More carries for Jackson are promised

[RamWraith]

By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Sep. 19 2008
An older, wiser Steven Jackson is making no demands, unlike in 2005 when he
angrily taped the words "Give me the ball" over his locker stall at Rams Park.

But make no mistake: Jackson is itching to boost his carries total — perhaps
even double them — on Sunday in Seattle. And offensive coordinator Al Saunders
is eager to accommodate the 6-foot-2, 235-pound running back.

"We have to get the ball to our best player, No. 39," Saunders said. "He hasn't
run the ball enough, and we need to make sure that we establish our run" so
that opponents can't tee off in obvious passing situations.

After two lopsided losses, the Rams are last in the NFL in total offense and
tied for last in scoring. Some 29 ballcarriers have surpassed Jackson's 93
rushing yards.

In 2005, when Jackson led the league in yards from scrimmage, he got almost 22
carries per game. This year, he's averaging just 13 1/2.

That's partly because the Rams have fallen behind early and have had to pass to
try to catch up: Of the 99 plays called, only 31 were runs — one was a 9-yard
scramble by quarterback Marc Bulger.

Also, Saunders believes that Jackson's 27-day holdout slowed his readiness.

"Steven's a special back," Saunders said, "but I don't care who you are, it
takes time to get into the flow."

A less-mature Jackson might have argued that point. Instead, he calmly
maintained that more work on game day would get him up to speed faster.

"I'm not one of those scat-back guys where two or three carries will do it for
me; I need my chance to get a feel for a game and wear defenses down," he said.
"We've just got to get that flow of the offense and put together long drives
and get into the red zone and score."

Jackson noted that it was important not to the let the mounting speculation
about coach Scott Linehan's job security — fueled by strong comments from team
owner Chip Rosenbloom on Monday — affect the team's efforts to shift its
fortunes.

"If the newspapers are in the locker room, I get rid of them. You don't really
need to defeat your spirit with that," Jackson said. "If we get to winning, a
lot of people will be rewarded. Players just need to take care of what players
can do, and that's play well."

Jackson, a fifth-year pro, said he's confident the Rams soon will start putting
up better numbers. History is on their side, he emphasized.

"This offense is proven around the league. Wherever Coach Saunders has been,
his offense is normally among the top in the statistics, passing and rushing,"
he said. "We like to use the (term) 'chopping the wood.' If we keep chopping
the wood, eventually we'll have our breakthrough game."

RAM-BLINGS

Defensive back Ron Bartell (ribs) sat out Thursday, but Linehan said he
expected him to practice today and be ready to go Sunday. ... Guard Jacob Bell
(hamstring) and defensive end Leonard Little (hamstring) stepped up their
activity. Linehan said both are 50-50 for Sunday's game.

[laram0]

By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Sep. 19 2008
An older, wiser Steven Jackson is making no demands, unlike in 2005 when he
angrily taped the words "Give me the ball" over his locker stall at Rams Park.

But make no mistake: Jackson is itching to boost his carries total — perhaps
even double them — on Sunday in Seattle. And offensive coordinator Al Saunders
is eager to accommodate the 6-foot-2, 235-pound running back.

"We have to get the ball to our best player, No. 39," Saunders said. "He hasn't
run the ball enough, and we need to make sure that we establish our run" so
that opponents can't tee off in obvious passing situations.

It's a good thing we hired Al Saunders to remind us of the obvious.

[renrawtruk]

Teams playing the Rams come in thinking that, for the most part, all they have to do is stop SJ and they will win. So we need to counter that by not going to that well right off the bat. Otherwise we are playing into their hands.

I don't like these blanket statements like, "we need to get the ball into 39's hands more often to give us a chance to win".

The starting game plan so far each week has been to run the ball on 1st and 2nd down, and then unsuccessfully try to convert on 3rd down.

I hope we don't get to see any more of that. I'd prefer we come out swinging with some thought-out passing plays.

Then get SJ going to really keep them on their toes.

[Mooselini]

Jackson does need to get more touches. Well, I know this isn't always the case, but on NFL.com it had said that the Rams are 14-4 when Jackson gets 22 or more touches. Get him in the groove, give him the touches and he will run people down all day long.

