Carson Palmer says every NFL playoff team can win the Super Bowl except for one
The former NFL quarterback is high on every playoff team, except for one
Former Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer spent 15 seasons in the NFL, which means he's seen a lot of football in his life, and if there's one thing Palmer knows about the NFL, it's how tough it can be to win in the postseason.
During his long career, the former No. 1 overall pick made it to the playoffs a total of three times and he went just 1-3 during those three trips to the postseason. In this year's wide open playoff race, Palmer thinks that every team has a chance to win the Super Bowl, except for one.
Spoiler alert: It's the Baltimore Ravens.
"I think every team has a legit shot to be playing in the Super Bowl, other than maybe Baltimore," Palmer said this week during an interview with SI Now. "I think Baltimore has the least amount of weapons and probably [the least amount of] expertise and experience."
Of course, Palmer doesn't think the Ravens are a bad team, he just doesn't see them winning the Super Bowl. Palmer's biggest problem with the Ravens and the thing he sees as their potential weakness is that they're going into the playoffs with a rookie quarterback.
"They're a great team, they're a great defense, they run the ball really well, but at some point, you got to win the game from inside the pocket," Palmer said. "At some point, you're going to be in third-and-13 or third-and-9 and you have to throw the ball down the field. All of [the other playoff] teams, with the exception of Baltimore, they're all dangerous."
Basically, Palmer is saying the Ravens can't win with Lamar Jackson, which isn't a completely crazy take. As I mentioned earlier this week, the biggest mystery with Jackson going into the postseason is how he'll react if the Ravens fall behind. In Jackson's seven starts this year, the Ravens never trailed by more than eight points, which means he's never had to throw a pass or run an offense in a game where he was trailing by two or more scores. Trailing by multiple scores can add urgency to an offense, and when you're in the postseason, it can add enough pressure to melt any rookie.
Also, no rookie quarterback in NFL history has ever led their team to a Super Bowl win.
Although Palmer didn't give his Super Bowl pick, he did offer a few playoff picks during a separate interview with our very own Bill Reiter. Not surprisingly, Palmer isn't picking the Ravens to win on Sunday.
"I like the Chargers," Palmer said on Reiter's Block. "I think it's really difficult for a young team to beat an experienced quarterback like Philip Rivers twice in one season."
The problem for Palmer is that he doesn't think the Ravens offense will be able to adjust if Baltimore falls behind.
"If Baltimore gets down early, they're in trouble," Palmer said. "Because if Baltimore is forced to have to throw the football and get away from that running game, they're going to have a long afternoon."
For his other three wild-card picks, you can check out the rest of his interview with Reiter. The Chargers and Ravens will be kicking off at 1:05 p.m ET on Sunday in a game that will be televise by CBS. If you won't be near a TV, you can stream the game for free on CBSSports.com by saving this link.
















