As the St. Louis Rams look to heal up over their bye week they've received some good news about offensive tackle and former second overall pick Jason Smith, who's been practicing this week following a concussion that caused him to miss last Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. Smith is a major part of the Rams' offensive future, and with Sam Bradford in the pocket quarterback protection is more important than ever. He could be ready to play by week 10.
↵Steven Jackson, meanwhile, continues to recover from a finger surgery that coincided with his worst performance of the season. Jackson carried the ball 23 times for just 59 yards last week, and has continued to be a non-factor in the passing game, but nobody on this team could use a bye week as much as its star running back, who's found himself injured in every last spot on a regulation-sized Operation board at one point or another this year. The San Francisco 49ers have had better luck defending the run than the pass this season, but I have to imagine they'll have a hard time dealing with a refreshed Steven Jackson.
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