49ers Blow 5 leads, Falter to Cards in Overtime

Week 4 - In the desert to take on the (1-2) Arizona Cardinals, the (0-3) San Francisco 49ers looked to pull off the upset and claim their first victory of 2017 against a scuffling Arizona team that has had its fair share of injuries just three weeks into the season. The game between the two struggling offenses would turn into a battle of field goals and would feature a combined nine made field goals for the first time in an NFL game since September 26, 2011 between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. Five of those field goals would translate to five different leads for the 49ers before this one was all settled in overtime by one of the game's greats as rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan was once again left searching for his first career win at the helm.

From Arizona's first offensive possession, a long day on defense appeared to be in store for the 49ers who were bailed out by an interception in the end zone after quarterback Carson Palmer led the Cardinals all the way to the 4-yard line. A pass intended for tight-end Jermaine Gresham was tipped by San Francisco corner Rashard Robinson before a diving grab by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong completed the turnover to give the 49ers the ball. And while they would also fail to score on their initial possession, their second drive would end with the first of many Robbie Gould field goal's on the afternoon. Gould would be matched by the ageless wonder and former 49ers kicker Phil Dawson who countered with four field goals of his own including two in the first half, the second of which set up by another former 49er in Antoine Bethea who intercepted San Francisco QB Brian Hoyer on a hurried pass.

Both teams would have touchdowns taken off the board in the game, Arizona's on a controversial review call and San Francisco's on a penalty, just one of many committed by the 49ers who were flagged a total of 13 times. Getting the ball to open the second half, the 49ers appeared to have finally struck pay dirt with an 11-yard touchdown from Hoyer to rookie running back Matt Breida before it was called back on an offensive pass-interference call against receiver Trent Taylor who has had his fair share of run ins with the officials already this year. The 49ers would  have to settle for yet another field goal before both teams sent it into overtime with the score tied at 12. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive in overtime, the 49ers offense would eat up a over seven and a half minutes of the ten minute extra period but were once again only able to walk away with a field goal after being stood up at the 5-yard line. From there, Palmer would go to work. Needing only six plays and less than a minute and a half to march his team to the red zone, Palmer would hoist up a prayer answered by the Cardinals Future Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald who hauled in the walk-off touchdown to give Arizona the 18-15 victory. Close but no cigar as they say as it would be the fourth loss in as many weeks for San Francisco who have now lost their last three games by a combined 8 points.

Having made a career out of torturing San Francisco defenses throughout his 14-year career, all with the Cardinals, it would be a quiet day for Fitzgerald up until his heroic catch in overtime as he caught just four passes for 32 yards including the 19-yarder to win it. The game-winning touchdown pass and only touchdown of the game for either team would be the 290th touchdown pass of Palmer's career, tying him with Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas for 13th all-time. The 37-year old Palmer who threw for 357 yards in the contest to log his third consecutive 300-yard performance, can pass another pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks in the coming weeks as he currently stands one TD behind Warren Moon and ten behind John Elway. As good as Palmer was down the stretch, the San Francisco defense didn't make it easy on the former Heisman Trophy winner who's been hit the most times in the league this season at the quarterback position and was taken down for a total of six sacks. Among those sacks were a couple of milestones by a pair of defensive-ends in Elvis Dumervil and Solomon Thomas. Dumervil, a 5-time Pro Bowler with Denver and Baltimore collected career sacks No. 100 and 101 on Sunday while rookie Solomon Thomas added his first.

49ers running back Carlos Hyde who shook off a hip injury and was a game-time decision, tallied 68 rushing yards and another 27 yards on five receptions from QB Brian Hoyer who finished with 234 yards through the air. With Sunday's loss being the third game in four weeks without a touchdown for San Francisco, fans are wondering if it's time to kick the tires on rookie QB C.J. Beathard. And though head coach Kyle Shanahan has admitted that Hoyer needs to step up and perform better, he explained in his press conference that he's not ready to pull the plug on his starting quarterback just yet. One area Hoyer will need to improve in going forward if he wants to keep his job, is third down efficiency as San Francisco's woes continued on third down to the tune of 5 for 19 (19%) on Sunday.

