It's Palmer's mind that mattered Sunday RAIDERS

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Carson Palmer's arm might not be as big as it was in his younger days, but he showed off many other large attributes in the Raiders' 34-31 win over the Steelers on Sunday.

Like his big mind, stymieing the Steelers' defense with a no-huddle offense.

"We put the ball in Carson's hands," said tight end Richard Gordon, who had a touchdown catch. "The biggest thing with Carson is, he's got a big mind and when you let him just go do what he does, you don't know what he's going to call. He's got a good feeling for calling out the safeties and calling out the linebackers and changing the plays."

Palmer saw a blitz coming and called an audible on Darren McFadden's 64-yard first-quarter touchdown run.

"Yeah, (the no-huddle) got us in a rhythm, opens up some of the run game (and) also tires out their big guys," said Palmer, who finished 24-for-34 for 209 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception when a receiver slipped.

Using the no-huddle, the Raiders scored on their final five possessions: three touchdowns and two field goals, including Sebastian Janikowski's game-winning 43-yarder as time expired. It was the first time the Raiders have scored on every second-half possession since Oct. 13, 1991, against Seattle.

"He ran the no-huddle offense, got us into the right plays, and we were productive on offense," head coach Dennis Allen said. "I was extremely proud and pleased with the way Carson played."

Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer drops back to pass during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar) Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer drops back to pass during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar) Photo: Tony Avelar, Associated Press Photo: Tony Avelar, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close It's Palmer's mind that mattered Sunday 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Allen also mentioned how Palmer showed courage standing in the pocket until the last minute before making throws.

Palmer can take a hit - 14 in the first two losses - and he can get away from pass rushers better than you think he can. No one is talking anymore about Palmer not being mobile enough to run the new offense in which the quarterback has to roll out more and throw on the run more.

"He doesn't get enough credit for that," guard Cooper Carlisle said. "He can move well in the pocket, and he knows how to step up and avoid the rush."

So big head, big pocket awareness ... and Palmer also has a big calming influence on his teammates in crunch time. Allen called it a "singleness of purpose," and it has rubbed off on rookie receiver Rod Streater and Stefen Wisniewski, in his second year but first as a starting center.

"There's no cheesy pump-up talks," Palmer said. "It's just, 'Let's go about our jobs, let's block up front, make plays on the back end and when they blitz, let's see our hot (reads).' "

Goosebumps? No? Well, Palmer, 33 in December, still can fire up the coaches and fans by letting his arm go. He threw some hard, tight passes to Denarius Moore and Brandon Myers in the three fourth-quarter drives Sunday.

"His accuracy, especially under duress, was outstanding," Allen said. "He understands how to play the game. He can fit the ball into tight windows, and we need our quarterback to play like he played."

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