Eric Zeier

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Eric Zeier had just been smashed twice by Pittsburgh linebacker Greg Lloyd. Another Steelers linebacker, Kevin Greene, had jarred Zeier's shoulder. His back was sore and his ego bruised.Yet Zeier wasn't nervous or frazzled, but poised and calm during the post-game news conference after Monday night's 20-3 shelling of the Browns by the Steelers.He may be 1-2 as a starter, and struggling, but Zeier's confidence has not been broken."So what? Turnovers are a part of the game, and they're going to happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am not here today to trash Chad Henne. Chad Henne is a perfectly fine young quarterback. He might also be great to his mom, kind to animals and a tireless giver to charity. But there can be no disputing this: He's no Joe Flacco. Not at this stage of his career, anyway. OK, where's Flacco at this stage of his career? Well, he's hardly a finished product. He has a lot to learn. But all he has done since he came into the league is win. Last year, he became just the fourth starting quarterback since the AFL- NFL merger in 1970 to reach the playoffs in his first two years in the league.

Ten years ago, the curtain fell on Memorial Stadium. Fittingly, in the final pro football game played on 33rd Street, it was a strong-armed quarterback who brought down the house. On Dec. 14, 1997, the Ravens' Eric Zeier passed for three touchdowns as Baltimore edged the Tennessee Oilers, 21-19, before a crowd of 60,000, including John Unitas. A decade later, Zeier remembers every detail down to the post-game revelry when Unitas, then 64, sidled onto the field, shook Zeier's hand and thanked him for the festive sendoff.

The Ravens, who started the 1998 season at 2-2, lost their third straight game when the Green Bay Packers limited them to 233 yards of total offense in a 28-10 win at legendary Lambeau Field on Oct. 25, 1998. In addition, the Ravens had a full-blown quarterback controversy as Eric Zeier was replaced by Jim Harbaugh in the second half. The key play was a 71-yard punt return by the Packers' Roell Preston just 1:47 into the game. It put the Packers up 7-0 at home, where they had won 25 of their past 26 games.

He is two years into his job, and the adjustment goes on for Ravens quarterback Eric Zeier.Zeier spent four seasons standing in the pocket at the University of Georgia, including two marvelous years that made him the best passer in Bulldogs history, and one of the best quarterbacks to grace the Southeastern Conference.Since he was drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Browns in 1995, Zeier has spent most of his game days standing on the sidelines as a backup. He'll be in that same role Sunday, when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town.

It has become a knee jerk reflex with Eric Zeier. Ask the Ravens' veteran backup quarterback to talk about himself, and he winces.Ask him to reflect on that exhilarating December last season, when Zeier proved to himself, the Ravens and the rest of the NFL that, yes, he could play in this league. Zeier smiles with self-deprecation, then showers his coaches, linemen, running backs and receivers with compliments.Ask him what it's like to go from an unknown commodity to a sought-after free agent -- a process that transformed Zeier from a low-paid passer into an instant millionaire.

1. Inexperience hurt the Ravens' secondary on key plays, including Darnay Scott's 77-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.2. Making his third straight start, Ravens quarterback Eric Zeier had trouble adjusting to the Bengals' defense early in the game.3. The Ravens had 12 penalties, several of them extremely costly, for 100 yards, compared to the Bengals' six for 45.They said itThe winners"We knew we could stop their running game. We wanted to make them one-dimensional and put the game in Eric Zeier's hands.

0: Super Bowl appearances by this franchise even when it was the Cleveland Browns.1: Passes that receivers Qadry Ismail, Justin Armour and Brandon Stokley have caught in the NFL since 1997.2: "Must-win" games this season. You know who they're against.3: Ravens draft choices starting on offense as opposed to six on defense.4: Starting quarterbacks in Ravens history when Scott Mitchell takes the snap, following in the footsteps of Vinny Testaverde, Eric Zeier and Jim Harbaugh.5: Receiver/punt returner Jermaine Lewis' rank for total yards in the NFL last season with 2,025.

Here's how the Heisman Trophy candidates fared this week:Terry Dean, Florida QB... ... ... C .. A ... Yds. ... TDIdleSeason ... 53 .. 78 .. 775 .... 13Tommie Frazier, Nebraska QB....... ...... C ... A ... Yds. .. TDvs. Pacific.. 1 ... 2 ... 26 ..... 0Season ...... 19 .. 44 .. 273 ..... 4............. No. ..Yds. ..Avg. .. TDvs. Pacific .. 1 ... 5 ... 5.0 .... 0Season ...... 33 .. 248 .. 7.5 .... 6Napoleon Kaufman, Washington RB............ No. ... Yds. ... Avg. ... TDMiami .. 28 .... 80 .....