Week 5 Preview - Continuing their three game road trip, the 49ers will make a pit stop in Indy in Week 5 to take on the (1-3) Indianapolis Colts. Though they haven't had many breaks go their way through the first few weeks, Shanahan and company will be relieved knowing that the Colts will be without quarterback Andrew Luck who has yet to play this season while nursing a shoulder injury. Instead, the Colts QB position will be manned by Jacoby Brissett. Accompanying him in the backfield will be a familiar face as the 49ers will be reunited with running back Frank Gore, San Francisco's all-time leading rusher as the two square off for the first time since his departure in 2015 from the team that drafted him in 2005. Heading into the game, the Colts are an early 1 1/2 point favorite, but if the Niners like their chances in any game in the coming weeks, it's gotta be this one.


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49ers Rally late but Fall short in Arizona

Week 10 - In Glendale, Arizona to face the (3-4-1) Cardinals, Chip Kelly's 49ers (1-7) were hoping to build off a nice game offensively against the Saints in Week 9 and escape the desert with their first win since Week 1. However, the third time would be a charm for Cards kicker Chandler Catanzaro who fell short on two other tries to kick a game-winning field goal this season, but came through when needed on Sunday vs the 49ers. After having the daylights beaten out of them last year in Arizona by a final score of 47-7, San Francisco kept things much closer this time around, but were unable to leave the desert with a victory as they fell short by a last second field goal as time expired. Coming off back-to-back hard fought games that resulted in a tie and a loss, the Cardinals who were returning from a BYE, got back on track in the win column with a close win over San Francisco that didn't come easy.

After falling into an early hole which saw Arizona take a 14-0 lead on a pair of touchdowns both thru the air and on the ground by running back David Johnson, the 49ers were able to rebound late following a shaky start as QB Colin Kaepernick and company failed to get a single first down in each of their first three offensive possessions. But a 17-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Jeremy Kerley in the far right corner of the end zone would put the Niners on the board in the second quarter. It would be sweet redemption for Kerley who fumbled a punt return on the possession prior which set up Johnson's second touchdown. Catanzaro and 49ers kicker Phil Dawson would then exchange field goals to make it a 20-10 game at the half. Fairing much better on defense in the second half, San Francisco was able to force three Carson Palmer turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble. From there the 49ers would cash in on two of those turnovers as an Eli Harold sack and forced fumble resulted in the second of Phil Dawson's long field goals on the afternoon and Gerald Hodges' interception led to a game-tying touchdown ran in by Kaepernick from 4-yards out.

With the game tied at 20-20 and Arizona taking over at their own 15 yard line with just under two minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, the Cardinals would need Carson Palmer and company to come alive for the first time since the first half as the 49ers defense had kept Arizona off the board in the second half. But a sprawling catch by Michael Floyd  for a 26-yard gain and a 14-yard reception by Larry Fitzgerald who each eclipsed the 100-yard mark and combined for 233-yards receiving, would help the Cardinals get into field goal range where Catanzaro split the uprights from 34-yards out to kick Arizona to a 23-20 victory as time expired. Kaepernick would log another solid performance and was able to rebound from arguably the worst game of his career when the 49ers last visited Arizona a year ago, but it wouldn't be enough. Finishing with 210 yards passing and two total touchdowns, Kaepernick tied Arizona's David Johnson for a game-high 55 yards rushing as Niner running backs Carlos Hyde and DuJuan Harris were virtually shutout and combined for 28-yards on the ground. As for Carson Palmer, the Cardinals QB would total 376 yards through the air and added a 16-yard rush in the second quarter, the longest rush of his 14-year career, out-running both 49er running backs.

After torching the 49ers defense for 157-yards in their Thursday Night meeting just over a month ago, Cardinals running back David Johnson was held to a fraction of that on Sunday as the San Francisco defense held Johnson to only 55-yards on 19 carries and saw their NFL-record of allowing a 100-yard rusher finally come to an end at seven games. However, he would add another 46-yards receiving to account for 101 total yards, registering yet another stellar performance against SF. After seeing his production in the passing game diminish with Kaepernick taking the QB reigns over Blaine Gabbert in Week 6, receiver Jeremy Kerley finally found the end zone and got things going with Kaepernick as his quarterback as he hauled in a team-high 7 receptions for 71-yards. Hopefully, just hopefully the 49ers can use this game to build off of as Kaepernick continues to slowly shake off the cobwebs and the defense can string together consecutive games where they aren't dismantled by the run.

