Kevin Kolb, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer combined for 21 interceptions as Cardinals’ starters last season. With 11 in six games this season, Palmer is on pace for 29. His completion percentage (59.3) and passer rating (69.3) is pretty much a wash from what they all did together (55.4, 63.1).
Although Palmer’s being sacked (13 times) at a much lesser rate than the 58 times that quartet was taken down, he’s still struggling when pressured behind an Arizona offensive line that still is near the bottom of the league. His performance (25-for-41, 298 yards, 2 TDs) in Sunday’s 32-20 loss at San Francisco was his best game since Week 1 at St. Louis, but he still put his team in a hole with interceptions on two of Arizona’s first two possessions, and also took a bad sack for a safety in the second quarter.
The Cardinals want to be a big-play offense under Bruce Arians, and brought in Palmer because of his rifle right arm. Some of that was on display on Sunday with his deep shot to Britton Golden, but it’s been a struggle overall to push the ball downfield this season. Even his 75-yard TD to Larry Fitzgerald against the 49ers was a short pass that turned into a huge play after the catch.
The problem is, as general manager Steve Keim told Phoenix radio station KTAR-AM on Monday, Palmer is still the Cardinals “best option right now.” Keim also admired how Palmer rebounded from a rough start to give them a chance in San Francisco.
Unlike other teams with a veteran retread starter, the Cardinals have more of stopgap as their backup, former Lion and Jet Drew Stanton. It’s been three years since Stanton even threw a regular-season pass. So it’s not like there is more promise or experience behind him.
If Arizona, at 3-3, wants to be more than a middling team in the NFC, it will need to rely on its swarming defense led by linebacker Daryl Washington. But as good as their offensive supporting skill players such as Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Andre Ellington can be, Palmer continues to drag down the Cardinals.
He just wasn’t worth the $10 million guaranteed he got from them in April, which includes $2 million in salary in both 2013 and 2014 on top of his $6 million signing bonus. Overall, he’s due a total of $8 million in ’14.
The Cardinals are stuck with Palmer, for bad or worse, through ’13. It will just mean Arians and Keim will need to do in ’14 what they put off: draft someone who can be a true “franchise” quarterback.
WARE OUT 3-4 WEEKS
The Dallas Cowboys are getting bit hard by the injury bug at the most inopportune time. ESPN reports defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who has never missed a game in his eight-plus seasons, is expected to be out 3-4 weeks after straining his right quadriceps in Sunday night's home win over Washington.
It ends Ware's streak of 134 consecutive games played dating back to his rookie year of 2005. He likely will be joined on the shelf for the Week 7 game at Philadelphia by running back DeMarco Murray, who suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee against Washington.
While the pass-happy Cowboys can get by with a Joseph Randle-led rushing committee against the bad Eagles defense with first place on the line, the bigger concern is not having Ware to help battle their explosive offense.
Ware's backup Kyle Wilber did have a strip sack of the Redskins' Robert Griffin III that helped preserve the Week 6 victory, but it means the Cowboys will be relying on two backup ends to lead their pass rush, At left end, George Selvie already has been starting for Anthony Spencer, out for the season after having microfracture knee surgery.
Run defense without Ware may be the bigger worry. In addition to the Eagles' LeSean McCoy, Dallas is set to face a slew of speedy, versatile, backs over the next four games, including the Lions' Reggie Bush, the Vikings' Adrian Peterson and the Saints' Darren Sproles.
The Cowboys also don't catch a break with their bye week, as they are only idle in Week 11.
COBB OUT 6-8 WEEKS
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with injury woes at the wide receiver position, and it turns out Randall Cobb's leg injury suffered during Sunday's 19-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens is worse than expected.
Cobb suffered a fractured fibula and will miss 6-8 weeks, sources tell Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Jounal Sentinel. The Packers don't think the injury is season-ending, and the receiver could return Dec. 15 against the Dallas Cowboys should he miss the full weeks.
Cobb nearly broke the bone all the way through, according to sources.
On the play, Ravens rookie Matt Elam went low to tackle Cobb and violently struck the receiver's right leg. The controversial hit led to a confrentation between Elam and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.
The 3-2 Packers face the Cleveland Browns in Green Bay in Week 7.
GRAHAM TO HAVE MRI
The news may go from bad to worse for Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints. Today, Graham will have an MRI on a foot injury that he sustained during the Saints' 30-27 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Patriots constatnly shadowed the league's best tight end all afternoon, and were able to hold him without single catch.Regardless of his performance against New England, Graham is the most dangerous receiving threat at Drew Brees' disposal, and any time spent on the sidelines would be a tremendous blow to the Saints offense. Until his absence from the stat sheet against the Patriots, Graham had been on a record setting pace for touchdown catches, receiving yards, and catches for a tight end.
Through the Saints first five games, Drew Brees' favorite target had hauled in 37 balls for 593 yards and six touchdowns. The possibility of missing time would not only be detrimental to the Saints, but to Graham himself. Before the 2013 season, the two sides were unable to agree to terms on a long-term extension, thus leaving the door open for Graham to become a free-agent in the offseason.
Needless to say that the former NBA prospect is not your typical tight end. Given his level of production and role in Sean Payton's offense, it is likely that the Graham camp will negotiate his next contract based on the idea that he should be paid as if he were a wide receiver.
The Saints would have a hard time contesting that point, but any type of serious injury and drop in production would strengthen their position at the negotiating table. Stil, for the sake of this current season, both sides should hope that the MRI comes back negative.
BILLS SIGN FLYNN
The Buffalo Bills have signed free-agent quarterback Matt Flynn in their latest bid to shore up an injury-depleted position.
