Bengals QB Carson Palmer, continuing his successful comeback after missing 12 games with an elbow injury in 2008, was named today by the NFL as AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Palmer posted a career-high 146.7 passer rating in last week’ 45-10 Bengals victory over Chicago. He completed 20-of-24 passes (83.3 percent) for 233 yards, with five TDs and no interceptions. His plus-five differential between TDs and INTs was his career-best and tied a Bengals record set only once previously, by Boomer Esiason against Tampa Bay in 1989.
In the first seven possessions against the Bears, Palmer led the offense to six TDs and one field goal. He threw first-half TD passes of nine yards to Chris Henry, eight yards to Chad Ochocinco, three yards to J.P. Foschi and eight yards to Laveranues Coles. He threw a second TD pass to Ochocinco in the third quarter. He played only one snap in the fourth quarter.
This is the second AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for Palmer. He won in 2004 for a comeback win at Baltimore. In September 2005, Palmer was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month.
The most recent Bengal to win AFC Offensive Player of the Week was WR Chad Ochocinco, for a 2007 performance vs. Tennessee that included 12 catches for 103 yards and three TDs.
The most recent Bengal to win any league Player of the Week award was DE Antwan Odom, who earned the defensive award for a five-sack performance on Sept. 20 of this season at Green Bay. Odom also won September’s nod as AFC Defensive Player of the Month.
