Quarterback Controversy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Ravens don't have a quarterback controversy.Why?Because neither Vinny Testaverde nor Eric Zeier is their quarterback of the future.If coach Ted Marchibroda were so high on Zeier, he would start him Sunday against Seattle, regardless of the condition of Testaverde's knee.But Marchibroda plans nothing of the sort, even though Jonathan Ogden's leg is all that prevented Zeier from forcing overtime in yesterday's 29-27 loss to Jacksonville."You're going to pass judgment on one game?"

On a day when road teams ruled and upsets reigned, the NFL unmasked three playoff pretenders yesterday. Stripped to their shortcomings were the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons. They all lost as home favorites in Week 10, slipping to the edge of playoff contention, even with seven games left. Here's how the witching hour arrived for all three: The Jaguars came down with a full-fledged quarterback controversy in a 13-10 loss to the Houston Texans. David Garrard, who had supplanted Byron Leftwich, threw four interceptions as the Jaguars fell to the Texans (3-6)

COLLEGE PARK -- Whatever the University of Maryland is paying Joe Krivak not to coach football is a bargain. In fact, if and when the Terrapins start winning, ol' Joe should ask for a raise.What a difference around Byrd Stadium, the practice fields and among a lot of people on campus these days (save for the student body, judging from Saturday's home crowd count: 27,550).Krivak used to wander into his weekly news conference after the team's latest loss and complain about how restricted he was in the academic quality of the players he could recruit.

For the Washington Redskins, only the names change. The quarterback controversy seems to go on forever.For most of the past two decades, the Redskins have been arguing about their quarterbacks.There were Sonny, Billy and Joe in the 1970s, Doug, Jay and Mark in the 1980s and now in the 1990s, Cary, Jeff and Stan.When the Redskins close out their exhibition season tonight against the New York Jets in Columbia, S.C., they hope to resolve their latest quarterback controversy.Coach Joe Gibbs has to decide whether to go with Cary Conklin and Jeff Rutledge as his two backups behind Mark Rypien and leave Stan Humphries as the odd man out."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- What if they gave a quarterback controversy and nobody came? Interesting question, as far as the Super Bowl champion New York Giants are concerned.Neither Phil Simms nor Jeff Hostetler appeared before the media last night after the Giants' 23-17 preseason victory over Buffalo. Frankly, there isn't much for either to say.Each has won a Super Bowl, but new coach Ray Handley says the job is Simms' to lose. Incumbents are even safer in sports than in politics, so really, what's the big deal?

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles want Jim McMahon back next season, and pony-tailed No. 9 wants to continue playing in Philadelphia.That doesn't necessarily mean Jimmy Mac will be back.According to Steve Zucker, the quarterback's agent, a healthier McMahon will also have to be made a whole lot wealthier if he is to remain an Eagle.Zucker said McMahon, whose one-year contract expires Feb. 1, would be seeking both "starter's money" and "an opportunity to be the starter" in his upcoming negotiations with the Eagles front office.

First, a word from Mike DitkaWhen the Chicago Bears coach was asked how the team rebounded from last year's 2-10 finish to start off 3-0 this year: he said, "I don't live in the past so I don't know what you're talking about. What was last year? Do you remember what you got for Christmas? I don't."A kiss and a second guessIn the San Francisco 49ers' opener against the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers won the game because the Saints threw an incomplete pass on their final third down to stop the clock and give the 49ers time to rally.

COLLEGE PARK -- This isn't a budding quarterback controversy developing at Maryland. It's simply a matter of Jim Sandwisch's health.There is nothing Sandwisch and coach Joe Krivak would like better than for the senior quarter-back to start against West Virginia here Saturday. Whether he will be able to depends not on anything John Kaleo, the No. 2, does or doesn't do in practice but solely on Sandwisch himself.The fifth-year senior from Great Mills in southern Maryland didn't practice yesterday because of a 100-degree fever and a throat infection.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Losing hurt and North Carolina's nickel package was unsolvable, but Scott Milanovich was nonetheless happy to be back in charge of the Maryland offense.The Terps have had a quarterback controversy since their third game, when an ineffective Milanovich was replaced by Kevin Foley. Foley started and Milanovich received considerable playing time in the next two games, but the Maryland offense was not at peak efficiency with what was close to a revolving-door situation.Coach Mark Duffner decided to bag the script that called for two quarterbacks, but he needed a week off and 13 days to decide on who would get the lead role.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland's last three-game winning streak in football is a distant memory.Mark Duffner was a rookie head coach at Holy Cross and the freshmen at Maryland now were in the fifth grade when the Terps began 1986 with three wins.Maryland (4-4, 2-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) can win its third straight tonight at Byrd Stadium against North Carolina State. The Terps are assured of their best season since 1990, but they know they have been inadequate against anything that resembles a quality team, a shortcoming that can be rectified against the Wolfpack.