Jackson closing in on 1,000 yards again
BY JIM THOMAS
Friday, December 16, 2011
With 105 yards rushing Sunday against visiting Cincinnati, Steven Jackson would reach 1,000 yards for the season. At first, Jackson tried to downplay the feat at his regular Thursday media session.
"It'll be nice to eclipse that," Jackson said. "But first things first. We've got to make sure that we execute the offense and get us in the flow of things. I'm pretty sure they'll be determined to stop the run."
But reaching 1,000 yards in 2011 isn't really the story of what Jackson could accomplish against the Bengals. It's the fact that it would make it seven consecutive 1,000 yard seasons for Jackson. When that milestone was mentioned, Jackson went from somewhat disinterested to NFL historian.
"Only five others have done it," Jackson volunteered, with a measure of pride.
Close, but actually it's six other players who have seven or more consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards rushing. And what a list it is: Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, and Eric Dickerson are all in the Hall of Fame; Curtis Martin is retired and became Hall of Fame eligible last year; LaDainian Tomlinson is still playing but is all but a Hall of Fame lock.
"It's a special group to be a part of," Jackson said. "I think it shows that not only are you productive but you can sustain it season after season. I'm pretty sure those guys have played through injuries. It just marks that you're a tough guy, a gritty guy that a franchise can hang their hat on."
So on a Sunday when former Rams great Marshall Faulk will be honored for his Hall of Fame induction and will be added to the Ring of Honor at the Edward Jones Dome, Jackson could achieve an impressive career milestone.
Getting to 105 yards rushing Sunday won't be easy for Jackson, because the Bengals have a fast, snarling defense. Although they've struggled some lately, the Bengals still rank seventh in the league in run defense.
"Very aggressive — that's what sticks out," Jackson said. "They have multiple looks where their secondary will be blitzing from different depths. And their linebackers are downhill and play with intimidation."
No doubt Jackson would trade yards for more victories. As he completes his eighth season in the NFL — all spent with the Rams — Jackson has never experienced a winning season. The best he has done is 8-8 in 2004 and 2006. The only playoff games for him came as a rookie in '04, when he shared time with Faulk in the backfield and the Rams squeaked into the postseason as a wildcard.
As his career has unfolded, surely Jackson has asked himself: Why did I have to be here at this time, with all this losing?
"That was a question I asked myself maybe...
-12-16-2011, 02:03 PM
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