Pocket Presence: Browns, Buccaneers Make Changes

It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.

We're here every week, hoping to make some sense of quarterback issues facing teams in the NFL. Sometimes, it feels like we're picking on Eric Mangini and the Cleveland Browns. However, at 0-3, and with little reason to think the problems in the passing game are just going to disappear, the Browns again find themselves at the top of the heap.

Cleveland Browns: Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson

When Quinn got the hook Sunday, the hope was that the offense would start to click. Instead, things appeared to get worse. Anderson threw three picks and could only muster a field goal, as the Ravens torched Cleveland 34-3.

Despite Anderson's horrific performance, Cleveland coach Eric Mangini has named him the starter for Sunday's game against suddenly resurgent Cincinnati. The hope is that a week to prepare will allow Anderson to be more successful (wouldn't take much), and it also gives the coaches a chance to put in a gameplan that tailors itself more to Anderson's deep-ball skills than Quinn's checkdown game.

The problem with a checkdown quarterback is that you generally need elite talent elsewhere on the field for him to be successful. Cleveland lacks that kind of talent, leaving Quinn on an island when it's time to throw. In that regard, the Browns could very well be better off with the high-risk, high-reward style Anderson brings to the table.

Or maybe not.

Status update: Hot

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Johnson, Josh Freeman, and Byron Leftwich

The Browns weren't the only team to make a switch at quarterback for their next game. After an 0-3 start with Leftwich under center, one that included a performance against the Giants on Sunday that could best be described as "hopelessly inept," the Bucs have seen enough.

Leftwich is out, and Johnson starts Sunday at Washington, as the Redskins try to avoid a 1-3 disaster. It's not so much anything Leftwich did wrong. Instead, it appears Tampa coach Raheem Morris has recognized this is a lost season, so he might as well see what his youngsters have before it's too late. Might as well start with the guy he just recently labeled a "career backup."

The Buccaneers will go with first-round pick Freeman as the backup, meaning Leftwich is relegated to baseball cap/clipboard/hand signals duty for the foreseeable future.

Status update: Very warm

St. Louis Rams: Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller

The change here was made out of necessity Sunday, as Bulger was injured against the Packers. It doesn't sound like he will miss significant time, but rookie coach Steve Spagnuolo got a good look at Boller in live action.

While the results weren't great, the Rams showed some potential, scoring on three straight possessions around halftime to make things very interesting before Green Bay was able to pull away. They hardly looked explosive, nor did they remind anyone of the Saints, but the offense moved with Boller at the helm, once he figured out his receivers weren't eight feet tall.

Spagnuolo is likely to stick with a healthy Bulger, but if he's ineffective for an extended period, he has to know that Boller can step in and competently run the offense. It might not lead to an immediate change at quarterback, but it could make Bulger's leash a bit shorter.

Status update: Warm

Carolina Panthers: Jake Delhomme, Matt Moore, and A.J. Feeley

Every time Delhomme throws a killer interception, you wonder how much longer he has, especially as Feeley continues to gain knowledge of the team and the offense. It seems that Delhomme is getting close to his last chance, because coach John Fox can ill afford to keep losing games in gut-wrenching fashion.

The 0-3 Panthers appear to be sticking with the veteran Delhomme for now. Nothing will change this week, as the team has their bye week. This situation certainly is worth a close eye when Carolina hosts Washington in Week 5.

Status update: Warm