Week 10 - As if wins haven't already been tough to come by for the (1-8) 49ers this year, they'll now have to face the daunting task of playing Tom Brady and the (7-2) New England Patriots who will be making their first trip to Levi's Stadium. For what it's worth, the 49ers defense won't have to worry about Pro-Bowl tight-end Rob Gronkowski as he's been ruled out of Sunday's game with a perforated lung injury suffered in Sunday night's loss at home to the Seahawks. But we can all expect Brady and company to play with a chip on their shoulder when they hit the field again as they plan to avenge their heart-breaking loss to Seattle which ended on a goal-line stand as the Pats were unable to score from the 1-yard line. With a 49ers win at New England the last time these two teams met, all we can do is hope San Francisco comes out to play and makes it a competitive game, unless Colin Kaepernick is able to turn back the clock and throw for four touchdowns again like he did in that memorable win at Foxborough back in 2012.


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Garbage roughing call costs 49ers vs Cards

Week 12 - Sunday's meeting between the (3-7) San Francisco 49ers and (8-2) Arizona Cardinals featured the team with the most yards and points per game (AZ) versus the team with the least (SF). And though there would be a wide gap between both team's records and season statistics, it would be hard to tell as both teams were neck and neck for most of this one. Feeling generous, the 49ers would deliver several gifts to the opposition in the first half as the Cardinals punched in their first three points of the game with a field goal after recovering a muffed punt by 49ers returner Bruce Ellington. On their next drive, San Francisco QB Blaine Gabbert would be picked off on an errant pass that was intercepted by Arizona's Tyrann Mathieu. The Cardinals would once again turn the 49ers miscue into points, but not before cornerback Tremaine Brock dropped an easy interception in the end zone which he lost in the sun.

While San Francisco's self-inflicted miscues made things easier for Arizona, they did them no favors on offense as the 49er defense held their own and kept it a close game throughout. The penalties, however, would dig them an early grave. On one third quarter drive by Arizona, the 49ers were called for five penalties -- four pass interference calls and one for illegal hands to the face as the Cardinals used it to their advantage by scoring a 1-yard touchdown ran in by third-string running back David Johnson as both Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson left the game with injuries. San Francisco would answer with a touchdown of their own on the ensuing drive as Gabbert connected with tight-end Vance McDonald in the end zone for the second time in as many weeks. The touchdown coupled with Phil Dawson's second field goal of the day would tie things up at 13 heading into the fourth quarter, but San Francisco's inability to convert on a single third down attempt would make things difficult for the offense.

Though the 49ers would out-gain Arizona in total yards -- 368 to 337 as Blaine Gabbert threw for over 300 yards for only the second time in his career, it wouldn't be enough to pull off the victory as San Francisco was called for a bogus roughing the passer penalty on a sack by second-year defensive-end Quinton Dial. On what looked like any normal quarterback sack on second and long, the officials flagged Dial for brazing the helmet of Arizona's Carson Palmer. Instead of facing a third and 18 situation, the Cardinals were given 15-yards and a first down which changed the complexion of the game. Palmer and the Cardinals offense would eventually reach the end zone as Palmer ran it in himself on a drive that lasted nearly 8 minutes long, but kicker Chandler Catanzaro would miss the extra-point, leaving the door open for some late game heroics by Gabbert and company and a chance to steal a win with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. But after marching down the field all the way to the Arizona 30, Gabbert took a 10-yard sack that brought up fourth and 20. He would find receiver Anquan Boldin across the middle for an 18-yard gain but would come up 2-yards short of the first down as San Francisco turned the ball over on downs.

With the 19-13 victory over San Francisco, the Cardinals achieved their first road win and series sweep of the Niners since 2008. Also with the win, the Cardinals improved to 9-2 on the year, assuring them of their first string of three consecutive winning seasons since 1974-76. Meanwhile, San Francisco dropped to 3-8 with the loss and have officially been eliminated from competing for the division. As for the debatable rouging the passer penalty which basically cost the Niners the game as well as a few other eyebrow-raising calls, guard Alex Boone didn't shy away from letting the league know just how displeased he was with Sunday's officiating, saying in a post-game interview, "I thought those refs sucked." And he wasn't alone as many criticized the officials on Sunday during a variety of games, including the Sunday night game between the previously unbeaten Patriots and Denver Broncos. Whether or not you believe a handful of questionable calls cost New England their first loss of the season, one thing is certain -- the NFL officials have seen far greater days than the one they had on Sunday. 

