Steven Jackson injury: Rams RB expected to play, despite not practicing

Steven Jackson did not practice again on Thursday. This move was not unexpected. The St. Louis Rams plan to have their offensive super start on the field this week for a home game against the hated Seattle Seahawks.

Jackson is resting a groin injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Washington Redskins. The veteran watching practice from the sidelines is not an unusual sight in recent seasons. Neither is Jackson dealing with injuries, unfortunately.

There were more than a few that pointed to his yards per carry against the Bears, 2.6 YPC on 11 carries, as evidence that he was slowed by his groin injury. Maybe. It's hard to say because the Bears didn't give the Rams much room to run, and the offensive line wasn't clearing any holes for their running backs.

Daryl Richardson, who is likely to play an increased role this week, averaged 4.0 yards per carry on four attempts against Chicago, but 12 of those yards came on a single run.

For the season, Richardson has 119 yards on 21 attempts, 5.7 yards per carry. Jackson has 41 carries and 140 yards, an average of 3.4 yards per carry. Concerns about Jackson's declining explosiveness are not going away, but for now he still has the power to play a big role in run-first offense.