FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – Rohan Davey is on the verge of winning his second pro football championship in five months. This summer, he’ll face an even tougher challenge – getting playing time behind Tom Brady.

Davey has excelled as starting quarterback for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe after throwing just eight passes in two pro seasons for the Patriots. The former Louisiana State star may even begin next season as New England’s No. 2 quarterback, a spot he held in just five of his 35 NFL games.

But beating out Brady, the MVP of two of the last three Super Bowls?

“There’s no unknown about it. We have a quarterback and we have a good quarterback,” Davey said in a conference call Thursday. “Whatever happens from the business standpoint happens, but now my contract is with the New England Patriots.”

Both quarterbacks are 26 and Davey is just eight months younger. So barring an injury to Brady, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Davey’s best chance of displaying his powerful arm and his strength probably isn’t with the Patriots.

Davey knows he’s a much better quarterback after his first steady game action since 2001 at LSU. He studied the Patriots’ offense when he stayed in New England after the 2002 season, but the club felt he was better off playing in Europe after it won the Super Bowl in February.

With three games left in the season, he has led Berlin (6-1) into World Bowl XII, scheduled for June 12. The Thunder clinched a berth with a 33-20 win over the Rhein Fire last Sunday in which Davey threw two touchdown passes.

“I didn’t come over here to be just another quarterback. I came over here to be one of the best,” he said. “When I get back (to the Patriots) I still have to work and still have to push and still have Kliff (Kingsbury) to compete with.”

Kingsbury was drafted in the sixth round last year out of Texas Tech in 2003 and was inactive all season. Veteran backup Damon Huard wasn’t re-signed, so Davey, a fourth-round pick in 2002, figures to be the primary backup to Brady, a sixth-rounder in 2000.

“You always want the opportunity to show you can play in the” NFL, said Davey, who learned from Brady about “just always being prepared for every situation.”

That paid off in Berlin.

In seven games, he completed 92 of 153 passes (60.1 percent) for 1,270 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns and has been sacked just six times.

Berlin likely will play the defending champion Frankfurt Galaxy (6-1) in the World Bowl. The teams also meet in two of their remaining three regular-season games. None of the other four teams has a winning record.

As Davey’s success has grown, defenses have tried to confuse him more. But that’s just given him a greater opportunity to learn.

He also is encouraged that Kurt Warner of St. Louis and Jake Delhomme of Carolina played in Europe before both went to Super Bowls

“It definitely was something that crept into my mind,” he said. Playing in Europe “is something that definitely has helped me and something I needed, so hopefully it can turn out for me the same way.”

In 1998 with the Amsterdam Admirals, Warner led the league in passing and Delhomme was his backup. In 1999, Delhomme was the quarterback for the champion Galaxy.

Delhomme played with New Orleans before showing his skill last year in his first season with Carolina.

Davey also may have to switch teams if he is to recreate his European success in the NFL.

“Given an opportunity to get in the right situation, I definitely think that I could blossom and become a good quarterback. There’s still a lot of unfinished business, a lot of unknown,” he said. “My best football is still to come.”

AP-ES-05-20-04 1800EDT