Redman To Start For Falcons

For the fifth time in seven games, Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino is making a quarterback switch in an effort to jump-start his sagging offense, with little-used Chris Redman taking over as the starter for Monday night's game against New Orleans. The start will be Redman's first in a regular-season game since Oct. 20, 2002, when he was playing with the Baltimore Ravens. Since that game, he has thrown only 24 passes. "It's unbelievable," Redman said. "I have a chance to be on a pedestal that I never thought I would be on again, to be honest. I want to take advantage of this opportunity." On the Atlanta quarterback carousel, Joey Harrington has started 10 games and Byron Leftwich two contests for the 3-9 Falcons, and both have lost and regained the No. 1 job at various junctures over the past month. But Leftwich has been unable to stay healthy, and Harrington has been ineffective lately, so Petrino is making another change. The Falcons will become the fourth franchise in the league in 2007 to use three different starting quarterbacks. Redman will become the league's 55th different starter this year. Redman, 29, played well in relief of Harrington last Sunday, completing 16 of 24 passes for 172 yards, with one touchdown pass and one interception against St. Louis. He rallied the Falcons back to within one score, but then the Rams pulled away for a 28-16 victory. "I did it for one quarter," he said. "Now I've got to show I can do it for four quarters." Of all the Atlanta quarterbacks, Redman is arguably the best versed in the Petrino offense, since he played in it while in college. Petrino was the offensive coordinator at Louisville for part of Redman's career there, and that is one of the reasons the Falcons signed him as a free agent in the offseason.
Originally a third-round choice of the Ravens in the 2000 draft, Redman won the starting job in 2002, and was generally viewed as Baltimore's long-term solution at the critical position. He started the first six games that year, then was sidelined by a season-ending back injury.