Teams: No. 15 Ohio State (8-2-1) vs. No. 8 Georgia (9-2)When: Today, 1 p.m.Where: Orlando, Fla.TV: Channels 13, 7Coaches: Ohio State, John Cooper; Georgia, Ray GoffOhio State's key players: QB Kirk Herbstreit (147 of 240 passes for 1,794 yards, four TDs) carries on a family tradition; his father Jim played on the 1958 to 1960 Buckeyes teams. SE Brian Stablein has 51 receptions for 612 yards (12.0 avg.), and TB Robert Smith has rushed for 707 yards on 122 carries and eight TDs. The defense has held opponents to 299.5 yards (121.

T he Ravens, who started the 1998 season at 2-2, lost their third straight game when the Green Bay Packers limited them to 233 yards of total offense in a 28-10 win at legendary Lambeau Field on Oct. 25, 1998. In addition, the Ravens had a full-blown quarterback controversy as Eric Zeier was replaced by Jim Harbaugh in the second half. The key play was a 71-yard punt return by the Packers' Roell Preston just 1:47 into the game. It put the Packers up 7-0 at home, where they had won 25 of their past 26 games.

Ten years ago, the curtain fell on Memorial Stadium. Fittingly, in the final pro football game played on 33rd Street, it was a strong-armed quarterback who brought down the house. On Dec. 14, 1997, the Ravens' Eric Zeier passed for three touchdowns as Baltimore edged the Tennessee Oilers, 21-19, before a crowd of 60,000, including John Unitas. A decade later, Zeier remembers every detail down to the post-game revelry when Unitas, then 64, sidled onto the field, shook Zeier's hand and thanked him for the festive sendoff.

THE RAVENS' home-field advantage could turn into a disadvantage. With six of their next nine games at PSINet Stadium, where they have won their past five, the scene is set for a strong playoff run by the Ravens, who meet the Tennessee Titans today for first place in the AFC Central. But here is the X-factor. The Ravens haven't scored a touchdown in the past 12 quarters, and this is the same franchise that has given fans such retread quarterbacks as Vinny Testaverde, Jim Harbaugh, Scott Mitchell and Stoney Case.

Quarterbacks in the NFL have become like subway cars.There will be another one along soon.There's Brett Favre, the Energizer Bunny of quarterbacks who will tie Ron Jaworski's record by making his 116th straight start tomorrow night, and then there's everybody else.When Dan Marino's streak of 46 straight starts was ended by an injury a week ago and Trent Dilfer was benched after last week's game to halt his string of 70 straight starts, Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart was left a distant second to Favre with 39 straight starts.

0: Super Bowl appearances by this franchise even when it was the Cleveland Browns.1: Passes that receivers Qadry Ismail, Justin Armour and Brandon Stokley have caught in the NFL since 1997.2: "Must-win" games this season. You know who they're against.3: Ravens draft choices starting on offense as opposed to six on defense.4: Starting quarterbacks in Ravens history when Scott Mitchell takes the snap, following in the footsteps of Vinny Testaverde, Eric Zeier and Jim Harbaugh.5: Receiver/punt returner Jermaine Lewis' rank for total yards in the NFL last season with 2,025.

Who looks the worst in the wake of Vinny Testaverde's astounding resurgence? Call it a draw between the team that released him, the columnist who blamed him for all the Ravens' problems other than their high ticket prices (blush) and the fans who scorned him.We're all in the lead in Vinny's Last Laugh Derby.When you finish wiping the egg off your face, pass that towel over here, please.As the same, old Ravens stumble along at 2-5 with an offense deader than the NBA season, Testaverde is 4-0 as a starter for the Jets and first in the AFC in passing with 11 touchdowns and one interception.

The Ravens, who started the 1998 season at 2-2, lost their third straight game when the Green Bay Packers limited them to 233 yards of total offense in a 28-10 win at legendary Lambeau Field on Oct. 25, 1998. In addition, the Ravens had a full-blown quarterback controversy as Eric Zeier was replaced by Jim Harbaugh in the second half. The key play was a 71-yard punt return by the Packers' Roell Preston just 1:47 into the game. It put the Packers up 7-0 at home, where they had won 25 of their past 26 games.

Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell said yesterday that the announcement of his team's move to Baltimore has put the Browns in a "lame duck" situation for the remainder of the season.Modell also said he still plans on keeping Bill Belichick when the team relocates in Baltimore, but left himself a window for releasing the fifth-year coach.Modell spent Monday night in Baltimore in front of a television watching the Pittsburgh Steelers humiliate the 4-6 Browns, 20-3, before a national audience.

The picture on the Ravens' sideline was notable, mainly because of the inactivity it captured. While the team's inept offense stumbled during the second half of a 12-8 loss to Tennessee 17 days ago, quarterback Jim Harbaugh and running back Errict Rhett stood side by side as spectators, united in frustration. Injuries to Harbaugh's finger and elbow had dropped him to backup status. Rhett was on the bench for reasons that remain a mystery to him. The Ravens created rising expectations for 1998 during a three-week stretch last winter, primarily by revamping an offense around the additions of Harbaugh, Rhett and fullback Roosevelt Potts.