Is Palmer the problem in Arizona?
The Arizona Cardinals entered the 2016 season with Super Bowl hopes - as they should have.
The roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, Bruce Arians is as good a coach as anyone not named Bill Belichick, and they came within one game of a shot at the Lombardi last season while missing several key pieces due to injuries. They even added an elite pass-rusher in Chandler Jones.
With all that said, the team has gotten off to an exceptionally poor start this year, going 2-3 through five weeks. But if you look closely, they're actually undefeated with 10th-year journeyman backup Drew Stanton.
Sure, it's only one win, and it came against the lowly San Francisco 49ers just days after they lost their only All-Pro defender in NaVorro Bowman for the season, but a win is a win.
Through the first four weeks, 36-year-old Carson Palmer has looked like that guy who was supposed to retire a few years ago. His reputation as a big-game choker who tries to make up for every mistake with one play has proven to be true.
While there's no doubt which Cardinals quarterback has the best arm (it's Palmer), decision-making seems to be the bigger issue in Arians' offense. With all of the talent across the board, perhaps the Cardinals' best option is to let their veteran gunslinger stay on the sidelines and let Stanton, the game manager, distribute the ball.
Playmakers like David Johnson (185 total yards and two TDs vs. 49ers), Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and John Brown don't need an elite quarterback to create yards or space, especially with the way Arians calls plays. Allowing Stanton to take control, execute the play call, make the read, and put the ball where it needs to go could be the move that gets Arizona back on track.
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It's true that the talent level at quarterback would drop off, but Palmer's status as a middle-of-the-pack field general ranks well below the abilities of his weapons. Plus, with a relatively unproven starter in Stanton, other offensive players will naturally pull up their socks and work a little harder to make up the difference in talent and experience.
Palmer's tendency to force balls downfield when trailing on the scoreboard isn't doing his explosive defense any favors. After falling behind by an early score of 17-0 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, Palmer threw four interceptions that essentially annihilated any hopes of a comeback.
Stanton may not have put up big numbers in a short week against the 49ers, but he didn't turn the ball over and managed to capitalize on the opportunities he was given, tossing a pair of touchdowns in the win. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done and won't shoot himself (or his team) in the foot.
The Cardinals' next three games are against the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers, and they can't afford to take many more losses. All three teams have defenses that can generate turnovers in a hurry, if they're given the chance, but none of them are invincible, and they certainly aren't more talented than the Cards.
It won't be a popular decision among the fan base and likely the media to start Stanton over a healthy Palmer. A kick in the pants is necessary to get this team on pace for a Super Bowl appearance, though, and Arians doesn't give a damn about how popular his coaching decisions are.