NEXT: BALTIMORE (6-8-1)
Zeier left mark here
BY JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
Eric Zeier claims to have no special feelings about returning to the stadium where he made his first NFL start and a storied franchise had its last enjoyable moments.
Eric Zeier receives congratulations from former Baltimore great Johnny Unitas after his 3-TD performance last Sunday.
(AP photo)
| ZOOM |''Different time, different game,'' Zeier said.
That's understandable. When Zeier leads the Baltimore Ravens (6-8-1) onto the field Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-9), it will be a lot like starting over.
So much has changed since that sunny October day in 1995, when Zeier - then touted as the Cleveland Browns' quarterback of the future - made his first NFL start and set up a 29-26 overtime victory at Riverfront Stadium.
As he stood outside the visitors' dressing room, Zeier got a big hug from owner Art Modell, who called him one of the most exciting Browns rookies he had ever seen.
''I think Eric Zeier is going to captivate the town,'' Modell said.
He didn't. Only four days later, word leaked that Modell had cut a deal to leave town, moving the team to Baltimore. While the upheaval engulfed the city and the team, Zeier made three more starts that season and lost them all.
Zeier hasn't captivated Baltimore, either. He got into only one game last season, completed 10 passes, threw one interception and lost a fumble that turned into an opponent's touchdown.
But Zeier is on the upswing as he returns to Cincinnati, where the stadium has been renamed and the backup quarterback also has taken over. He started the last two games for Vinny Testaverde and produced two wins, including a 21-19 victory last Sunday over Tennessee that featured a career-high three touchdown passes.
Even though Zeier's debut in Cincinnati has been clouded by all those changes in the past two years, the Bengals remember it quite well.
''He had his coming out party against us a couple of years ago and we put him in the Hall of Fame,'' coach Bruce Coslet said. ''The last couple week's he's played very well.''
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