Bengals backup quarterback situation closer than we think?

by Josh Kirkendall on Aug 10, 2009 10:49 PM EDT in Analysis

The best part about watching Sunday Night football this past weekend -- other than added confirmation that regular season football draws closer -- is that we saw Ryan Fitzpatrick in a Buffalo Bills uniform; completing six of 11 passes for 61 yards passing. I have nothing against the guy; except he couldn't throw down field (when he wasn't being chased) and he had these crazy legs that, like the tail of a dog, started running totally on their own; sometimes for first downs on third-and-11. Sure. Maybe if he had better talent protecting him, or a certain wide receiver that showed up and played hard every Sunday, or a constant threat at running back, maybe he would have had better success.

Either way, he's gone.

This doesn't mean our backup quarterback situation isn't silently becoming hella-murky right now. On June 22, Carlos Holmes wrote:

Jordan Palmer looked better than free agent acquisition J.T. O'Sullivan at times. He has all the physical tools and incredible arm strength to make all the throws. Palmer demonstrated his arm strength, hooking up with receivers repeatedly for long touchdowns.

On Monday, Joe Reedy writes:

Making his case: Jordan Palmer is making a bid for second-string QB and had a couple nice completions to Maurice Purify and Freddie Brown.

In Saturday's mock game, Jordan Palmer, with the black team build with mostly starters, completed 10 of 14 passes for 104 yards passing. J.T. O'Sullivan, with the white team built with mostly reserves, completed only five of 14 passes for 88 yards passing -- 63 yards on one touchdown pass to Jerome Simpson.

The issue right now isn't so much who will be our backup quarterback -- that should be demonstrated during the preseason games when the backup and third-string quarterbacks get a majority of the offense's snaps. The issue right now, if you take the pulse of the team's beat writers, is that O'Sullivan hasn't appeared to have solidified his position as the team's backup quarterback.

I've just given you a really good reason to watch a preseason fourth quarter. Go me.

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Carson Lite

I wanted to see more of Jordan last year. And I love using the aforementioned moniker to describe him. O’Sullivan isn’t all that impressive. I hope Jordan steals it away.

“Oh, what, Carson’s going to have to miss the second half? Don’t worry, put in Carson Lite. It’s only the Browns for Pete’s sake. We could probably get away with Carson Ultra Light.”

by Dan J on Aug 11, 2009 8:31 AM EDT reply actions

Indeed

It was always in the back of my mind last year that one of the myriad reasons the Bengals sucked last year was that Fitz had such a different style that Carson: scrambler, lefty, not as accurate, can’t throw deep, etc. If they were able to build around him all year they would have probably been mediocre-bad instead of terrible. However working with Carson and the switching to someone with totally different skills had to be tough.

Carson light is a great way to think of Jordan. While he’s not as good as Carson, he’s built the same and is generally the same type of player who has similar arm strength. His game management and accuracy aren’t as good but it’d be like playing with Carson when he’s having an off day.

Unlike RB, QB is not a position where we want a change-of-pace guy as a backup. Jordan could be the perfect guy to be our contingency plan or to keep the flow going when (fingers-crossed) we’re 21 points ahead late in the 3rd quarter. Heck, if they swapped jersey’s you’d barely be able to tell them apart.

by JHarmann on Aug 11, 2009 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

I can't wait for the Disney Movie Version

Where Carson is hurt, but they don’t want to let the other team know it, so then Jordan changes jerseys with big brother and goes out and wins the Superbowl. Man, when Jordan is trying to superglue Tank Johnson’s head subble onto his face to make his fake beard I was ROTFLMAOPIMP!

by UpStateMike on Aug 11, 2009 5:56 PM EDT reply actions