Daryl Richardson, Steven Jackson split carries again in St. Louis Rams' loss

Daryl Richardson split carries with Steven Jackson again in Week 8, with each of the St. Louis Rams' running backs taking seven carries in a 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots. Richardson did the most with his, going 53 yards to Jackson's 23. So: Steven Jackson fans can continue to panic, and Daryl Richardson fans can continue to think about taking him for their fantasy teams. Of course—as with any running game question in a 45-7 loss—there are some extenuating circumstances to consider.

Richardson did a fair amount of his damage in garbage time, for one thing, and Jackson wasn't likely to get much playing time once the Rams had fallen down 28-7 at halftime. By the end they were so far down that invisible man Isaiah Pead got some action, taking three carries for 32 yards of his own.

But it's clear, by now, that Jackson is unlikely to find his way back to the saturation-level playing time he's been used to for most of his career. With trade talks ongoing, that might change if he goes elsewhere. But for now it looks like Daryl Richardson will be good for five to 10 carries a game for the rest of the season, whatever Jackson ends up doing.