Can you feel the excitement of a quarterback battle? A third string QB battle? Tonight it high noon for Brock Berlin and Keith Null, both of whom are vying for the coveted third spot on the St. Louis Rams QB depth chart. Against the Chiefs tonight, they both get plenty of playing time with Bulger out and Kyle Boller expected to play just a couple of offensive series.
First, the stats (preseason stats):
Brock Berlin
13/21, 61.9% completion rate, 5.7 yards per attempt, 119 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 93.2 QB rating
Keith Null
9/15, 60% completion rate, 6.4 YPA, 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks, 73.2 QB rating
It's tough to get a read on those numbers since they represent such a small amount of work, especially work in the preseason against backups. Their completion rates are very similar.
Berlin is older, 28, and has NFL experience. Null is a fresh faced newbie, straight outta West Texas A&M, who made a good impression in his preseason work. Null has the size; Berlin has more mobility. I won't totally recap the QB fight card, since we covered it pretty well after the Jets game.
I will say this: All joking aside, don't take the race for third QB too lightly. Bulger and Boller both have a pretty extensive injury history. The odds for a third QB to see playing time with the Rams might not be as long as you think. We talked about this a little on Turf Show Radio last night, and 3k made a good point. Berlin has some experience, and all things being a push, Null could be stashed on the practice squad.