In Palmer We Trust

To be a Cincinnati Bengals fan is akin to Charlie Brown’s endeavor to kick that blasted football. We are aware of what has transpired in the past (we have the bumps and bruises to prove it), yet we always somehow muster the courage to disregard our better judgment and charge the pigskin with bravado. Unfortunately, this misplaced sense of hope never comes to fruition, and once again end up on our backs, dazedly staring into the sky wondering why we continue to put ourselves through this endless suffering.

Yet here we stand, weeks away from the 2009 NFL Season, and once again, fans of the orange-and-black entertain that ever-elusive dream of a winning season. And has it been elusive. The Bengals have had only one winning campaign in their last eighteen tries. One. Nevertheless, the Cincinnati faithful point to a burgeoning defense and offseason transactions (such as Roy Williams and Tank Johnson on defense, Laveranues Coles on offense, and draft picks Andre Smith, Rey Maualuga and Chase Coffman) as a source for their optimism. However, the fate of the ’09 season and aspirations of Bengaldom lie with one man: Carson Palmer.

While Chad Ochocinco, Rudi Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh garnered much of the glory from the high-octane Cincinnati offense, Palmer seemed to shoo away the attention, dispersing it on others who he deemed were more deserving. In light of this, one could look at the crowd at Paul Brown Stadium and see three Chad Johnson jerseys for every Palmer uniform. But Palmer was the captain of the ship; as he went, so went the Bengals. This was most evident in the team’s 2005 playoff game against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, when Palmer went down with a leg injury, leading to the immortal Jon Kitna took the wheel, who proceeded to symbolically crash the well-oiled vessel into land as the Steelers defeated Cincinnati 34-17.

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The loss was crushing and disheartening, but many in the city were excited once more at the resurgence on the riverfront, and for the first time in nearly a decade, realistically believed the team had a shot at a Super Bowl crown. Alas, the next two seasons, though filled with promise, produced nothing but disappointment and off-the-field incidents. Palmer was still putting up impressive stats, yet something just seemed a bit off. Some critics began to wonder if Palmer, fresh of his rehabilitation from surgery, would ever return to his ’05 form. Making matters worse, Ochocinco soon expressed his displeasure with his contract, and suddenly a once-promising squad had transformed into a controversial and crumbling team. Fans started to foresee that the 2008 season could be headed from trouble.

Saying that the ’08 Bengals were a bad team is something of an understatement, like observing that it probably wasn’t a good idea for Carl Lewis to sing the Nation Anthem. The team never had a chance, as Palmer played in only four games due to a sore elbow, correlating to a 4-11-1 record for Cincinnati. All the naysayers and detractors of #9 were treated to a heavy dosage of the Ryan Fitzpatrick Experience, who under center reminded one of a college freshman trying to figure out their way around campus: incompetent, pathetic, and hopeless. Even after all the pain and anguish Bengal fans had put up with for years, 2008 was almost the tipping point. Was it really worth it to follow an organization that constantly found new ways to break our heart? Only one thing seemed to be holding everyone back from jumping ship: a revitalize and invigorated Palmer.

The normally reserved and soft-spoken quarterback seemed to make more media appearances this past offseason than his entire career. From radio shows to TV appearances to magazine interviews, Palmer preached to all that would listen that the ’09 Bengals had as much promise as any team since he joined Cincinnati in 2003. A refocused Ochocinco, Chris Henry, and Cedric Benson; the development of Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell; and the newly acquired veteran presence of Coles: Palmer assured us this offense would once again be explosive. Maybe this was part of a PR gimmick, but judging by the man’s past, odds are he was speaking from the gut. Whatever the case might be, Cincinnati has bought it.

Which brings us to this: though some are selecting the team as a sleeper pick, the consensus among the talking-heads is the Bengals are most likely headed to a 3 rd place finish in the AFC North. Most of this steams from the lack of experience on the Offensive Line, along with a possibly-shaky defensive front seven. Yet its Palmer who keeps our eternal flame alit, and as long as he’s on the field, we’ll always feel like we have a shot.

By Joel Beall
ProFootball-fans.com Cincinnati Bengals Correspondent