Zeier

Backup quarterback Eric Zeier, traded by the Ravens to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, said he leaves the club with "no hard feelings.""There's always going to be a part of me that cares for the Ravens and the Modells and the opportunity they gave me," Zeier, who started seven games during his three-year tenure in Baltimore, said yesterday. "But I'm excited to be going to Tampa."Coach [Brian] Billick was very upfront and honest about what they were looking for [at quarterback]. If they could get Warren Moon or Tony Banks [as a backup]

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.

Pick a quarterback. Pick a running back. Throw downfield.That should be Ted Marchibroda's checklist for this week. If the Ravens' coach continues to act indecisively, he can expect his offense to do the same.His quarterback Sunday should be Eric Zeier. His running back should be Errict Rhett. His game plan should lean more to his wide receivers than his fullback.The offense wasn't solely to blame for Sunday's 24-10 loss to Jacksonville, not when the special teams were brutal and the defense allowed 519 yards.

Backup quarterback Eric Zeier, traded by the Ravens to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, said he leaves the club with "no hard feelings.""There's always going to be a part of me that cares for the Ravens and the Modells and the opportunity they gave me," Zeier, who started seven games during his three-year tenure in Baltimore, said yesterday. "But I'm excited to be going to Tampa."Coach [Brian] Billick was very upfront and honest about what they were looking for [at quarterback]. If they could get Warren Moon or Tony Banks [as a backup]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- At the time, it made little sense: Why would the Ravens trade for Jim Harbaugh, relegating Eric Zeier to the bench, and then sign Zeier to a two-year contract worth $2.6 million?Why would they spend precious salary cap money on a guy they had just layered over?Well, now we know why. Zeier played in the Ravens' season opener against the Steelers last week, and he might play again today against the Jets at the Meadowlands, depending on Harbaugh's sore elbow and injured finger.

Is Eric Zeier this year's Gus Frerotte?A year ago, as a rookie, Frerotte made his first start in the Washington Redskins' eighth game and beat the Indianapolis Colts.Zeier, who could be destined to be a household name in Baltimore, made his first start in the Cleveland Browns' eighth game last week and beat the Cincinnati Bengals.Now Zeier is the Browns' starting quarterback, but Frerotte knows how difficult it can be for a rookie quarterback. Last year, he lost his next three starts and was benched before getting the job back this year when Heath Shuler was injured in the opener.

The Ravens still don't have a quarterback controversy.If you took a vote right now, the results would be more lopsided than one of those old Soviet elections."

This game was made for the guys who put together those TV highlight shows.There were punt returns for touchdowns of 89 and 66 yards by Jermaine Lewis. There was a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown. And they were passes of 92 and 60 yards.But the most significant aspect of the Ravens' 31-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks yesterday was that the Ravens may have found a quarterback they can depend on.The Ravens were doing an impression of Inspector Clouseau in the past few weeks, trying to figure out what was wrong with their sputtering offense.

Ravens reserve quarterback Eric Zeier feels a little more at ease this season, first within himself and now with the team."I got four games under my belt last season and had some other experiences," said Zeier. "I just have to use those times, and develop from them."Nearly a year ago, Zeier came into camp as a promising rookie from the University of Georgia, the Cleveland Browns' third-round draft pick who owned 18 Southeastern Conference and 67 Bulldogs passing records.He quickly made a name for himself with the Browns in preseason, and when the team lost three straight games early during the regular season, Cleveland coach Bill Belichick pulled starter Vinny Testaverde for Zeier.

Before training camp began, coach Ted Marchibroda said the player who had improved the most during the team's two minicamps was second-year quarterback Eric Zeier.Last night, Zeier justified Marchibroda's praise with his best performance of the preseason. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He showed more poise in the pocket, he threw well on the run, he made big throws on third JTCdown and his final pass -- a 12-yard touchdown to Ray Ethridge -- came on fourth down and gave the Ravens their first lead with just over a minute left.

The Ravens had planned to address at least one of their various offensive needs during the opening day of the NFL draft, but several hours after strengthening their defense by selecting prized cornerback Chris McAlister, the war room at the team's Owings Mills facility fell silent.Instead of trading down in the second round and possibly adding a third-round pick -- and thus filling two holes on an offense that ranked 26th in the NFL last year -- the Ravens decided to look one more year down the road.

