Chances of a St. Louis win in New England hinge on Jackson’s health

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Friday, October 24, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

St. Louis Rams
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Fans are holding their collective breaths in St. Louis right now as the 2-4 Rams prepare to play at the 4-2 New England Patriots on Sunday. Those fans may not be able to exhale until the announcement is made whether star running back Steven Jackson will be able to play against the Patriots.

Jackson, who rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams' win over the Dallas Cowboys last week, is trying to bounce back from a bruised quadriceps muscle and may not be able to suit up this week.

Commentary: For the feel-good story of the Rams to continue, Jackson has to be in the lineup. In the Rams’ two victories this season, Jackson has rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns. In the Rams’ four losses, Jackson has totaled 269 yards and one score.

If Jackson can’t go for the Rams, the candidates won’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of the Patriots. Antonio Pittman, Travis Minor and Kenneth Darby are the players who will try to fill Jackson’s big shoes. Pittman has only rushed for a total of 145 yards in his two-year NFL career. Minor has the most experience, but has only accumulated 1,218 yards in eight years in the league. Darby has amassed a whopping total of 9 yards in one year in the NFL.

Jackson’s status may not be known until game time on Sunday. He's has been very limited in practice this week. The Rams know that they need him against the Patriots, but they also don’t want to risk further injury to Jackson.

Fan Pulse: Fans know that the Rams are in trouble if Jackson can't play against New England. However, they also don’t want the team to risk his future health by rushing him back too soon.

Fantasy Impact: The fantasy impact starts and ends with Jackson. He has been the only productive Ram this season, and his owners were dancing in the fantasy football streets after his three-touchdown performance last week against the Cowboys. If Jackson doesn’t play, there is no fantasy running back option for the Rams. Be very afraid of picking up whichever back fills in for Jackson.

Injury report: Besides Jackson’s injury, the Rams are hurting on the defensive line because of Adam Carriker’s ankle injury. Carriker wants to play against New England, but it is likely that he will have to sit. Wide receiver Derek Stanley is recovering from a concussion and will probably not play on Sunday.


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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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