Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Rams made a tough decision this past offseason and faced the consequences head on in Week 2 when they squared off against the man who carried the football for them over the bulk of the last decade. Steven Jackson did score a touchdown on a reception against his former team on Sunday, but he failed to gain a single rushing yard on three attempts. Now that word of his thigh injury has emerged, the question must be asked: Did the Rams make the right choice in letting their veteran backfield leader go?
Of course the answer to that question depends much more on what Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead, and Zac Stacy eventually do than Jackson himself, but the truth of the matter is the Rams have that trio for less than the price of what S-Jax would have cost them in 2013. Their rushing attack hasn’t been anything to brag about through two weeks with Richardson averaging a modest 3.3 yards per carry and the others barely getting into the action. Still, the Rams have progressed into a passing team and will rely on their running backs more as a change of pace to keep opposing defenses honest rather than the basis of their attack.
What really became a question mark with Jackson was his availability as he was slowed by nagging injury issues in the past three seasons. He is in no way injury prone, but Jackson is now north of 30 years-old and won’t have the same spring in his step as he did early in his career. His 14 carries for 77 yards this season have been solid, but it’s hard to say whether his presence truly would have made the Rams any better offensively this season.
Regardless, the Rams chose the right path for the present and the future. Someone is bound to emerge from their young trio of backs during the course of the season, and the majority of successful offenses around the NFL today have at least two backs in the rotation to share the load. The running game may be merely a decoy at this point in St. Louis, but with Richardson they always have the threat of him breaking the big play and taking the ball to the house.
The backfield still has a way to go before it can be considered a formidable part of the offense for the Rams, but there’s no question they are closer to that with their current group of backs than they would be with Jackson still sporting horns on his helmet.
Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
Related Links
Paradigm Shift from Run-First Offense to Aerial Attack Imminent for St. Louis Rams
Improving Run Game Must Be Point of Emphasis for St. Louis Rams in Week 2
Even in a Passing League, St. Louis Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons Will Spotlight Running Backs
