PALMER ADMITS HE HAS LOST CONFIDENCE, CHAD BLAMES THE LINE
Posted by Mike Florio on September 18, 2008, 8:38 a.m. EDT
The Bengals look as bad right now as even the crappiest of the crappy Cincinnati teams that the NFL has seen since Boomer Esiasons tenure there ended. And Carson Palmer, a franchise quarterback who might be in danger of having his franchise card revoked, acknowledges that he has lost confidence amid an 0-2 start.
I dont think, really, to tell you the truth, any of us are playing with any confidence right now, Johnson said Wednesday. Im not sure why it is that way. We know the kind of swagger that I carry. My confidence is not where it needs to be at all. Im sort of frustrated with the way things are going the past two games.
So whats the problem? According to receiver Chad Johnson, the offensive line isnt doing their job.
Before you name the receivers, before you even name the quarterback, it all starts with that offensive line, Johnson said. It dont start with us at all. I think it starts with the offensive line. Its going to have a trickle effect. When theyre playing well, Carsons going to play well, and it means us on the outside, were going to play well. Because if it doesnt start with them, the rest of us really dont matter.
Yikes.
Its one thing for Johnson to cry to the coaches about not getting the ball, or to muse to the media about wanting to be traded. But a guy crosses the line when he calls out his teammates publicly, and more than anything else those words could be the beginning of the end of Johnsons career in Cincinnati.