St. Louis Rams quarterback Tony Banks, who has been shopped around the league as trade bait to almost every team during the off-season, visited the Ravens' Owings Mills training complex yesterday and underwent a physical examination by the team.Banks, 6 feet 4, 215 pounds, is considered the second option to Warren Moon, 42, as a backup to starter Scott Mitchell next season. Banks, a four-year veteran, started all but two games for the Rams last season and was 12th in the NFC in passing, completing 241 of 408 passes for 2,535 yards with seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

PHOENIX -- The Ravens haven't ended their quarterback hunt yet.After finalizing their deal to get Scott Mitchell from the Detroit Lions yesterday, the Ravens immediately started looking for a backup to play behind Mitchell.They made a one-year contract offer to Warren Moon and also are considering, among others, Tony Banks of the St. Louis Rams.Ozzie Newsome, the team's vice president of player personnel, said the Ravens may start trade talks with Rams coach Dick Vermeil as an insurance policy in case they don't get Moon.

Running backsThe strongest contribution has come from second-year man Priest Holmes, and he didn't get to start until the fourth game. After his 173-yard effort that night against the Bengals, Holmes has performed admirably, although the offensive line could have helped him more. Errict Rhett began the season with nearly 100 yards of offense against Pittsburgh, but has slipped into a nearly invisible role. Second-year tailback Jay Graham has been a nonfactor, and fullback Roosevelt Potts has not been the blocker the Ravens had counted on. Predictable play-calling also has not allowed this group to shine at times.

Wally Williams is glad to return to the position he played in college and high school.The Ravens announced the switch Wednesday afternoon, moving Williams from left guard to center for Jeff Mitchell, and inserting Ben Cavil at left guard. Center is the position Williams has wanted to play since he came into the league as a relatively unknown free agent out of Florida A&M six years ago.But since he has been with the Browns/Ravens, Williams has played both of the guard positions as well as center.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- For the fifth time in the Ravens' first seven games, two quarterbacks shared time. After 12-year veteran Jim Harbaugh came off the bench to replace the ineffective Eric Zeier at the start of the second half, coach Ted Marchibroda would not name a starter for next week's game against visiting Jacksonville.Marchibroda liked what he saw of Harbaugh, who appears to have put his finger and elbow problems behind him. Those injuries limited him in the season's first three games, none of which he was able to finish.

In Friday's preseason loss to the New York Jets, there was no better player among the Ravens than quarterback Eric Zeier. And the toughest part about Zeier's job is that, in four months, he might look back on 1997 and point to that August night as the highlight of his season.Such is life through the eyes of a backup.Heading into his third season -- not to mention the end of a three-year contract he signed as a third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1995 -- Zeier is long removed from the weekly highlight reels he generated as a star at Georgia, where he set 67 school records and 18 Southeastern Conference marks that still stand.

Ravens coach Ted Marchibroda has named reserve quarterback Eric Zeier the starter for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks, replacing Vinny Testaverde, who has not recovered from a knee injury.Marchibroda made the decision yesterday afternoon, told Zeier during practice and informed Testaverde immediately after the team's 2 1/2 -hour workout. Marchibroda said the decision to give Zeier his first start as a Raven was based solely on the injury and not because of recent criticism from fans and media of Testaverde.

There are certain buzzwords that come out of NFL locker rooms signaling that a team is desperate or about to collapse. Like "gut check" or "character. "Those words don't come off the lips of the Denver Broncos or Pittsburgh Steelers. And they certainly didn't come out of the Green Bay locker room after the Packers had beaten the Ravens, 28-10, yesterday before 59,860 at Lambeau Field. Try the Ravens (2-5), losers of their last three games. The Ravens, who had only 233 yards of total offense yesterday and haven't won a game in October.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There are certain buzzwords that come out of NFL locker rooms signaling that a team is desperate or about to collapse. Like "gut check" or "character."Those words don't come off the lips of the Denver Broncos or Pittsburgh Steelers. And they certainly didn't come out of the Green Bay locker room after the Packers had beaten the Ravens, 28-10, yesterday before 59,860 at Lambeau Field.Try the Ravens (2-5), losers of their last three games. The Ravens, who had only 233 yards of total offense yesterday and haven't won a game in October.