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Well, the regular season is now upon us, and the Patriots first opponent will be the Cincinnati Bengals. I thought a thread breaking that team down would be a nice change from the back and forth about the state of the Patriots.
And, just to get the ball rolling, I'll note that the Bengals starting quarterback is still Carson Palmer. His contract runs through 2014, but his base salary rises over the remaining years, including a base salary of $14 million in 2014. Once considered by many to be a rising star in the NFL, his post injury career has been a disappointment. After years with a QB rating of 101.1 and 93.9, his post injury ratings have been 86.7, 69.0 and 83.6. His touchdown percentage is lower, his interception percentage is higher and his record is under .500. He's going to need to get back to the "old" Carson, if he wants to avoid putting his deal in jeopardy. His lack of mobility post injury, combined with an offensive line that struggled in the exhibition season, should give the questionable Patriots pass rush a bit of an easier time come next weekend.
This year, the team has surrounded him with the T.O./OchoCinqo combination at receiver and the promising Gresham at tight end. His running back, Cedric Benson, had a good year last year. Palmer's got some weapons, now it's up to him to produce.
And, just to get the ball rolling, I'll note that the Bengals starting quarterback is still Carson Palmer. His contract runs through 2014, but his base salary rises over the remaining years, including a base salary of $14 million in 2014. Once considered by many to be a rising star in the NFL, his post injury career has been a disappointment. After years with a QB rating of 101.1 and 93.9, his post injury ratings have been 86.7, 69.0 and 83.6. His touchdown percentage is lower, his interception percentage is higher and his record is under .500. He's going to need to get back to the "old" Carson, if he wants to avoid putting his deal in jeopardy. His lack of mobility post injury, combined with an offensive line that struggled in the exhibition season, should give the questionable Patriots pass rush a bit of an easier time come next weekend.
This year, the team has surrounded him with the T.O./OchoCinqo combination at receiver and the promising Gresham at tight end. His running back, Cedric Benson, had a good year last year. Palmer's got some weapons, now it's up to him to produce.