If Jackson Goes Down, Rams Are Hurtin’
Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket.
Al Saunders is bringing a more complex and aggressive offense to the St. Louis Rams this year. It will feature varied and multiple sets and a lot of shifting and motion. The offense will make every receiver, particularly the tight ends, a threat, while also using the running game to the greatest advantage.
As long as Steven Jackson is in there.
Jackson is a big (6-2, 231) beast of a runner who figures to be even more dangerous than usual because this is his contract year. He has made it clear that he expects to be rewarded by the Rams for his efforts thus far and that, if the Rams’ offer doesn’t meet his expectations, he’ll take his fearsome game elsewhere. Word is that negotiations are underway and that things are going well so far. But Rams coaches and fans won’t breathe again until a new contract keeping Jackson in St. Louis is signed, sealed, and delivered.
Rams officials must believe that they can get a contract done with Jackson and that, when they do, he won’t get injured.
If they are wrong on either point, there goes about half of Saunders’ offense.
Because there is just about nothing behind Jackson on the current or foreseeable Rams roster.
Remember when Jackson got hurt last year? After he went down, there was no running game to speak of, except for a single one hundred yard game from Brian Leonard against Arizona and a long TD run by Antonio Pittman in the New Orleans game. That’s it. Jackson was ineffective for about half the season because of injuries and still gained over one thousand yards.
Huge difference.
If Jackson goes down for any appreciable time again this year, get ready for a replay of 2007’s running game. Defenses will not stack the box trying to stop Leonard or Pittman. They will lay back and focus on taking away the only real threat left…the passing game.
Now, why didn’t the Rams draft a running back this year? Well, they almost did. Team officials said after the draft that they had every intention of taking Arkansas running back Felix Jones with pick #33, but that fell apart when he was selected by Dallas. The Rams had no luck with undrafted free agents, either. Yvenson Bernard of Oregon State, the only running back taken, was hustled out of town right after he failed his physical. Another plan, that to acquire Michael Pittman from Tampa Bay, came to nothing when he signed with the Broncos. By the way, forget Travis Minor. He’s basically a special teams player, if he makes the squad at all.
As it stands right now, the Rams are one Jackson torn ACL away from being a one-dimensional offense.
You don’t think that Scott Linehan is planning on cross-training a tight end, do you????
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on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 1:19 am and is filed under Antonio Pittman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2008 NFL Off-Season, Travis Minor, Scott Linehan, Rams Offense, Brian Leonard, Dallas Cowboys, Steven Jackson, Running Back, St. Louis Rams.
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5 Responses to “If Jackson Goes Down, Rams Are Hurtin’”
May 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
i felt bad for the ram because i know their not as bad as thier record showed. anyway, with a health Jackson i can see the Rams becoming a very good team. HOWEVER, since i am not a rams fan but a giant fan what improvement been made on the OFFENSIVE LINE for what i seen that was your problem QB cant get time and when Jackson did play thier was many times MANY TIMES he couldnt find a whole and did it on his own.
the rams have a very good QB and very good WR and RB BL is a good runner as well. but games are won in the trenches and without a solid line you will not go to the SB.
i love watching jackson play and once the giants draft a monster bigger than jackson i was OMG so for what i seen form you guy its not your running game its your line
May 28th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Your articles are pretty negative, i.e. the one about the safeties and now this one. You seem to forget that our QB, WR, RB are all Pro Bowlers and our defense really stepped it up towards the end of last year. The way I see it, as long as we can stay healthy on both sides of the ball, our record will be nowhere near 3-13. I think we really will surprise some teams who come into the game taking us too lightly. Yes, if Jackson goes down we will be hurting, but the same can be said about any other player on any other team. (by the way, you don’t give our back ups enough credit).
May 28th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Gman…watch for my upcoming review of the Rams’ O-line…I think it will be a strength this year…however, no line, no matter how talented, will turn either Brian Leonard or Antonio Pittman into Steven Jackson…
Rams Fan…I’ve got to tell it like I see it…I’m not predicting that the Rams will have another 3-13 season…I’m saying only that they still have some areas to shore up, even with the good free agency acquisitions and draft picks they got this year…BTW, I haven’t gotten to reviewing the QB situation yet, and my writeup on the WR’s showed that they are a real strength on the team…the backups will get credit when they have earned it…and having Leonard working with the special teams units isn’t exactly a good sign for his career and for what the coaching staff thinks of his running…finally, other teams have better depth at RB and would be less impacted by injury to that position…
May 28th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
The comments that you make about our running backs are clearly unfair. Yes Jackson is the man, we definitely need him. If our other backs are given a chance they can and will step up to the plate. For you to say that Travis Minor may not make the squad is unfair. If he was given half a chance to run the ball you would eat your words. He is a good back. Good thing you aren’t the coach. He can be used in other ways. The Rams Staff must be aware of that.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
CCrayton…Minor is being used in other ways…he plays on special teams…if he was that good at running back he would be ahead of Leonard and Pittman on the depth chart…as far as the other backs go, they will be given their chance this year…believe me, if they perform well, I’ll be the first to sing their praises…until then, what they have done to this point plus five bucks will get you a latte…
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