Who did you like Better?

[samhain]

(04-30-2020, 01:25 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Carson looked like he was going to be an elite top 3 QB in 05, but he was just never the same after Kimo the assassin.

Dalton obviously had the better career here stats-wise, but he also had much better defenses (other than 09) and better OC’s (Jay, Hue). Palmer went against tougher AFC North defenses, too. Prime Ray Lewis Ravens, and prime Polamalu Steelers. I also think Palmer probably wins at least one of those playoff games from 2011-2014, but alas...

Unpopular opinion, especially today when folks are feeling sentimental, but I have to go with Palmer.

I like Andy and hope he has success against everyone but the Bengals in the next phase of his career.  He did a lot to steady the team after the Palmer retirement/strke year transition.  He was capable of doing a lot with the right surrounding cast.  He doesn't deserve the majority of the ridicule he gets.  

Still, I agree with your sentiment here.  From the end of 04 through 2005 until the knee, Palmer looked like he would be mentioned with Brady and Manning for the next decade, statistically speaking.  He was shredding the Pats at the end of 04, at a time when the Pats were still considered a defensive power.  Then Seymour hurt his knee.  He handled the Ravens routinely in his time here, and they still had Lewis and Reed playing at high levels, not to mention guys like Ngata and McAllister.  He didn't exactly get owned by the Steelers either, until the injuries started to pile up.  Even after the knee, he came in 06 and beat them in Pittsburgh.

I still love the stretch of games in 09 when he led them to a victory against Pittsburgh at home with the Caldwell TD, then went to Baltimore and drove downfield for another dramatic game-winning drive.  They beat Green Bay in Green Bay that year, too.  

Part of Carson's shortcomings are firmly on Carson, no doubt.  His attitude wasn't ideal.  I'm sorry he didn't get to spend his career in Southern California, but that's life, dude.  He seemed to deal with adversity rather poorly.  That's not a great quality for the leader of a team.  In the end, though, his actions in the end weren't about anything that Bengals fans hadn't been saying for almost 2 decades at that point.  

In a vacuum, with no injury history and a clean slate, I take Carson over Andy 100 times out of 100 and don't think twice.