Fans Get Wish, Trent Dilfer Benched
(October 26, 1999)

At seventy games, Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer had the second longest starting streak in the NFL. That streak will end this Sunday night when Eric Zeier starts for the Bucs in a key NFC Central Division game at Detroit.

After a rather uninspired (boring) 6-3 victory over Chicago last Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, head coach Tony Dungy hardly gave a vote of confidence to his QB. "I'm really not one to change quarterbacks in the middle of the game and I guess we'll just let it go at that."

On Monday, Dungy did change quarterbacks and it could be the beginning of the end for Dilfer's Buccaneers career. Dungy indicated that this was not temporary. "I'm not going in to this with idea of anticipating another change."

Could Dilfer, in the option year of his contract, have started his last game for Tampa Bay? The Bucs could pay over $8 million to exercise that option and keep him for two more seasons, or let him become an unrestricted free agent. Obviously, with ten games still left in the season, only time will tell.

Quarterbacks always get an disproportionate amount of the blame or credit for what transpires on the football field. The Tampa Bay franchise has a history of blaming the quarterback for the team's ills. For example, Super Bowl MVPs Doug Williams and Steve Young. Will Trent Dilfer become the latest Bucs QB to be run out of town only to go on to glory somewhere else?

Even the staunch supporters of Dilfer must admit he had time to prove himself. There were high expectations for this season, and for last season for that matter, so it is not difficult to understand coach Dungy's decision. The Bucs offense needs some motivation and maybe the benching of Dilfer will be a wake up call.

Hopefully, Zeier will provide the necessary spark on offense. If not, by the time the Bucs return home to play Kansas City on November 14, the fans may already be calling for Shaun King.

Zeier is aware of what how tough this game can be on quarterbacks. He remarked, "There's going to be critics out there that are going to be expecting miracles right away, and if they don't happen, I understand what comes along with that territory." If he is not sure, just ask Trent Dilfer.