Why Oakland Raiders Fans Must Practice Patience with Carson Palmer

The marriage of Carson Palmer and Hue Jackson has not lit the NFL on fire like some Raider fans had hoped it would.

His 13 interceptions since becoming a Raider have been costly and are certainly a huge factor in the Raiders' devolution from AFC juggernaut to playoff bubble team. Fans have every right to be skeptical about the cache of picks that were given up to get Palmer and whether or not he will prove worthy of the ransom used to get him.

Even though it hurts and even though it seems like a sure playoff berth may be slipping away as a direct result of Palmer, Raiders fans must practice patience when judging Carson.

First and foremost, it is hard to evaluate exactly what you have in Palmer when Darren McFadden, whom the entire offense was built around, has been missing for such a long time. 

Michael Bush has done an admirable job of filling in for "Run DMC," but without his play-making ability on the field there is an undue amount of pressure on the still shaky shoulders of Palmer.

Remember that, regardless of how wise an idea it was, Palmer was basically retired and not doing anything that would keep him sharp for NFL football during the lockout. At this point in the season that excuse is wearing thin, but even though he may be in game shape, he still has had no substantial time throwing to the same three wide receivers.

The Raiders offense has been a revolving door of injuries and until the offense around Palmer stabilizes, it is impossible to truly say whether he is a bust or not. Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence that Jason Campbell would be thriving under the circumstances either.



This season is not over and the Raiders may still find themselves playing in January but if they do it will be on borrowed time.

Hue Jackson and Carson Palmer haven't even gotten to honeymoon since getting together; there has too much "junk" to deal with in terms of ...

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