Turns out it was not the spike, it was the groin. Steven Jackson did not return to the St. Louis Rams 31-28 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon after being flagged for spiking the ball. It lead many to wonder if head coach Jeff Fisher had benched him, but the coach said after the game that Jackson was out with a strained groin.

Injuries are starting to take their toll on the Rams. Left tackle Rodger Saffold left the game early with a knee injury. Jackson had a groin injury in the season opener last season that kept him limited for weeks after that, an injury the Rams never recovered from. They need Jackson.

However, they appear to have found a very good backup in Daryl Richardson, whose speed and explosiveness created all kinds of problems for the Redskins on Sunday. He did lost a costly fumble in the fourth quarter, but you can be sure that Fisher will have him working on that.

Jackson says that he should be back in action in no time, but we'll see.

RB @sj39had a strained groin. That's why he did not return to game. He said in locker room that it's not too bad and should heal quickly.

— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) September 17, 2012