Week 13 Preview - With the 49ers hitting the road to take on the (5-6) Chicago Bears who are coming off a big Thanksgiving night win against the Packers at Lambeau, they'll be tested on offense by Bears defensive-coordinator Vic Fangio who spent the last four years in San Francisco before landing the job in Chicago during the off-season. Fangio and the Bears D will have somewhat of an easier job defending the run as it's been learned that the 49ers will be without starting running back Carlos Hyde who's been ruled out for the fifth consecutive week as he continues to nurse a banged up foot. Joining him will be TE Garrett Celek who's also been ruled out for SF. But as for those playing in Sunday's game at Soldier Field, the 49ers will have to make Jay Cutler as uncomfortable as possible as the Bears QB has his team winning games once again and still alive in the playoff hunt. As you may recall, Cutler rallied his team to a 28-20 win in San Francisco last season after falling behind early, 17-0 in the first regular season game ever played at Levi's Stadium. 

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Niners Dismantled in the Desert

Week 3 - Hoping to put a blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers behind them with a trip to the desert, the San Francisco 49ers saw those hopes vanish quickly on Sunday as rival Arizona bullied their way to a 40-point victory. Niners QB Colin Kaepernick entered the game with one interception in 154 career pass attempts versus the Cardinals, a mark he would surpass on the team's first two offensive drives alone. A career worst 67 passing yards and 4 interceptions highlighted a miserable day for Kaepernick who had two of his first four passes returned for a touchdown as Arizona jumped out front to an early 14-0 lead. The bleeding wouldn't stop there, however, as San Francisco was staring down a 28-point deficit before finally getting on the board via a touchdown run by Kaepernick, set up by an impressive 37-yard punt return from Aussie Jarryd Hayne. Unfortunately, the Niner offense would fail to muster up anymore points as they were blown out of the water, 47-7.

The loss marked the first time since 2005 that San Francisco has lost five straight on the road, all by double-digits as the 49ers were held to a measly 156 total yards on offense. As for Arizona who tallied 446 total yards, not since 1969 have the Cardinals registered back-to-back 40-point performances like they did in week's 2 and 3. Though Cards QB Carson Palmer threw his first interception of the season, the first pick of 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker's young career, the 35-year old veteran threw for 311 yards and a pair of touchdowns in route to his 16th victory in his last 18 starts and 9th win in a row, the longest active streak in the NFL. Palmer had himself a rather easy day at the office as Arizona was able to turn their opponents costly mistakes into points, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal off of Kaepernick's four interceptions as the Niners were unable to find an answer for Arizona on either side of the ball. With a career-low quarterback rating of 16.7 for Kaepernick on Sunday, the 49ers have now been outscored 90-25 in their last two games and unless they make the needed adjustments quick, that number will only increase with a date with the NFL's best quarterback to follow.

With a forgetful performance from Kaepernick who was made a non-factor thru the air, Niners bell cow Carlos Hyde was also held in check by Arizona's suffocating defense which held the San Francisco running back to 51 yards on 15 carries and also stopped him in his tracks for a safety in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Cardinals backup running back Chris Johnson had himself a vintage performance while filling in for the injured Andre Ellington, rushing for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns to stymie San Francisco's run defense for a second consecutive outing. Speaking of vintage performances, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald looked a lot like his old self for the second week in a row as he torched the Niners secondary from the slot position for 9 receptions, 134 yards and a pair of touchdown grabs after putting up three scores against Chicago just a week ago. With the loss, San Francisco falls to 1-2, while Arizona improves their undefeated mark to 3-0 while remaining atop the NFC Western division standings and one of only seven unbeaten teams in the league.

Week 4 Preview - Getting back into the win column will be no easy task for Jim Tomsula's 49ers in Week 4 as they play host to Aaron Rodgers and the (3-0) Green Bay Packers who so far this season look like the team to beat in the NFC. Coached by former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy, the Packers have had limited success against SF over the past few years as Colin Kaepernick looks to improve his unbeaten mark to 4-0 against Green Bay, with two of those wins coming during the playoffs. Kaepernick and company are hoping a return to their home field of Levi's Stadium coupled with a meeting with a familiar foe will be the perfect ingredients to getting them back on track as they seek their first win since Week 1. San Francisco's offensive-line will have their hands full on Sunday as they face a Packers defense that is coming off a 7 sack performance on Monday night vs Kansas City and former 49ers QB Alex Smith.


