Sunday, I couldn't make any more excuses. After five years of trying to deny it, I started to believe the opinion of so many others: Carson Palmer is overrated.
Ever since Kimo van Oelhoffen unintentionally tackled the quarterback after he threw the ball and tore almost every ligament in Palmer's knee five years ago, the Bengals quarterback hasn't been the same.
Palmer recovered better than expected and led the Bengals to the verge of another playoff berth in 2006. He looked mediocre in 2007, then missed some of 2008 with an elbow inury. All Bengals fans waited for a rejuvenated Palmer in 2009.
It never happened. I tried to blame the lack of weapons the Bengals had in the passing game. Laveranues Coles ran like he had cement in his cleats, while Andre Caldwell and other Bengals receivers looked lost.
Now, Palmer almost has no excuse. The team added Terrell Owens, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley. With more weapons stockpiled than T.I. has in his house, our quarterback was given the controls of the offense.
Four weeks into this season, he's failed to impress. I ignored his first two performances because of the tremendous talent New England and Baltimore had, and didn't see the Carolina game because it wasn't on TV.
But against a team I loathe more than waking up for an 8 a.m. class, Palmer looked sleepy and hesitant at the most important times. Yes, he might have thrown for 371 yards, but Eric Wright can't guard my grandma and has been torched the last few weeks, this time at the hands of Owens and his 222 receiving yards.
When Palmer gets in the red zone, he freezes up like a shy fifth-grader who forgot his line in the school play. He's hesitant, holds the ball too long and forces too many passes. As the Bengals cross the 20-yard line, I might as well just get up, get a snack and expect a field goal.
There used to be a day when I had faith that Palmer would complete every pass. He'd drop back, read the defense and calmly place the pass right into the hands of his receivers.
But the last three years, I've become almost as nervous and jittery as Palmer does when he stands in the pocket. Many different results can come out of the quarterback dropping back, smooth completions haven't been among them.
With Palmer already in his ninth year, drafting a new franchise quarterback isn't out of the question for the Bengals. The franchise could develop the pick like Green Bay did with Aaron Rodgers or the Eagles attempted to do with Kevin Kolb.
Talking about drafting a new quarterback would have been something I would have despised just years ago. But after years of avoiding the truth, I can't deny it anymore.
Will Frasure is a senior studying journalism and The Post's assistant sports editor. If you still have faith in Carson Palmer, e-mail him at wf743006@ohiou.edu.
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Will Frasure
