Coaches still believe in Zeier

All involved know the backup QB - who will play more tonight - could make or break a Super Bowl season.

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By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 10, 2000

DAVIE -- Eric Zeier is known for his passing accuracy. But his position coach might have been even more on target when asked what the Bucs expect from their veteran backup quarterback.

"I think it will be a big year for him to prove what he can do," quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen said. "He's a well-paid, upper-echelon backup quarterback. He's got to play like that.

[Times photo: James Borchuck] Eric Zeier: "I'm going to work as hard as I can to get (Shaun King's) job. But in doing so, hopefully, that's going to push him a bit."

"We can't be in a stretch run and have a starter go down for three games and go 0-3. All of a sudden, we're out of it. We've got too good of a team right now for that. (The backup is) a key position because, as we know, you can get to it quick."

Zeier, who turns 28 next month, will prop up first-year starter Shaun King on a team expected to contend for a Super Bowl berth.

Tampa Bay offered arguably the most attractive situation for a veteran quarterback in the off-season. And Zeier, who was an unrestricted free agent, believes he was fortunate to sign a three-year, $3-million deal in March to back up the 23-year-old King.

"My first choice was to come here," Zeier said. "Did I get lucky in getting to come here? Absolutely."

That's because Zeier was not the Bucs' first choice. They made an offer to Tennessee's Neil O'Donnell, in part because of his familiarity with coordinator Les Steckel's offense. But O'Donnell chose to return to the Titans.

The Bucs were interested in Kent Graham, who signed with Pittsburgh while they waited for O'Donnell's decision. Even after re-signing Zeier, Tampa Bay entertained Bears quarterback Shane Matthews and took a look at the price tag for the Vikings' Randall Cunningham, who ended up with Dallas.

But Christensen and other Tampa Bay coaches still believe Zeier is the player who can keep the Bucs afloat if King falters.

"I think he is," Christensen said. "You have to go back to the evaluation that brought him here. We thought he was one of the top backup/starter guys who had some experience. He hadn't missed games because of injury before. Last year he did. Does that worry you? Some. But the percentages say he hasn't had a problem with it."

Entering his sixth season, Zeier is easily the most experienced passer on the roster. Scott Milanovich has attempted three NFL passes, and Joe Hamilton is a rookie. But Zeier has started only one game in the past 19 months, and he did not have the kind of performance that builds confidence.

Zeier failed to lead the Bucs to a touchdown in a 20-3 loss Oct. 31 at Detroit. Worse, he sustained a rib bruise and weas inactive the next four games. When Trent Dilfer broke his collarbone, the Bucs were forced to turn to King. The rest, as they say, is history.

Zeier said he no longer wonders what might have been had he not injured his ribs.

"I don't really think about that. I didn't think about it when it happened," Zeier said. "I mean, it's only natural for that to cross your mind. But it's one of those things. (King) came in and did a great job, there's no question about it. He deserves that shot he's getting right now. He earned that right."

Zeier figures to get more playing time tonight in the preseason game against the Dolphins. He played one series in Tampa Bay's 13-12 win over Washington on Friday in the preseason opener, completing 4 of 10 passes for 51 yards.

He drove the Bucs 49 yards in 13 plays, but the march ended when Martin Gramatica missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt. That extended Zeier's pre- and regular-season streak to seven appearances without leading the Bucs to a touchdown.

"We still feel good about Eric," coach Tony Dungy said. "I guess you'd like to throw five touchdowns in a preseason game. But he's doing fine. We have a lot of confidence in him, and last year I didn't make that move lightly when we decided to go to him. We feel good about what he'll do when he has to play."

For Zeier, the preseason offers him a chance to knock off some of the rust as well as learn to function in the new offense. He also needed to stand in the pocket and see how he responded to getting belted again.

"For me, it was good, especially coming off the rib injury," Zeier said. "It really hasn't been on my mind much, but it was nice to get in there and take some shots. I wasn't in there that long, but I took a couple of really good shots, and everything felt really good. From a mental standpoint, just to get back in and get hit again was good."

Though Zeier is fighting to unseat King, he probably won't do it in training camp. Dungy has made only one change at quarterback in four years for reasons other than injury, replacing Dilfer with Zeier for the Lions game.

"We do compete every single day against each other," Zeier said. "I'm going to work as hard as I can to get his job. But in doing so, hopefully, that's going to push him a little bit. But when it comes down to it, the goal is to win games, and that's what we're going to do."

But even if Zeier is not on the field, Christensen said his role is important.

"He has to give us savvy in our meeting room, too," Christensen said. "He's got to be the veteran who sets the tone in there, who helps keep Shaun on track. I think the role of that slot is multidimensional. It's like the vice president of the United States. Then you need to be the assistant quarterback coach and everything that falls in between. He's got a big job."

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