Cincinnati Bengals
Zampese joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003 as quarterbacks coach at a time when the team was searching for a quarterback to lead the franchise. He aided in the scouting and evaluation of the QBs in the 2003 NFL Draft, as the team used its No. 1 overall pick to select ’02 Heisman Trophy winning QB Carson Palmer of Southern California.
Jon Kitna
Palmer’s rookie season was designated by Bengals management and coaches as strictly one for teaching and development, and he was held out of all regular season action. QB Jon Kitna took the reigns as starter, and, under Zampese’s tutelage, he posted then-career best marks in completions (324), passing yards (3591), TD passes (26), completion percentage (62.3) and passer rating (87.4). Viewed prior to the season as an aging QB on the downside of his career, Kitna earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in ’03. His success in ’03 as a starter, along with his key contributions as a backup in ’04-05, would play a key role in his eventual signing with the Detroit Lions in 2006 to be the the starting QB.
Carson Palmer
Zampese’s lead project took center stage in 2004, when Palmer took over full-time as the Bengals’ starting QB. By 2005, Cincinnati’s passing attack was widely considered one the NFL’s best, combining Palmer with WRs Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry. Powered by Palmer and the offense, the Bengals finished first in the NFL’s AFC North division with an 11-5 record, earning the team’s first playoff berth since the 1990 season. A severe knee injury suffered by Palmer in the opening series of the first playoff game helped derail the team’s chances of advancing further into the postseason, leading to a 31-17 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Palmer returned in 2006 and continued his passing prowess, posting two of the top five per-game passing yardage totals in team history (239.6 in ’06 and 250.8 in ’07). Palmer was named to the Pro Bowl in 2005 (injury prevented participation) and again in ’06, when he earned game MVP honors. After an elbow injury prematurely ended Palmer’s 2008 season, he returned in ’09 to lead the Bengals to a 10-6 record, good for another division championship and playoff berth (24-14 loss to N.Y. Jets). Under Zampese’s watch, Palmer set Bengals records in career passer rating (86.9) and completion percentage (62.9), as well as single-season marks for completions (373), passing yards (4131), TD passes (32) and passer rating (101.1).
Andy Dalton
Zampese fielded his next challenge in the spring of 2011, as a Palmer trade request created another search for a QB to lead the franchise. Zampese was again part of a scouting/evaluation effort that yielded another starting QB via the draft, as Andy Dalton of Texas Christian University was selected in the second round (35th overall).
Upon being drafted, Dalton was named the Bengals’ starting QB. The 2011 NFL lockout made the rookie learning process more difficult: It prevented communication between players and coaches and extended into late July.
Despite having no offseason contact due to the lockout, Zampese guided Dalton to one of the best statistical seasons by a rookie QB in NFL history, and it was capped by an appearance in the Pro Bowl. Add that the Bengals’ offense featured a new offensive coordinator (Jay Gruden) and new top receiving target (rookie WR A.J. Green), and Dalton’s rookie campaign was considered even more remarkable.
He became only the fifth rookie QB in NFL history to pass for 3000 yards (totaling 3398 yards), and led a surprising Bengals team to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth (31-10 loss at Houston). In 2012, Dalton topped his impressive rookie totals in nearly every category en route to another playoff berth (19-13 loss at Houston). Dalton joined Peyton Manning and Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino as the only QBs to top 20 TD passes in each of their first two NFL seasons. His total of 47 TD passes over his first two seasons is surpassed only by Marino (68) and Manning (52).
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