NFL Week 6 Review: Carson Palmer, the Green Bay Packers and the Team of the Year

Stephen JOct 18, 2011

In Week 6, we learned a lot about the teams, players and coaching staffs in the NFL. The undefeated Lions were handed their first loss by the aggressive and highly-motivated 49ers. Tom Brady led the Patriots to victory in the dramatic fashion we are used to seeing from the New England quarterback.

Tom Coughlin’s Giants rebounded from an embarrassing loss, something we have come to expect from the head coach’s teams. It was interesting to see each of these stories develop, but they just skim the surface of all the great things that happened in Week 6.

In this slideshow, we will look at the following Week 6 stories:

a) Analysis of the Raiders’ trade for Carson Palmer

b) The Dominance of the Green Bay Packers

c) The quality of the Primetime games in Week 6 and 7

d) The team of the season up until this point

Did the Raiders Make the Right Move?

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It’s clear the Raiders believe they can be a championship team within the next couple of seasons. When Jason Campbell went down this weekend, the Raiders did not feel comfortable that Kyle Boller could lead them to the playoffs and further success. Hence, they went after the best quarterback they could—Carson Palmer.

In some senses, the deal is a smart one. Hue Jackson knows Carson from his days in Cincinnati as a wide receivers coach. He obviously feels Carson will be a great fit to his offence, which focuses on pounding the ball and passing deep. The Raiders also needed to commit to a long-term option at quarterback.

Jason Campbell’s contract would be done by the end of the year, and the Raiders felt that Carson would be an excellent option going forward. All in all, Palmer was the best quarterback available, and one who addressed a need for the Raiders for this season and the next few years.

The question is, was it a smart move? Despite the situation that was outlined above, the Raiders have taken too big of a risk on Carson Palmer. In recent years, Carson Palmer has shown no signs that he is an elite quarterback. His skills seem to be dwindling, and one can only imagine that his regression will only be accelerated by his absence from the NFL so far. The Raiders are banking a lot on Palmer being able to be a solid quarterback, even though his recent history suggests he will not be.

And by banking, I don’t even mean the money. The real price the Raiders paid was letting go of a first-round pick in 2012 and a conditional first-rounder in 2013. The Raiders have proved they do not value the draft, but to potentially give up two first-round picks for a quarterback with so many question marks just does not make sense.

Can the Packers Go Undefeated?

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It’s hard to see the Packers losing this season. Aaron Rodgers is playing at such a high level, and his receivers continue to make big plays. Even the Packers defense has improved over their last six quarters of play, making the Green Bay a very legitimate contender to go 16-0. It’s hard to think of a defense that can shut down their offense or even another offense which can keep up with the Pack.

That being said, they still do have to play Detroit twice and have to travel to San Diego after their bye week. I think they’ll be able to roll over Detroit, simply because the Lions’ pass rush won’t be able to compensate for their inability to cover the Packers’ excellent receiving corps.

In a shootout between Rodgers and Stafford, there is no question that the former would win. But look out for the Chargers. Norv Turner’s teams generally get better as the season progresses, and Phillip Rivers is bound to break out of a slumping start. If the Chargers don’t stop them, no one will (Unless, Green Bay decides to forget about a perfect record and rests their starts at the season’s end).

Sleep through the Primetime Games

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One has to feel sorry for NBC and ESPN. Look at the primetime games that each had to host last week and will host this week:

NBC (Sunday Night Football) – Bears vs. Vikings; Colts vs. Saints

ESPN (Monday Night Football) – Jets vs. Dolphins; Ravens vs. Jaguars

Unless you’re a fan of any of those teams, this is hardly must see television. At the beginning of the season, these games seemed like they could be amazing. Unfortunately, the Dolphins and Jaguars have regressed, and Peyton Manning is not playing.

At the end of the day, football is football, and many fans will watch these games anyways. However, one can’t help but notice the lack of quality matchups in the evening.