You should still pull for Steven Jackson

I'll cop to it. I miss Steven Jackson. You're not supposed to get attached to individual players in this business. Players come and go, some just manage to stick around longer than others. It was time for the Rams to move on, but you can still send positive vibes SJ's way ... for the sake of history if nothing else.

Jackson finished last season with 1,042 rushing yards. It was his eighth straight season with more than 1,000 rushing yards, and it put him elite company.

Now he's with the Atlanta Falcons, an NFC Super Bowl favorite, and has the chance to go from elite company into the stratosphere of exclusivity. Yeah, I just wrote that, and I'm not totally sure it's a thing. But for Steven Jackson, we can create whatever new levels of the atmosphere we need.

MOVING ON ...

One more 1,000-yard season would make Jackson only the fourth running back with nine consecutive seasons over that mark. Who else is said cloud-based level of greatness? Oh, just a few dudes named Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Curtis Martin.

Martin and Sanders actually did it 10 seasons in a row. Smith went to 11, because in his mind, he's one better. It's even more impressive when you consider Smith's teammates overlooked him giving them all a copy of his biography FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT.

The conditions for Jackson in Atlanta look good. He's finally surrounded by a fully featured offense. Of course, with so many mouths to feed, Jackson is probably going to get fewer carries. That might help keep his legs fresh for late in the season too. On the other hand, never discount Mike Smith running the ball even when he should be throwing it.

We'll see what happens. Obviously, I'm pulling for Jackson, except that week the Falcons play the Rams.

(h/t to Joel Corry for the idea)