Palmer: Thumb is not a problem

CINCINNATI (AP) — With a black glove supporting his left hand, quarterback Carson Palmer went through a full practice on Wednesday, an indication that his sprained thumb won’t be a problem this week.

Palmer hurt the thumb on his non-throwing hand during the fourth quarter of a 17-14 win over Baltimore on Sunday. He had to hand off using only his right hand for the rest of the game, forcing him to change how he handled the ball.

Palmer said on Wednesday that the thumb was much better — it wasn’t taped when he met with reporters before practice — and shouldn’t affect him on Sunday against the Houston Texans.

The Bengals (4-1) have won three in a row because of last-minute drives led by Palmer, who has been a key reason behind their dramatic rise to first place in the AFC North. They can’t afford to have him hobbled.

“Not an issue at all,” Palmer said.

When a teammate lobbed a ball to him during warmups, Palmer fumbled it and dropped it, an indication that he’s still a bit limited. He worked through his limitations in Baltimore after he hit the ground with his left hand after getting hit, hurting the thumb.

For the rest of the game, he made all handoffs with his right hand, which could have created problems. Palmer showed his knack for improvisation: the exchanges with running back Cedric Benson went smoothly.

“I broke my collarbone in college one time and needed to do that for a couple of games,” Palmer said. “I’ve done it before and it’s one of those things you do on the fly.”

It’s not an issue when he gets ready to throw. Palmer led the Bengals on yet another game-winning drive in Baltimore, completing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 20 seconds left. All five of the Bengals’ games have been decided in the closing minute.

Palmer has led the Bengals on winning drives in each of the last three. He’s been at his best under the most intense pressure, completing 66 percent of his throws for a passer rating of 112.8, which is extraordinary under the circumstances.

Palmer also has kept drives alive by scrambling on third- and fourth-down plays when defenses drop to take away his receivers. Although he’s never been much of a runner, Palmer has become more of a pocket passer since he got his left knee torn up during the Bengals’ playoff loss to Pittsburgh that ended their 2005 season.