Arizona Cardinals believe Palmer makes them a contender

Over the past year or so, coach Bruce Arians has been asked many times what his Cardinals must do to overtake the Seahawks in the NFC West.

The answer was always the same: have his starting quarterback healthy.

Barring catastrophe, that’s going to happen Sunday night in Seattle. Carson Palmer is healthy and playing better than at any time in 12 previous NFL seasons.

“Anytime we’re playing with him on the field, we feel like we can beat anybody anywhere,” Arians said.

Last year, Palmer suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks before the Cardinals played the first of two games against Seattle.

With Drew Stanton starting at quarterback, the Cardinals lost in Seattle 19-3, although the loss had more to do with a dropped touchdown pass and blocked punt than Stanton. A month later, the Cardinals were down to Ryan Lindley at quarterback and lost to Seattle 35-6.

“It’s tough to miss any, but being a team returning from a trip to the Super Bowl and all those things and all the hype that’s around the Seahawks, it was difficult," Palmer said. "It was a long game sitting on the couch and watching it.”

The Cardinals are 6-2 with a two-game lead in the division, partly because Palmer looks 25, not 35, when he throws - and he acts 35, not 25, when preparing for games.

He spent a large portion of the off week looking back at the first eight games. Was he tipping off plays? Did he make the right checks at the line? Did his bad throws have anything in common?

After many practices, he uses the team’s virtual reality technology by STRIVR Labs, to review what he’s just seen on the practice field.

“Sometimes, he over-studies,” Arians said. “He’ll come back with some good questions, and sometimes, it’s like, ‘Hey, let it go. Just keep playing and don’t overanalyze,’ but that’s what I love about him.”

Palmer hears coaches say this, and knows they are right. But at 35, he recognizes this is his best, and perhaps last, chance to win a championship.

“No, I totally get it,” he said of their advice. “I agree with it. I just have a difficult time doing it. I still feel like I’m 26 and I’m not.”

Through eight games, Palmer is on pace for the most productive season of any quarterback in franchise history. Yes, including Kurt Warner.

Palmer’s 20 touchdown passes are the most in franchise history through eight games. This season, only New England’s Tom Brady (22) has more.

I’ve never seen him better,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who coached Palmer at Southern California. “He’s working really well with the offense. He’s getting good protection. The running game is there, he’s got great receivers to go to, and Bruce (Arians) is calling a real good game for him.

“It’s great to see him, this late in his career, have this kind of success. I’m thrilled for him.”

Things started to turn for Palmer and the Cardinals' offense midway through 2013. It was Arians’ first season, and the offense looked as wobbly as a toddler through the first half of the season.

In Palmer’s past 23 starts, he’s completed nearly 65 percent of his pass attempts with 47 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The Cardinals went 19-4 in those games, which includes the 17-10 victory over Seattle in 2013.

It’s odd the Cardinals point to that game as proof of the importance of having Palmer healthy. He had four passes intercepted that day. But he did throw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd in the final minutes.

Palmer believes he’s vastly better than he was two years ago, but he doesn’t have the work ethic of a man comfortable that he knows everything about his job.

“We’ve put in so much stuff and the offense changes from week to week,” he said. “You’re always playing catch-up. It’s not just the same stuff we’re running over and over again and you just get pretty good at it.

“You’re always trying to get better because there’s new stuff coming in. I always feel like I’m improving and getting better and that’s the mentality that I take.”

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