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Week 6: 49ers Win third straight behind Davis' monster day

With both teams entering Sunday's game at 3-2 respectively and riding a two game winning-streak, the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown with both teams vying for a win to gain sole possession of second place in the division and keep pace with the division-leading Seattle Seahawks. Things couldn't have been drawn up any better for the 49ers to begin the game on defense as they returned two early Carson Palmer interceptions inside the 20-yard line. But where the defense excelled, the offense struggled.

A sluggish start to the game for QB Colin Kaepernick and company enabled Arizona to stick around until late in the fourth quarter as the San Francisco offense failed to take advantage of three early trips to the red zone. The first two trips resulted in field goals by Phil Dawson while the third ended in an interception on a tipped pass intended for fullback Bruce Miller inside the end zone. But Kaepernick would eventually get things going as he began to utilize his best weapon through the air as it soon turned into the Vernon Davis show at Candlestick. The Pro Bowl tight-end would have a career day, hauling in touchdown grabs of 61 and 35 yards, logging a career-high 180 receiving yards total while displaying a flurry of acrobatic catches including one reminiscent of another bay area great by the name of Willie Mays. Davis' personal-best 180 yards receiving would also be the second most by a tight-end in the last 10 years. Despite Davis' spectacular showing, it wasn't enough to keep Arizona from nibbling at San Francisco's heels practically all game long.

Cardinals QB Carson Palmer would show flashes of why he was named to a pair of Pro Bowl's while a member of the Cincinnati Bengals by throwing for a pair of touchdowns and finishing the game with 298 yards passing to keep his team in it. But he would also have his fair share of mistakes as the 49er defense picked him off twice and sacked him in the end zone for a safety. Leading 22-20 in the final minutes of the third quarter, the Niners would get a much needed takeaway when linebacker Patrick Willis made a tackle on Larry Fitzgerald, forcing him to fumble. The fumble would be recovered by rookie safety Eric Reid who also finished with his team-leading third interception on the year in the first quarter before later being joined by Carlos Rogers who picked off Palmer two drives later for his first of the season. San Francisco won the turnover battle and forced a total of four turnovers for the second consecutive week with the help of another rookie in Corey Lemonier who was selected in the third round of April's NFL Draft earlier this year. The first-year player out of Auburn finished the game with his first career sack as well as a forced fumble and a safety while filling in for the absent Aldon Smith.

Back to the offense, Davis wouldn't be the only one who finished the game with a nice stat line as 49ers running back Frank Gore would do what he's done so often against the Cardinals by logging another stellar performance by rushing for 101 yards on Sunday. However, it would be Gore's running mate Kendall Hunter who would put the icing on the cake as Arizona trailed by two with six minutes remaining in regulation before Hunter made his way into the end zone for a late score. Kicker Phil Dawson went 3-for-3 in the field goal department including a 44 yarder to seal the 32-20 victory for the 49ers. 

Week 7 Preview: After two games at the 'Stick, Jim Harbaugh hopes to continue his teams winning ways away from home as the 49ers prepare for their first game of a two-game road trip against the (3-3) Tennessee Titans. Having been without quarterback Jake Locker the past two weeks due to a hip and knee injury, the Titans, losers of two straight, will have their QB back on Sunday much earlier than expected. But with a stout 49er defense in town, I'm not sure giving Locker the nod is a good idea given he won't be at 100%. The meeting will also mean a reunion with Titans tight-end Delanie Walker and his former team as Walker signed with Tennessee as a free-agent during the off-season. With the 49ers having success running the ball in each of their last three games, expect the trend to continue on Sunday.


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Carson Palmer, Back in Black

Are the 4-2 Oakland Raiders ready to give the reigns of their offense to a guy who hasn't practiced or taken a snap since the 2010 NFL season?

During their 24-17 route of the Cleveland Browns last Sunday in Oakland, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell who's been decent at times but came out guns blazing to help lead his team to a stellar 4-2 record this season was carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the first half. With backup QB Kyle Boller filling in to finish the game, it would later be learned that Campbell had suffered a broken collarbone which would require surgery, thus putting him on the shelf for what looks to be the remainder of the season.

