Oakland Raiders: 5 Reasons Carson Palmer Will Struggle in 2012

Carson Palmer will struggle at points this season due to a shaky offensive line and a tough schedule.

When the Raiders acquired Palmer last season, they did so in hopes that he would lead them to the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2002. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Palmer was unable lead them into the postseason. 

Palmer has now had an entire offseason to prepare for the 2012 campaign. Thus the pressure and expectations will be very high. 

The Raiders have the talent on offense to be successful. With Darren McFadden at running back and wide receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore stretching the field, the Raiders have the weapons to score a ton of points. 

Palmer may have an excellent season, but if he struggles, the culprits on this list will be the main reasons why. 

Shuffling Along the Offensive Line

The Oakland Raiders offensive line played very well last season. 

They allowed only 25 sacks and finished the season ranked seventh in total rushing offense with 131.9 yards per game.

Khalif Barnes will continue to start at right tackle. Barnes has prototypical size for a right tackle but often doesn't play as strong as his size would indicate. 

The Raiders signed Mike Brisiel earlier in the offseason to play right guard. Brisiel played in his first playoff game last year for the Houston Texans. 

Stefan Wisniewski played left guard for the Raiders last season and will slide into the center position, replacing Samson Satele. Wisniewski was one of the better centers in college football when he entered the draft in 2011. He should be able to slide over to center and play very well this season. 

Cooper Carlisle, who played right guard for the Raiders last season, will move to left guard this year. Carlisle was one of the Raiders' weaker links along the offensive line last year, but is a proficient zone-blocker. The coaching staff must be hoping that Carlisle's experience with zone-blocking will make him more of an asset this season. 

Jared Veldheer will once again start at left tackle as he was very impressive for the Silver and Black last season. The Raiders will be expecting him to put together another solid season protecting Palmer's blindside. 

The interior of the offensive has shuffled around after losing their starting center, Samson Satele, to Indianapolis in free agency. 

If the interior of the line struggles to mesh together in their new zone-blocking offense, then the entire offense will suffer. 

The offensive line has the potential to be very good in 2012, but if it takes them time to get comfortable then Palmer will be taking more hits than the Raiders' front office would like. 

No "Safe" Target

Quarterbacks love to have a target that thrives at running short and intermediate routes. 

Players that are able to get open quickly and remain open make it a lot easier for quarterbacks to make plays while under duress. 

The Raiders signed Kevin Boss last season to act as a safety blanket for then Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell. 

Due to salary cap issues and a mostly underwhelming season by Boss, the team cut him after just one season. 

Boss was unable to produce like the Raider's previous tight end Zach Miller.

Louis Murphy has the potential to be Palmer's safety option but Palmer struggled to find him last season. Hopefully with a full offseason the two will be able to build a rapport. The same could be said for Palmer and the rest of the Raiders' receiving corp. 

Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey will be dangerous deep threats for the Raiders. If Palmer can find a main go-to receiver, then the passing game will be dangerous in 2012. If not, he may take too many risks downfield which can lead to costly interceptions. 

Tough Schedule

The Oakland Raiders match up against the AFC North this season, who sent three teams to the playoffs last year. 

Each team in the NFC North finished the season ranked in the top 10 against the pass. In fact, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers were the top-ranked passing defenses last season. 

The Baltimore Ravens, with Ed Reed and Co. host the Silver and Black in what will be a real challenge for Palmer and the Raiders in the 2012 season.

All together the Raiders play nine games against teams with top 10 passing defenses in 2011.

This alone doesn't mean that Palmer will struggle, but these defenses will do their best to contain Palmer. 

Palmer Struggled at Times in 2011

Carson Palmer did an admirable job last season in Oakland. He was brought in midseason and had to learn a new offense on the fly.

That being said, Palmer threw 13 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. 

He compiled a quarterback rating of 80.5, good enough for 19th in the league last season.

The Raiders will need Palmer to play like a top 10 quarterback to reach their potential. 

Palmer needs to make more positive plays than negative ones for the team to be successful in 2012.  

Penalties

The Raiders' offense committed 163 penalties that resulted in 1,358 yards lost. Their offense was the most penalized unit in the entire league in 2011. 

If the Raiders hurt themselves with penalties in 2012, it will put too much pressure on Palmer and the rest of the offense. 

Third-and-long situations are difficult for any quarterback and Palmer will have to face plenty of those if the team does not get more disciplined this season. 

If the Raiders limit their penalties and make fewer mistakes, then the offense will be facing more manageable yardage situations. This would make Palmer's job a whole lot easier.