Flynn arrived in Buffalo a day earlier and spent Monday morning working out in the team's fieldhouse in front of general manager Doug Whaley, coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Though Flynn's workout had been scheduled before Buffalo's 27-24 overtime loss to Cincinnati on Sunday, the Bills (2-4) could be in need of another starter after Thad Lewis sprained his right ankle against the Bengals. Lewis said tests were negative.
“I feel good about him being able to play Sunday,” Marrone said of Lewis’ availability for the Miami game.
Lewis was brought off the practice squad last week to fill in for EJ Manuel, who is out indefinitely with a sprained right knee.
NICKS CENTER OF TRADE TALKS
With the NFL trading deadline fast approaching on Oct. 29, the hottest rumors continue to swirl around the league’s struggling teams. That makes it easy to turn the spotlight on the 0-6 New York Giants and pending free agent wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. That doesn’t mean he’s going anywhere until March.
Nicks told reporters Monday that he’s aware his unsigned status for 2014 makes him a trade target, but for the moment, he “loves playing for the Giants.” Given the wide receiver limitations of some contending teams—including the Patriots, Lions, 49ers, Chiefs and Ravens—he should have a least come up in conversation.
Unfortunately, this isn’t like baseball, where teams can make a reasonable swap for a needed bat or an extra arm. The team that goes after Nicks has to offer the Giants acceptable compensation and be prepared to give him a long-term deal, because short-term rentals just don’t happen in the NFL.
It would be ideal for the Giants to get something for Nicks, as they just broke the bank to lock up fellow wide receiver Victor Cruz this past offseason and shouldn’t give Nicks the lucrative deal he will want. In addition, second-year player Rueben Randle looks the part of a strong outside target and already has outplayed Nicks this season.
The issue is whether Nicks is even worth a draft pick for another team because he has looked more pedestrian (45 receptions, 445 yards, 0 TDs) in his current contract year, despite shaking off past injuries. Nicks was on the verge of being elite two seasons ago, but he’s no longer close to worth the near $8 million annually Cruz got.
The 49ers are optimistic that Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham will come back healthy enough as key contributors, so they’re out. With each passing week as the Patriots’ young wideouts get better, Nicks doesn’t offer them much value. The Chiefs and Ravens covet draft picks too much to take a chance on Nicks. Money and Nicks’ so-so production should also be a concern for the Lions, who could use a No. 2 to play off Calvin Johnson.
Nicks has less appeal and would bring in less in return than a rising wide receiver, such as Cleveland Browns’ second-year player Josh Gordon. Given some of Gordon’s off-field concerns, he could be had with similar compensation and lesser lock-up money.
It’s good Nicks loves being a Giant, because he’s bound to remain one until he can sign with anyone in a few months.
CARDS’ CAMPBELL OK
Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell has been released from a Bay Area hospital. Campbell returned home to Arizona and attended the team meetings Monday morning.
He was hospitalized for possible neck and spine injuries after he was carted off the field during Arizona's 32-20 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. The Cardinals say test results were favorable and Campbell was released from the hospital late Sunday night.
Campbell tweeted "a big thank you for all the support and kind words." He said he was feeling good and eager to return. The Cardinals said Campbell was released from the hospital shortly before 11 p.m. and returned to Arizona on Cardinals president Michael Bidwill's plane. He was accompanied by his sister Keyonne and Cardinals athletic trainer Chad Cook. Meanwhile, 49ers owner Jed York criticized some of his team's fans for doing the wave while Campbell was down. He said in a tweet Sunday that to say he was "disappointed would be an understatement."
Campbell was carefully strapped to the cart as a precaution and gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken off the field.
49ERS’ STADIUM WORKER DIES
For the second time since construction began on the San Francisco 49ers’ future home stadium, a worker on the site has died.
A driver for a steel company died Monday when rebar fell on him as he was delivering materials, NBCBayArea.com reported. According to Peter Melton, spokesman for Cal-OSHA, the driver worked for Gerdau Ameristeel.
The driver died from injuries sustained when materials were being unloaded from his truck. Cal-OSHA and the Santa Clara, Calif. police department are both investigating.
In June, an elevator mechanic doing work at Levi Stadium was killed at the site. He died when he was standing on a ladder beneath the counter-weight of an elevator when the weight came down and struck him, the website reports.
Melton has said that no one will be fined or cited for that death.
Levi Stadium has been under construction for four months. The $1 billion, 68,500-seat stadium is expected to be completed in time for the 2014 season.
TRIAL STARTS IN TAYLOR SLAYING
Nearly six years ago, All-Pro safety Sean Taylor was at home nursing an injury instead of taking the field with his Washington Redskins teammates for a road game at Tampa. Unfortunately, a group of young men from southwest Florida apparently didn't know that.
Prosecutors say the suspects drove across the state intending to burglarize Taylor's Miami-area home, confident he wouldn't be there. When the 6-foot-2, 230-pound player — well known as a ferocious hitter — confronted them with a machete early on Nov. 26, 2007, Eric Rivera Jr. allegedly fired two shots. One missed. The other hit Taylor in the upper leg, causing massive blood loss that led to his death a day later at age 24.
Finally, after numerous delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday for Rivera's first-degree murder trial. Because Rivera, now 23, was only 17 at the time of the crime, he faces life in prison instead of the death penalty if convicted. Jury selection is expected to take about four days.
Four other people were also charged in the case. One of them, Venjah Hunte, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and burglary charges and is expected to testify against Rivera. The other three are scheduled to go to trial later on lesser charges. Hunte's plea deal calls for a 29-year prison term instead of life.
Contributors: Vinnie Iyer, Rana L. Cash, Peter Dawson, Tadd Haislop, The Associated Press
Week 6 Ultimate Monday Morning recap
