NFL Football Odds: Browns May Be Forced to Start Rookie QB McCoy vs. Steelers

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Kahnawake,qc, October 13, 2010 — The Cleveland Browns didn’t want rookie quarterback Colt McCoy to see the field during the regular season this year, but it appears that Cleveland may have no choice for at least this Sunday’s game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are -14 on Bodog’s NFL odds.

That’s because both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace suffered ankle injuries in Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Wallace made his fourth straight start and was playing very well, going 11-for-15 for 139 yards, a touchdown and a 124.0 rating. But he suffered a high ankle sprain while being sacked just before halftime and didn’t return. Thus Delhomme, who started the season opener, was brought into the game but he was severely limited and suffered an additional injury to his right ankle. A high sprain suffered in the opener Sept. 12 caused him to miss three games and hadn’t healed yet.

Thus Cleveland’s only options might be to play McCoy or fourth-year pro Brett Ratliff, who was signed off New England’s practice squad Monday.

“It’s only the Steelers, right? Coming off a bye week? They don’t blitz much,” Browns coach Eric Mangini said sarcastically Monday. “Let’s get to Wednesday, see where we’re at.”

McCoy was 45-8 as a Texas Longhorn and 34-2 for his Texas high school. The Browns, who took him in the third round of this year’s draft, are 10-28 since 2008. And McCoy didn’t look anywhere ready to play in the NFL in the preseason, much less against a Steelers team that has one of the league’s top defenses. Ratliff, an undrafted free agent from Butte College and Utah who signed with the New York Jets in 2007, will reportedly backup McCoy for Sunday’s game. This will be Ratliff’s second stint with the Browns.

The Browns have used 15 different starters at quarterback since 1999. The last Browns rookie QB to start against Pittsburgh was Charlie Frye, who was sacked eight times in a 41-0 loss in 2005.

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