Thursday, still no Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson did practice again today, meaning he has only one more day to practice with the team at full speed before being given the green light to play this weekend against the Jets.

The realist says not to expect Jackson to play this week. As much as reality sucks in this case, we'll have to live with it. A healthy Jackson means more to the Rams through the rest of the season and beyond than a single game.

Hungry for a sliver of optimism? Well, try this on for size. Maybe, Jackson's sitting out today to get a full day's rest before attempting to go full speed tomorrow. It's certainly possible.

It's no secret the Rams need a running game to get balance in their offense. I think having Jackson in the lineup the past two years has hidden, to some extent, poor run blocking as his ability can compensate for that to some extent. Note Jackson's not super human and would have much better stats over the last couple season with some help up front. The backups are more dependent on the line, and that worries me a bit as the Jets have the 9th best running defense in the league according to DVOA.