It's time for Carson Palmer to step up. That's a theme that's being generated here at Cincy Jungle. We all agree he's a world-class talent and that all of the excuses before him -- lack of targets, unbalanced play-calling, bad defense that forced him to score over 30 points a game -- have come and gone. Now, the Bengals picked up some targets, have applied a killer rushing offense with one of the league's better defenses. We all agree. The time is now. Jake Liscow and Mojo examined the issue from different perspectives on Friday in which you should read if you haven't yet. This is a great coordinated effort by both writers.
| Jake Liscow | Mojo |
| Ultimately, this year's offense rides on Carson Palmer's shoulders. He should have better protection. He has at least 2 new weapons, and perhaps 2 improved options as well. We'll learn this year whether Palmer's inaccuracy last year was a product of the team around him, or if his skills physically and mentally have deteriorated. Hopefully we'll see a quarterback this year that has time to go through his progression and doesn't have to fling the ball with a prayer toward Chad on the right side of the field. | If Palmer remains in the very-good category for the rest of his career, then he should be proud of himself. Decent quarterbacks are hard to come by; it took many failed attempts before we came across one. To ask him to do more is easy from a guy with a laptop and a couch, but I still see the potential in him to be better. I still think that he can be great, but that window is closing; 2010 will cement my opinion either way. |
| Will the Bengals Passing Game Be Better? | Carson the Great |