Lampasas product Keith Null took one more step toward catching on with the St. Louis Rams, as he completed six of nine passes for 56 yards Friday against the Atlanta Falcons.

One week after throwing the game-winning touchdown pass on the road against the Jets, the rookie played practically the entire fourth quarter in the Rams' home preseason opener, but he could not engineer another game-winning drive, and the Rams fell 20-13.

Null entered the game with the Falcons leading 17-10 and helped put together a nine-play drive that ended with a 24-yard Josh Brown field goal to trim the deficit to four points at 17-13.

After handing the ball off to running back Kenneth Darby three times for nine yards, Null picked up a first down by rushing for three yards on a fourth-and-one situation.

He followed up with 17-yard and nine-yard completions to Billy Bajema that were sandwiched around an incompletion. The Rams could not find the end zone, however, and settled for the field goal.

The Falcons responded with an 11-play possession punctuated by Jason Elam's 27-yard field goal to increase Atlanta's lead back to seven points, 20-13.

St. Louis came back onto the field with 3:20 left on the clock.

Darby opened the drive with a two-yard run, and then Null followed with three completions for 25 yards.

After the two-minute warning, Darby burst free for a 21-yard scamper to advance the ball to the Falcons' 38 yard-line.

On first-and-10, Null connected with Joe Klopfenstein for five yards. His next pass, also to Klopfenstein, was incomplete.

Darby lost a yard on the following play, setting up a fourthand six situation with 50 seconds left.

Null attempted a short pass, but the ball was picked off by Eric Brock, and the Falcons secured the victory by running out the clock.

Null and the Rams return to the field for their third preseason contest Thursday when they travel to Cincinnati. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.