AFTER MISMANAGING one quarterback situation already this season, the Ravens were bumbling another yesterday. Team officials didn't want to tell if it would be No. 2 Chris Redman or No. 3 Anthony Wright starting Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
And then newly signed quarterback Ray Lucas walked into the media room and gave up the secret by mistake. He said it was going to be Wright, much to the embarrassment of the Ravens.
Wow, the earth moved. What an event. Wright over Redman. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
At this point, it really doesn't matter who quarterbacks this team because the Ravens (5-4) already have an identity of being the league's No. 1 rushing team, playing great defense and having dominating special teams.
But the move to Wright would make sense. After years of being bashed by the Ravens, and then watching him play Sunday night, Redman needs more than a week to have his confidence restored. He is a shell of himself from the last three games he played in 2002, and he needs to move on elsewhere to repair his psyche.
If Wright becomes the starter in place of injured rookie Kyle Boller as Lucas indicated, it would complete a plan coach Brian Billick had talked about internally since training camp in which Boller would be No. 1 and Wright No. 2 entering the 2004 season.
Wright's job will remain the same as Boller's, Trent Dilfer's, Stoney Case's and Redman's: hand the ball off to stud running back Jamal Lewis and throw the ball downfield and watch the receivers drop it. Wright fits the criteria better than Redman because of his mobility, which allows him to make more plays, and he can throw passes to the far side of the field.
Also, with Redman in the lineup, the Ravens might have to add a few more safe passes to their playbook such as hitches, slants and quick screens. They actually would have to put more thought into the offense and put Redman in a position to win games, much like coach Bill Parcells has done with Quincy Carter in Dallas.
That would require way too much creativity for this crew.
This comedy of musical chairs at quarterback started Monday when the Ravens announced that Boller had torn the quadriceps just above his left knee. The prognosis now has him missing four to six weeks.
But there was no need to panic. We're not talking about the Lewis boys, Ray or Jamal. If they go down with a season-ending injury, you can cancel the season. What we were talking about was a quarterback in Boller who had a rating of 62.1.