[Ram Dragoon]

Now there is a winning strategy if i ever heard one. Your defense can't finish a game, your offensive line can't run-block, and your going to run the ball

That plan ought to work, the Rams haven't been beat by 50 points yet; this exersize in brilliance ought make that reality happen

[eldfan]

Now there is a winning strategy if i ever heard one. Your defense can't finish a game, your offensive line can't run-block, and your going to run the ball

That plan ought to work, the Rams haven't been beat by 50 points yet; this exersize in brilliance ought make that reality happen

Faulk maybe right saying that paying SJ was the wrong move when we would be down big and unable to use him. But if the OL can't run block and Bulger is on a world record pace for sacks, where do that leave the offense? We can't run we can't pass and the Defense can't stop the run or the pass. Wow what a team.

[sig51]

We have to find different ways of using him, not just on 1 and 2nd downs. Line him up as a receiver on third down. Stuff like that.

[C-Mob 71]

Lets not forget he is no Marshall Faulk. They need to give him the rock, get a fullback and maybe a couple tight ends in front of him, and start shoving him horizontally down the opposing defenses throat's. I've seen enough of his vertical dancing, get up the field and get positive yards.

[punahou]

Jackson does need to get more touches. Well, I know this isn't always the case, but on NFL.com it had said that the Rams are 14-4 when Jackson gets 22 or more touches. Get him in the groove, give him the touches and he will run people down all day long.

Every time Ive seen or heard about a player that 'holds out' of training camps and pre-season games, it seems nothing ever good materializes for that player that season.
(most recently KC's Johnson)

While I underastand the business and financial aspect of Jackson's hold out

1) there is no subsitute for putting the pads on and training for specificity.
-- that means taking hand-offs
--find holes the O line opens, whether in the designated spot or somewhere else.
--practicing at game speed
-- getting hit and hitting back.

2) While I know many of us Rams fans like Jackson, Ive always felt he's OK.

3) Greed before Team never works out for the player.

hes not Faulk, Sanders, and not even close to Dickerson.

IMO I would have traded him while his value is high-- to set the tone for the teams future without Linewho.

Good NFL running backs are alot easier to come by than many of the positions that the Rams need.

Flame me if you wish.

[btimsah]

"We have to get the ball to our best player, No. 39," Saunders said. "He hasn't
run the ball enough, and we need to make sure that we establish our run" so
that opponents can't tee off in obvious passing situations.

The run worked for very little last week, so let's keep slamming our head against a brick wall. = FAIL

27 carries for 93 yards and a 3.4 yard average. It really sucks, when your offensive line sucks.


We will waste our time giving Jackson 20+ carries for his 59 yards and then Bulger goes 12-20 for 120 yards. Pathetic. I can't stand how lame our offense/team as become.

[Ram Dragoon]

SO the Rams can't line up in the "I" and go off tackle. Play-action is uncredible play to use since it asumes you can run the ball


Ok, that leaves the shotgun and a sitting duck QB.

Solution--run a two back-set. An extra back for either pass protection, a lead blocker for Jackson, and another target for a swing pass. Even a naked boot-legg becomes possible. Formation changes with/without TE, 3 reciever sets etc.

[Azul e Oro]

SJ is a slugger, a homerun hitter. Even with our infamous Flimsy Fivesome o-line last year, he repeatedly hit big runs on generally 1st & 10 or 2nd &10 situations so the opposition seeing it coming isn't as important as the execution by both the blockers and the runner, no matter how basic or intricately original the playcall.

Lousy blocking by o-liners & SJ's Achilles Heel; the inability to effectively chip-block then run a route, makes getting those big hits even harder but we can't stop trying. When he hits one,it's either a TD or gets the whole offense clicking which often leads to points anyway. Here's some stats from last year to illustrate.

Vs 9ers
1st/10 37yd run
Drive ends in TD

Vs Hags
1/10 53 yd run
TD

Vs Falcons
50yd run
TD

Vs Bungles
1st/10
54yd run
Missed FG

Vs Packers
2nd/2
46 yd run
TD
Sure, it's an over-simplification to say "give SJ the ball".But no other offensive player has shown that kind of playmaking ability on offense this last year & a half. maybe McMichael or Avery can add that dimension this year but we haven't seen it yet. Same for Holt.
Nor will we see much from WR X,Y, or Z,imho, until the o-line & backs get the ABCs of offense down.

With the same overarching POV on all 3 phases of the team's performance, note that most of these big plays came from near mid-field.I'll have to dig around for stats on our starting field position but it's obvious that we are dramatically losing the field position battle, considered by many coaches to be one of the most important "hidden" stats of a game. Back to the trenches again; this time the D-line......

[skelley]

I fear this will just mean more 3 & outs. It will also put us in many obvious passing situations & thus Bulger will falter.