In a word, pocket presence (I guess that's two words).
It
seems so long ago when we used to call Palmer elite that I barely
remember that player. I recall him moving around better in the pocket
and even showing some straight-line speed once he decided to run with
it, but all of that seemed to die after Kimo Von Oelhoffen obliterated
his knee and destroyed his confidence. Since that fateful moment, Carson
has been sacked 130 times and suffered through many injuries and pains.
From '06-10, he never gained back the instinctual third eye needed to
avoid sacks, turnovers, injury and ultimately losses. Any comfort in the
pocket was, and still is, a very tenuous sense of safety for him. When
things get hairy, most times his eyes come off the receivers and he goes
down for a loss on the play; escape ability is not on his scouting
report.
That isn't to say the man is completely devoid of such
skills. As hard-edged as we Bengal fans might be toward old No. 9, he is
still an adequate NFL quarterback. I think Raider Nation got a little
tipsy from the kool-aid when the native son first returned to
California—they were positively bathing in the stuff—but his arrival did
instill a heavy dose of credibility to Oakland's season once Jason Campbell went down.
Since his donning of a silver helmet, though, Carson has been fair at
best. Sure, he's in a new system with new receivers a new offensive
line and so on, but watching him play, he's the same quarterback as last
year. I think fans on both sides of the trade wondered aloud if the
change of scenery would kick-start the magic for him again; if Palmer
really was the shackled phoenix waiting for another chance to burn, or
just another QB in the later portion of an okay career. He still makes
some good throws and occasionally surprises me with his play-making
ability, but he also still frequently has his what-were-you-thinking
moments and has not yet led his new team to a comfortable position
within their division.
On the other hand, the force is strong with Andy Dalton.
When the pocket breaks down behind him he can feel it. It isn't
something that can be taught—you either have it or you don't—and Red's
got it. His calmness has guided an offense through seas that should have
been stormier for a rookie Bengal quarterback. His play has been
nowhere near perfect—he must improve on his accuracy—but his intangibles
are what excites the onlookers.
What I like so much is his
balance between playing wily yet careful football. He plays with a
backyard style, allowing his instincts to guide him into the right
position to make a play, but then if he isn't satisfied with the
coverage he sees as he moves around, he lofts the ball out of bounds and
lives another day. His game-management skills are more consistent and
trustworthy than are Palmer's and he knows his limitations on his
throws.
As for his throws, I feel that while Palmer can throw
farther, Dalton can throw faster. Dalton's delivery is shorter and he
can really zing it on close-range throws. His deep balls are not yet
amazing—Jeff Blake remains the best in that category in Bengal lore—but
he gets a lot of help by his tall and supremely talented outside
receivers (mostly AJ Green) when he just hucks it up there for them.
I
also like his leadership skills more. While Carson always said the
right things, from the outside, he never seemed to embrace the
one-of-the-guys mentality. There was Mike Brown, Marvin Lewis, Carson Palmer and everyone else. The Bengals
may have thrust this persona on the guy and demanded he conduct himself
as more than just another player, but Dalton goes about his business in
a humble and unassuming way. He shrugs off the negative and laughs
easily. He's comfortable around large groups of fans; he's big when he
needs to be and small when he needs to be, and that's not easy for
everyone. The city loves him, the media loves him, and his future is
solid gold as of now.
It wouldn't be fair to omit the fact that
Dalton is playing under a much more sensible playcaller than what Carson
was subjected to for his entire Bengal tenure. Perhaps Jay Gruden could
have revived No. 9's career and put up the same kind of wins, but Hue
Jackson had a sterling reputation as a playcaller before Palmer arrived.
Once Carson was a Raider, Hue said he would install some Bengal stuff
in the playbook to ease the transition, but I think that has been part
of the problem for CP3. The old Bratkowski way never came to any
success, yet Oakland looks like Bengal West with the likes of Palmer,
Jackson, Chuck Bresnahan and even T.J. Houshmanzadeh. Once Chad
Ochocinco hits the market again would anyone be surprised to see him as a
Raider? I think Rudi Johnson is available too if they're interested.
When
Palmer "retired" and Dalton was drafted, we figured it would take some
time to get back to watching a competitive quarterback in Stripes, but
the kid dazzled from the get-go. By Week 14, Dalton underwent a winning
streak, a losing streak, some squeak-out wins and heartbreak losses. He
has displayed a ton of heart, poise and composure, a stronger arm than
most had thought, solid mobility, and most importantly, innate pocket
presence.
Since Palmer has begun to play football again, he has
displayed everything he was last year: a turnover machine who does not
excel at improvising and consequently has trouble winning games.
I'll take the ginger, please.
Mojokong—and I still can't believe what they traded for him.
