Bengals slosh past Rams

Rams running back Steven Jackson fumbled as he was tackled by Bengals safety Dexter Jackson in the first half Sunday in Cincinnati. Rams quarterback Brock Berlin looked on. Cincinnati recovered the ball. (AL BEHRMAN ~ Associated Press) [Click to enlarge]

Cincinnati, bad weather conspired to foil the debut of Rams rookie quarterback Brock Berlin.

CINCINNATI -- Rain pelted Brock Berlin's face as he settled in for his first regular-season snap in the NFL. He called signals in misty breaths, then got decked when he let go of a pass.

So, this is what it's like.

Berlin collected himself and kept going, making it through his debut without any major gaffes. He didn't make any big plays, either, and that made the difference.

Rudi Johnson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, Shayne Graham kicked four field goals on a nasty day, and the Cincinnati Bengals took advantage of the St. Louis Rams' novice quarterback for a 19-10 victory Sunday.

"It was fast, it was really exciting," said Berlin, who had only one day of running the offense in practice last week. "It was [like] big-time college football, except you've got all guys who are all-Americans on the other side of the ball. I felt really comfortable."

Neither team had much fun on an afternoon more suitable for holding a clipboard than throwing a football.

A steady, sometimes driving rain on a 38-degree afternoon made it tough to throw, catch or hold onto the slick footballs -- not what the Rams (3-10) wanted on a day when they were down to their third-string quarterback.

"It was tough," said Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who was 21-of-29 for 189 yards. "We were expecting a light drizzle, but it was pouring. I'm just thankful it let up at the end and gave both teams a chance to throw the ball."

Berlin, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, got to play because injuries wiped out the Rams' top two options. Marc Bulger sat out a second straight game with a concussion, and backup Gus Frerotte was sidelined by an injury to his passing shoulder suffered last Sunday.