I'm go Cardinals all the time, so when Stanton went in I was all in. What choice did we have? But there's such a huge disparity between Palmer and Stanton that it's not even funny. And when I say huge I mean Grand Canyon type huge.
That touchdown pass to Floyd is a very hard throw, but an even harder read to make. Nobody else on our team can do that. Palmer had maybe .5 seconds to see the DB lunge--it wasn't even a full drop of the hips, he just dipped his leverage--toward Housler underneath. Within that .5 seconds Palmer had to throw it over the LB and underneath enough for Floyd to catch it. After not playing for as long as he's played, for Palmer to make that read <snap the fingers> that fast, have his arm cocked, and throw it that well is very, very difficult to do.
Stanton can't make the two out-route throws to Floyd, caught right on the sidelines. Those passes, with that coverage, have to be on a rope. They didn't even try it with Stanton. Stanton struggled to make even basic flat passes with velocity (one of which was almost, and should have been, picked).
The slant to Fitz looks easy, and it was bad coverage. But Palmer puts it right in his gut, already tucked away, so that Fitz can turn upfield and run and put both arms on the ball to score the TD.
The incomplete to Brown (the other one). Also another pass nobody else on the team can make. Don't care what anyone says, that was a perfect pass. Sure, you could lead him another foot or so, but football players like Floyd and Fitz high-point that thing and score a TD. Brown acted like he was running through tulips and waiting for it to land in his breadbasket. Can't do that. This is the NFL, you have to attack the ball, from all positions, and he should have leapt and caught that thing to ice the game.
3rd down pass to Brown that was challenged, their may have been 2 of them actually, were right in his gut. I mean throws on a rope into the stomach. You can't help but catch it.
I'm not knocking Stanton, this is more of a pro-Carson post. I really hope he's back for good. This offense will be potent when he's healthy. He was able to do this today without being able to stretch the field to Floyd on those 40+ bombs. So they were playing up anyway and he still made plays. His reads are good. His one almost-INT, he didn't even see Orakpo, hiding behind offensive linemen.
Palmer can take us to the playoffs and beyond, I just hope he stays healthy. This offense has serious potential with him at the helm.
