Palmer dismisses former Steelers coach’s comments

By Neal Coolong  |   Thursday, September 18, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer rejected former Steelers coach Bill Cowher's comments that Bengals head man Marvin Lewis has lost control of the locker room, writes the Cincinnati Enquirer's Mark Curnette.

Curnette quotes Palmer: "What somebody says on the outside - who has no idea what's going on here - all he sees is 0-2, it's kind of an easy thing to throw out there. In no way has Marvin lost this locker room or lost any attention from players. We're going about it as business.

"It seems like it's the end of the world to a lot of people, (but) this team still has a lot of hope left, we have a lot to play for, a lot of pride."

Cowher's comments came out Sunday during CBS's studio broadcast. Cowher is an analyst for the network.

Commentary: The fact Cowher used to coach the Steelers is certainly enough to draw headlines, and Palmer's retort is fitting. But Bengals fans have to wonder if the spirit behind Palmer's statement is enough to outweigh Cowher's opinion. It's not a leap to suggest Lewis does not have his team on the right track; after all, the Bengals are staring 0-3 in the face as they ready for the red-hot, defending champion Giants.

Palmer, statistically, is among the worst passers in the league this season. His 37.1 rating is the lowest in the NFL, and he has yet to throw a touchdown. While not throwing Lewis under the bus when Palmer's playing this poorly is the smart thing to do from a leadership perspective, there is clearly something going on inside the Bengals' organization.

In a wide-open AFC, 0-2 doesn't mean doom, but the Bengals have shown enough cracks in all three phases of the game to suggest Sunday's trip to Giants Stadium is much bigger than their previous two games. If Palmer wants to deflect negative scrutiny off his coach and his team, he's going to have to provide some firepower to an otherwise listless offense that has struggled mightily in two games.

Fan Pulse: The Jungle Noise fan forum is dejected, lodging complaints about the team in general, writing songs describing the fan base and even suggesting a protest boycott of home games.

Fantasy Football Impact: Palmer, once considered a top five fantasy quarterback, doesn't have a touchdown pass, which obviously means Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh don't have a TD reception, either. Running back Chris Perry is averaging 2.7 yards per carry. Any Bengals player is a pretty tough start right now.

Injury Watch: Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph is questionable with a sprained ankle. Tight end Ben Utecht was sent home Wednesday with an illness and a chest injury. Safety Dexter Jackson is out with a thumb injury.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one ...
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