Carson Palmer: Blame me for Oakland Raiders' loss

Carson Palmer brought his Oakland Raiders to the brink against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, but it wasn't enough in a 23-20 loss.

Palmer's 353-yard day was obscured by an errant pass that floated into the hands of Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel, whose 79-yard pick six handed Atlanta the lead with just 2:40 to play.

Palmer and his Raiders did drive down the field to tie the score at 20 before Atlanta kicked the game-winning field goal, but Oakland's veteran quarterback put the defeat on his shoulders.

"Put the blame on me. It's completely my fault," Palmer told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "I have to do a better job of protecting the ball. I made a crucial mistake and let our team down and let everybody down."

The Raiders crept close to a stunning upset, but not close enough. Across the field, Matt Ryan threw three interceptions -- his shakiest performance of the year -- but his team sits at 6-0, leaving Palmer to answer the tough questions.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.