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Steven Jackson has two 100-yard rushing games in his last three, so it's reasonable, I think, to be surprised by the way the St. Louis Rams' star running back has been held to 15 yards on 10 carries midway through the third quarter. But he hasn't been held down entirely—Sam Bradford has made him one of Danny Amendola's many replacements, throwing him the ball four times for 55 yards. And while it hasn't helped the Rams score on a strikingly tough San Francisco 49ers defense, it has proven that Jackson's comeback isn't over yet.
It's Jackson's biggest receiving day since his nine-reception, 72-yard game last December against the Cincinnati Bengals. Which is surprising, probably, for a running back who once led the NFL in all-purpose yards by catching 90 passes for 806 yards in a season. But the Rams' offense and Jackson have both changed since, and their all-time leading rusher can now go entire games without a pass target; he came into this week's action with 16 catches for 129 yards.
When they need him, though, the skill is still there.