Clearing up some Steven Jackson myths

[RamWraith]

AROUND THE HORNS
By Bill Coats

Let’s clear up two misconceptions about Steven Jackson that are being promoted by “experts” posting on Internet sites:

1. Jackson is not “soft.”

2. Jackson is not “all about me.”

Item 1 is answered easily: Just watch Jackson when he has the ball. No back in the league runs it harder. Any number of Rams opponents have made that observation. He’s never been one to avoid contact, yet he becomes more effective as the game wears on and defenders wear down.

For the answer to Item 2, consult his teammates. To a man, they praise Jackson as a fierce competitor and a team-first guy.

Jackson probably won’t play Sunday against the Jets. His strained right thigh isn’t responding. After he tried to make a go of it last week vs. the Cardinals, an MRI on Monday “was actually worse than the first MRI,” taken after he was hurt Oct. 19 against the Cowboys, he reported.

“It’s getting better, but a hamstring, a quad, a groin, those kinds of injuries, one day you feel great and then the next day, the little slightest movement or tweak can really set you back,” Jackson explained. “That’s just what I’m dealing with right now. One day I feel great, feel like I can go. And when it’s time for me to prove that I’m ready, something is just not responding the way we want it to.”

Jackson is “very frustrated,” but he’s also matured considerably during his five NFL seasons, and he realizes that if he’s not at, or very near, 100 percent, then he’ll hurt his team by trying to gut it out. He thought he was at that point Sunday, but he miscalculated. He won’t make the mistake again — and Jim Haslett won’t let him. Jackson will play when he knows he’s healed enough to produce his best for the Rams. And then proves that to Haslett in practice.

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Notes & quotes:

*RB Antonio Pittman (hamstring) has been doing some running and probably will try to practice Friday. If he can suit up Sunday, he’ll be worked into the rotation in some manner with newbies Kenneth Darby and Samkon Gado.

*The Rams will dial back the offensive game plan some for Darby and Gado. “We’ll try to play to their strengths,” Haslett said. “We want to make sure we give these guys an opportunity to be successful.”

*C Nick Leckey, generously listed at 6-3 and 302, will have a big — and we mean big – assignment in Jets DT Kris Jenkins, who goes 6-4 and 349 and is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.

*Haslett was pumped Thursday afternoon. “Practice I thought was great today. Lot of energy, the guys were into it. That’s all you can ask of them. I was very pleased with the way we worked today.”

All for now . . .

[schut39]

*C Nick Leckey, generously listed at 6-3 and 302, will have a big — and we mean big – assignment in Jets DT Kris Jenkins, who goes 6-4 and 349 and is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.

This has me worried

[RockinRam]

*C Nick Leckey, generously listed at 6-3 and 302, will have a big — and we mean big – assignment in Jets DT Kris Jenkins, who goes 6-4 and 349 and is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.

This has me worried

Jenkins could probably pick Leckey up and throw him into Bulger. Then he would do a lion roar and Incognito will get his ear buds shattered. I wonder if that counts for a sack.

[ramsanddodgers]

Jenkins could probably pick Leckey up and throw him into Bulger. Then he would do a lion roar and Incognito will get his ear buds shattered. I wonder if that counts for a sack.

Only if Bulger was still waiting for a receiver to clear and was holding the ball?

[RockinRam]

Only if Bulger was still waiting for a receiver to clear and was holding the ball?

Jenkins throwing Leckey would take about .5 seconds. I doubt Bulger can gun it to a receiver that fast.

Leckey, let me introduce you to Jenkins.

Jenkins, let me introduce you to your new chew toy.

I can even picture it now.
After the game, a video of Jenkins destroying Leckey will mysteriously find its way onto youtube, where it will be the most viewed video ever. Even the little kids in Japan will laugh at Leckey.

[bigredman]

Only if Bulger was still waiting for a receiver to clear and was holding the ball?

You mean Bulger holding the ball still trying to see what the defense was doing in the secondary, and oops, guessed wrong again, another interception or knocked down pass.

[Mooselini]

HAHAHHA. That post about Leckey being thrown into Bulger is funny. Good job guys!

But I really hope we have a miracle this weekend...we really need it. We miss Jackson more than anything.

[laram0]

AROUND THE HORNS
By Bill Coats



2. Jackson is not “all about me.”


For the answer to Item 2, consult his teammates. To a man, they praise Jackson as a fierce competitor and a team-first guy.

Mr Coats,

Did you really expect his teammates to say anything negative? Especially to a reporter?

Please!

[UtterBlitz]

Good luck Nick, the one inch difference is not too bad, but the 40 plus additional pounds will be hard to stop.

[renrawtruk]

*C Nick Leckey, generously listed at 6-3 and 302, will have a big — and we mean big – assignment in Jets DT Kris Jenkins, who goes 6-4 and 349 and is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.

Oh, you mean the same Kris Jenkins we could have had for a second round pick a few years back? Instead we have Brian "leaping out of the NFL" Leonard.

[theodus69]

OK. Jackson is great.....at what I'm not sure yet.