Though he could only churn out a measly 29 rushing yards on 11 carries, St. Louis Rams tailback Steven Jackson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he feels good physically following Sunday's 23-6 loss to the Bears.
Jackson, who was curiously benched in Week 2 and then forced to sit out the entire week of practice with a groin injury, opened the Chicago game as the team's unquestioned starter at running back despite concerns to the contrary. "I gave them confidence that I could go and lead this team emotionally and be the starter at running back," Jackson said late Sunday.
"I felt that I wasn't going to further injure myself and make myself more susceptible to missing games," he said. "Came out of this clean. I just wish that I could've been more productive and helped my team win."
There may only be a handful of running backs in the NFL these days who can shoulder the same type of offensive load that Jackson can, but it's starting to become evident that his 29-year-old body is catching up to him. Injuries aside, Jackson has toted the rock 20 times over his last two games compared to 21 attempts in Week 1, which is quite telling.
And with the emergence of rookie Daryl Richardson as a change-of-pace back in the team's offense, Jackson's days as a 350-carry workhorse might be dwindling rather quickly. Even though it's obvious that Jackson is still the No. 1 guy for the time being, it will be interesting to see how often he practices heading into Week 4.
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