that arm have four Super Bowl rings, and he is considered by many to be the greatest ever to play the position.

So where does Carson Palmer fit in?

At the moment, nowhere, because he’s still trying to return from a terrible knee injury. Reports from the Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp have varied; the latest, from the team’s Web site, quotes coach Marvin Lewis as saying that Palmer could conceivably start the season opener Sept. 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but not if the Heisman Trophy winner fails to appear in any exhibition contests.

But it’s safe to assume that Palmer will be ready to play at some point early in the regular season, if not at the very start.

That’s a barroom debate that could last a few rounds. The “best” is a difficult term to define. Many consider Peyton Manning to be the best, except when he gets into a playoff game against a formidable foe. Then there’s Tom Brady, who has performed brilliantly en route to three Super Bowl titles. But there’s some who feel that Brady is the beneficiary of a great franchise with a supportive owner and the top coach in football. Would Brady be nearly as effective with, say, the Oakland Raiders or the Houston Texans?

That’s why Palmer just might turn out to be better than both. He’s a prototype who is also a winner.

When Palmer was at USC, he was heralded, but not always revered. In his early years, thanks to a conga line of offensive coordinators, he often seemed confused and did not perform up to expectations. Some of the coaches quietly questioned his capacity to master a complicated offense and read defenses.

All that changed, however, when Pete Carroll arrived and installed Norm Chow as his offensive coordinator. Under Chow, Palmer learned patience. Before, he used his cannon to try and blow everybody away with one spectacular play. After, he calmed down and began taking what the defense gave him. What he got in return was a Heisman Trophy, an Orange Bowl trouncing of Iowa and the honor of being the top pick in the 2003 NFL draft.

In three seasons with the Bengals, Palmer has adapted gradually to the NFL game, to the point where he’s playing with the same confidence he developed under Chow.

It also helped that he came to the Bengals at just the right time. Lewis took over as coach in Palmer’s rookie season, and he put Palmer to work immediately — with a clipboard. Palmer sat and watched as Jon Kitna led the Bengals to an 8-8 season.

But Lewis, who had been passed over for head-coaching opportunities for years, created a franchise revival that coincided with Palmer’s arrival. If Palmer had gone to a team that has no idea what it was doing — like the Texans, for example — he probably still would have been coveted by fantasy leaguers, and he would have made that team much better, but he also would have been on his back a lot. And, he would be losing a lot.

What Palmer is now is the best of everything. He is a quarterback with enough experience to lead his team to playoff success. He is young and physically sound — assuming the knee passes muster, as everyone around it predicts. He has proved to be smart enough to pick apart the finest NFL defenses. He’s a good citizen who commands the respect of teammates and peers. He has the kind of arm that can make any throw on the field. He’s on a team that is good enough to be in the Super Bowl mix.

Most of all, he’s competitive. He never shrinks from a challenge. If he had not gotten carted off so early in that playoff game last year against the pissburgh stealers, it might have been Carson Palmer’s name on everybody’s lips instead of Ben Roethlisberger’s.

Manning hasn’t gotten worse, although without Edgerrin James, his team might have. Manning might be going through what John Elway went through. And perhaps like with Elway, Manning will win Super Bowls at the tail end of his career.

Brady is still highly regarded, and in the minds of many the best at what he does because he’s usually amazing under pressure. But he won three rings fairly early in his career, and in the “What have you done for me lately?” world of pro football, he might eventually be nudged aside in the active QB pantheon if he doesn’t rebound from the interception and 99-yard runback by Champ Bailey in last year’s playoff loss to Denver. That, it should be noted, was Brady’s first postseason defeat in 11 outings.

It isn’t so much that the Manning and Brady eras are over, but rather that the Palmer era is just dawning. When it reaches its peak — which could be any moment now — the debate over which NFL quarterback stands atop the rest will be made a lot clearer.

Michael Ventre writes regularly for MSNBC.com and is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14363321/

No doubt that he is on his way. I will say this again, he was the best QB in 2006, and if we didn't knock him out of the game, no doubt there was a GREAT chance to beat us.

[bengalskyspy]

Uhh I think someone edited that article. He did not say Pissburgh, but I like the emphasis. Carson together with this team could indeed become the best QB, but we are a long way from that. He will not do without a defense that can slow down the scoring of other great offenses. He will not do it without a great OL, which stays together. And he will never be seen as the greatest without a slew of rings on his hand.

Can you imagine that Cincinnati---2,3,4 Super Bowls in the next 10 years! OMG. I just pissed myself.

[Spain]

Of course a cheap shot goes a long way!

[chrishcovga]

Carson Palmer is a truly gifted quarterback.

I won't lable him great until he reaches a couple of milestones though first.

1. Super Bowl victories. NOT 1, but at least 2 or more.

2. 100 team victories. - All of your Hall of Famers have at least that on their resume.

3. 250 + TD passes. - With the possibility of keeping his core receivers and runners around for the next 6 seasons, a healthy Palmer could cut into this number very quickly.

4. A couple of 40 TD pass seasons. - Palmer played great last year, but he missed some open guys last year that would have made his 32 more like 39 !!

5. NO Dan Marino comparisons. Great Arm, Great receivers, the "Perfect" quarterback, but no super bowl victories.

* I'm sure I could name a few others.

[Stripes]

Great read for homers like us.

[Ox]

That is fantastic. It's refreshing to see a positive spin on players on our team for a change. Good read.