Rams' Null still taking first team snaps
Posted On: Thursday, Dec. 24 2009 06:18 AM
By R.B. Fallstrom
The Associated PressST. LOUIS – Three days in bed with flulike symptoms did wonders for Kyle Boller's thigh injury. Now he's just got to shake off the rust and the new competition, rookie and former Lampasas quarterback Keith Null.
Boller returned to practice with St. Louis Rams on Wednesday, and the team plans to ease him back into the mix. He's missed the last two games, the first due to a bruised left thigh, and again last week due to an illness he said was not swine flu.
"That sickness helped my thigh recover because I didn't really have to practice," Boller said. "I feel a lot better, night and day from this week and last week, so that's a good sign.
"That was a full week of nothing on it."
Null took the vast majority of the snaps with the first string, and coach Steve Spagnuolo said he hasn't decided who'll get the start this week at Arizona. Spagnuolo hinted the decision might not be made for a few more days.
He liked the way Boller was moving, though.
"It's been a while since he's been out there, so he needs a couple of days to kind of get back in shape," Spagnuolo said. "Kyle kind of needs to get back in the swing."
Null started for the second straight week Sunday and was much improved from his NFL debut, reducing his interception count from five to one in a 16-13 loss to the Houston Texans.
Null played adequately in last Sunday's loss to Houston and the Rams may elect to let the rookie out of West Texas A&M play out the rest of the season as the starter.
Null was 18 of 27 for 173 yards and threw his second touchdown pass of the season.
For now, he's taking advantage of the practice time to refine his still-raw game.
"I think it's the same things I was working on last week," Null said. "We haven't heard anything yet, so we're both just preparing."
Boller's had enough of playing the mentor role for a young quarterback, even if the Rams (1-13) are limping to the finish and are front-runners for the No. 1 overall pick.
He wants to play.
"Oh, you'd better believe it," he said. "That's the tough part about this business, anytime you get off the field it allows a chance for somebody else to step in there.
"I really hope I can play this week, I'm hoping I get to go."
Actually, Boller said he could have played in an emergency on Sunday against the Texans.
"I probably would have needed to get some oxygen on the sideline," he said. "That was the hardest part warming up, just loss of breath."