Rams vs. Bills: Steven Jackson, finally healthy, should play big role against porous Buffalo run defense

What looked for most of the season like the worst year of Steven Jackson's career—the year in which the St. Louis Rams finally marginalized their all-time leading rusher—has turned into an almost-typical Steven Jackson season as we approach the end. The Rams have gone back to him as often as ever, even passing to him consistently for the first time all year, and he's responded with some vintage Jackson performances. That should continue against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, especially now that Jackson's finally moved from a soft questionable to a hard probable on the injury report.

How well has Jackson papered over his slow start? Well, even after slamming hard into a tough San Francisco 49ers run defense last week he's gotten his yards per carry back at 4.0 for the season, and despite taking fewer than 15 carries five times in the first half he's finally projected to get over 1000 yards again, for the eighth consecutive season.

He'll bring that momentum to a Buffalo Bills run defense that's perhaps the worst in football, allowing nearly five yards per carry and 17 touchdowns through 12 games. At 29, Jackson has managed to allay fears about the end being nigh; in Week 14, he could make them disappear for the rest of the season by putting together a big game against a team that's allowed several.