Hoping to stay afloat in the AFC West and keep within striking distance of the 4-1 San Diego Chargers, the Raiders decided to hit the free agent market in search of someone with leadership skills to fill the void of the ailing Campbell. After contacting an uninterested David Garrard who also plans to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, the Raiders were forced to consider a trade. With just hours to spare before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, the Raiders front office got in touch with the Cincinnati Bengals who were letting the contract and career of former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer rot on the sidelines following a trade demand that went sour.

The Raiders got their man, but at an expensive price sending a first round draft pick (2012) and a second round draft pick that could turn into a first round pick if the Palmer-led Raiders win a Playoff game to Cincy. Though Oakland gets a much needed veteran QB to help bolster their offense, the Bengals are the ones who come out winners in this deal for the sole fact that they were willing to eat the contract of Palmer, but instead score not one, but two draft picks for virtually nothing. But that's not to take away from the Raiders either if Palmer can lead them to the promise land. Many have begun to question the decision of Oakland shipping two early draft picks for a former Pro-Bowl QB who's in his 30's and appears to have already peaked, but it should prevent the team from pushing the panic button just yet.

Following a press-conference, reports first had Palmer taking snaps no earlier than next week, but after his first day of practice coach Hue Jackson appears to have a change of heart. Instead of going with the more knowledgeable Boller who's in his second year with the team and is familiar with the playbook, the Raider Nation will get to see their first glimpse of the newest member to don the black and silver as soon as Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs according to sources. With little to no chemistry with his receivers just yet, I think it's safe to say we can expect a bit of rust and cobwebs from Palmer considering it was only three days ago that he was sitting on the couch at his southern California home.

However, one thing is certain this season and that's that the Raiders are all in this year. And with the recent passing of Raiders owner Al Davis, what better way to pay homage to the boss than to try and win him another Super Bowl in his remembrance.

The Palmer Situation

In sports nowadays, it's quite often you hear or read about a disgruntled player who's dissatisfied and fed up with where he plays or where he's headed to after a trade, but never have we seen a situation made as publicly as the one in Cincinnati involving QB Carson Palmer. Following their disappointing last place finish in the AFC North this past season, the Bengals Quarterback requested a trade, only to have it denied the next day by the team's president. Several months later, no progress has been made between the two parties and both sides are sticking to their guns. Despite Palmer threatening to retire from the game of football if he isn't traded come the start of the 2011 season, developments as recent as today says the team still has no intentions to deal their 2-time Pro-Bowl QB.

Although the retiring part sounds like somewhat of a joke, the former Heisman Trophy winner isn't bluffing and says he has $80 million stashed away in the bank, according to a friend of his. This unknown friend of Palmer's quoted him on a local news station in Cincinnati as saying, "I don't have to play football for money. I'll play it for the love of the game, but that would have to be elsewhere." Though the Bengals front office hasn't flinched yet, unless they've got a trick up their sleeve or plan on selecting a QB in this year's Draft, I suggest they act fast considering their roster lacks on the depth chart at the Quarterback position. Carson's younger brother Jordan and former college standout Dan LeFevour fill out the Bengals' number two and three spots in the QB department, but neither are seasoned enough to take the starting job, despite LeFevour's outstanding college career at Central Michigan where he set the record for the most total touchdowns in NCAA history.

With the 2011 NFL Draft a little more than a month away, there's still plenty of time for the Bengals to reconsider holding onto Palmer, and with the 4th overall pick, I won't be surprised if they take Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert granted either is available. And if they do, the demand for a QB will be that much greater considering both names are atop many teams' lists. One of the handful of teams who were linked to landing Palmer when trade talks first surfaced, were the San Francisco 49ers. And as a die hard fan, I wouldn't mind acquiring Palmer one bit for the simple fact that it would mean the end of the Alex Smith regime. But even if 49ers owner and team president Jed York was unable to land Palmer, other trade options for a QB include Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb and Vince Young of the Titans, both of whom are younger than Palmer. In Tennessee, the Titans front office and Vince Young appear to be in a similar predicament as the Bengals, other than the retiring part of coarse.

Hell, at this point, perhaps even the lockout could benefit both parties in working something out. Team's remain unable to trade with one another at this point, but maybe the sun will come out of the clouds and Palmer and the Bengals will work something out. But until then, I'm sticking with my gut feeling and think Cincy will end up eating their words and dealing him in due time.