Null Overload: Thought of the Day
by Eric Nagel on Dec 15, 2009 2:36 PM CST
in 2009 St. Louis Rams regular season
Email
PrintIt's been deemed taboo to speak of Keith Null starting. Coach Spagnuolo thought of it as a last ditch effort, something that shouldn't happen save for (gasp) an injury to Kyle Boller. Browsing through Jim Thomas' article today about last weeks game was confusing, as I saw quite a few tidbits of information stating that Keith Null's psyche is much stronger then we (or at least the coaching staff) thought.
Firstly, you have this quote:
Yeah, I would love to get out and play again...The more experience I get, the better.
That comes straight from the Texas mouth of Keith Null. It pretty much reiterates everything that has been said on this board for a while; there is no shortcoming to seeing what talent the rookie has. As I am told unfortunately, 1-12 does not bode well in Wild Card math. (Neither does Kyle Boller, but that's an entirely different story. I'm sure he would hate to lose yet another job to a rookie though).
In fact, as another quote in the article points out, he was even cracking jokes about his play:
I made some good throws. Good reads. I threw the ball to the right read most of the time. I had a lot of completions. If you count the interceptions, [I had] even more completions.
It's beginning to get obvious that Spagnuolo was merely making excuses; there is no doubt that Null didn't just magically get this bravado by stepping in for the Rams (during a blow out, no less). It's more and more obvious that the reason Null didn't play was to salvage any credibility the Rams had during this season. It's one thing to look at what you have, it's another thing completely to throw out a 6th round draft pick when your season is effectively over. Evaluating is different then throwing in the towel.
Spagnuolo has always seemed to be a classy guy and it shows in some of the things he said:
You always want to see the look in their eye. And I thought [Keith] had a good look. He wasn't frazzled by anything, really.
Spags' even went so far as to say:
I'm not comparing Keith to Peyton Manning, but I think in his first year (Manning) had a bunch of interceptions. Now again, please don't be writing down that I'm comparing Keith. I mean, that's what they go through. And he'll learn from that. I know he will.
Like I said, not playing Null had to have been a face saving measure. Playing him now or next year, the Rams will still be going through all sorts of growing pains. Seriously Spags, this whole "Lets not hurt him mentally, he's still young, he needs teaching and experience before he plays," type of mentality doesn't quite work when you compare him to Peyton Manning. You wouldn't have said that to the media (of all people) if you didn't mean it.
After sitting on it last night and watching the tape, I did some things and I know I can play at this level.
At this point in the season, there is no reason why Null shouldn't be playing. It's one thing when you can keep him riding the pine and not have to play him, but once you've let the cat out of the bag...there just isn't a point to keeping him as the backup anymore.
8 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
So is Null in the cards for grooming to be our number one?
There have been others drafted in the late rounds that became starting quarterbacks…but were any of them long time stars like ths Brees, the Mannings. or any of the other 1st rounders? Help me here, none come to mind.
I would much rather they draft a QB on the 1st day (and I’m not talking the 3rd round) and have a fairly top notch franchise QB to head up the Rams young team and make good for the long haul.
Go Ram!
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
I'm going to have to pull this card aren't I?
Tom Brady. Oh and Drew Brees wasn’t a first rounder.
A look through the starting QB ranks of the NFL can find many serviceable and good QB’s. Need I mention how many busts their have been in the past few years for QB’s? Ryan Leaf? Akili Smith? Tim Couch (or whatever his name is)? Joey Harrington? please. You can’t pull the #1 pick needed card when you don’t do research. Even then, you don’t need to have a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning to win the superbowl. It’s been done before.
To name a few good QB’s in the league (always of course, debatable) that weren’t selected as a first rounder:
David Garrard, Matt Schaub, Tony Romo, Brett Favre (he was a 2nd round pick back in 1932 in case you forgot), Kurt Warner (hello?) and Matt Hasselbeck.
There are plenty of others to list, but quite simply you don’t need to select a QB in the first round for him to be successful.
I believe in 2010
I was saying this as he played
The man has poise. He played in control and with compsure, and I liked what i saw.
Before I get knuckleheaded replies to thias, No, I didn’t like the INT’s…but I’m not really at all concerned about those, because he played very well for what he is, and I think he showed a tremendous pocket presence.
He needs reps with the 1’s for the rest of the year, and he needs another chance to play this season.
As I have said, there’s a very long list of great QB’s who had crappy days or even years when they were rooks. Look at what the Jets paid for Sanchez, who is better than Null, but they traded UP for him at 5 and he had a 5 INT day too.
I was very encouraged by what I saw, and I think the guy needs a legitimate shot at being developed. His mechanics weren’t awful and for someone who hasn’t spent ANY time under center, his drop back was fine. Reading the D will come with class time, game time, and reps with the 1’s.
But he already has what a lot of guys don’t = he carries himself like a leader.
I think Null should start every game the rams have left, that we will all see if he truly has what it appears to take in a short sighted ( to few games left) kinda way. Fram everything I seen and heard he did handle himself pretty good, better then our other QB, then we will know if our draft day will be any easier
If practice makes perfect....
Yet nobodies perfect.....
Then why practice ???
Agreed
If this kid shows some improvement over the next 3 weeks, then our need for a 1st day QB in the draft may not be imminent. I think the kid has heart and he wants to play. Unlike Bulger, the kid obviously doesn’t want to just go out there and punch a timecard. He wants to get out there and play. He has something to prove.
He's got the size and the arm.
He did look very composed. And I was happy to see when he threw the TD pass he ran down to the end zone to celebrate. I hate the way Bulger just turns and walks off the field. Let’s keep giving him a chance to improve and make his case for next year by getting him out on the field.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
