Ratliff to start, guessing QB competition over

[Chris Raiden]

Tony Grossi's blog: Neither Derek Anderson nor Brady Quinn expected to play tonight - cleveland.com (http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/09/tony_grossis_blog_no_word_on_w.html)

Brett Ratliff is the Browns starting quarterback, at least for tonight against Chicago. Neither Quinn nor Anderson will play in the contest.

So it looks like someone has won the job. No announcement on who exactly yet.

[Dreamers]

Or they want to give Ratliff a shot too. Mangi put a lot of stock in this guy so I would not discount him getting a shot at it as well. If he looks outstanding here he could walk away as the starter.

[Chris Raiden]

Or they want to give Ratliff a shot too. Mangi put a lot of stock in this guy so I would not discount him getting a shot at it as well. If he looks outstanding here he could walk away as the starter.

Dude...no...

Go look at his stats from the preseason and tell me you're serious. He's been absolutely horrible.

First pass tonight: pick.

[Dreamers]

Dude...no...

Go look at his stats from the preseason and tell me you're serious. He's been absolutely horrible.

First pass tonight: pick.

Haven really watched Cleveland at all this off season but coming for Mangi it would not surprise me.

[Chris Raiden]

Again, dude...no.

He's tricky, but he's not tricky enough to insert a guy into the competition who hasn't been in it AT ALL this offseason. Ratliff is here to be the backup once they trade one of the top two this offseason (or, if the rumor mill is accurate, potentially sooner), nothing more.

Ratliff, barring injuries to both Anderson and Quinn or a trade, will not start a game for the Cleveland Browns this season.

[Wolverine]

Hahaha yeah Mangini giving a last-minute shot to Raliff is just short of Romeo Crennel flipping a coin to pick his starting QB on the insanity meter.

[Sascha]

It's called game four Dreamers. Most teams don't play their starting QB at all, and many other starters are in for at most a series.

You really believe that if Ratliff had looked good, mostly against 3rd stringers btw, because even the 2nd string only sees about half a quarter of action, he would have been thrusted into the starters' competition? You've said some far out stuff before, and even some that has come back to actually happening, but this takes the cake.

[Dreamers]

It's called game four Dreamers. Most teams don't play their starting QB at all, and many other starters are in for at most a series.

You really believe that if Ratliff had looked good, mostly against 3rd stringers btw, because even the 2nd string only sees about half a quarter of action, he would have been thrusted into the starters' competition? You've said some far out stuff before, and even some that has come back to actually happening, but this takes the cake.

GEEZ I just said it would not surprise me! So Cleveland is sitting both it's starters? That makes no sense either. They should be playing the guy on the ropes not the guy on the apron. Will Ratliff play the whole game? Doubtful. Mangi does a lot of crazy stuff. Ratliff almost won the starter roll for us last year before Farve stepped in so Mangi is aware what he can do. I think you see DA or Quinn come in after Ratliff at some point. No way they start him the whole game.

[Wolverine]

GEEZ I just said it would not surprise me! So Cleveland is sitting both it's starters? That makes no sense either. They should be playing the guy on the ropes not the guy on the apron. Will Ratliff play the whole game? Doubtful. Mangi does a lot of crazy stuff. Ratliff almost won the starter roll for us last year before Farve stepped in so Mangi is aware what he can do. I think you see DA or Quinn come in after Ratliff at some point. No way they start him the whole game.

It already happened.. Ratliff started and Richard Bartel played as well.

[Hawkeye]

I have to think this is stupid logic to play Ratliff at all. Like was already stated, this is game FOUR. Teams tend to play more of their starters longer as the preseason goes on. Also this isn't a situation like Dallas or Pitt with an entrenched starter. I think having DA and Quinn both see extensive action would serve them better in the evaluation process to decide on a starter.......unless Eric "three olive" Mangini has already picked one.

[Sascha]

I have to think this is stupid logic to play Ratliff at all. Like was already stated, this is game FOUR. Teams tend to play more of their starters longer as the preseason goes on.

That's not true for Game four. Game three is the testing game, the one where starters play into the third quarter. Game four, most starters don't break a sweat.

[Hawkeye]

That's not true for Game four. Game three is the testing game, the one where starters play into the third quarter. Game four, most starters don't break a sweat.

There was a time not long ago when teams used the last game of preseason as a dress rehearsal and most starters played well into the third quarter.

[gamefarm83]

There was a time not long ago when teams used the last game of preseason as a dress rehearsal and most starters played well into the third quarter.
Yeah I remember that it wasn't long ago at all

[Sascha]

Well, there is a time, and it's the current one, where the dress rehearsal is now Game 3, and has been for a while. Game four seems more like an audition for all those getting cut later that weekend.

[Chris Raiden]

Game 4 is pretty much useless for anyone that has a roster spot locked up. It's essentially UFL season Game 1 right now ;)