Steven Jackson Injury: Is Rams RB's Quad Injury Last Straw for St Louis?

For a franchise that appeared to be on the rise in 2011, the St. Louis Rams may be in dire straits after Week 1.

Yes, the 31-13 beat-down in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles was rough, but the injury concerns are even more drastic.

According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, the Rams just got beat up by the Eagles:

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"St. Louis got run over in a disappointing home opener by Philadelphia, 31-13, and lost top wideout Danny Amendola (dislocated elbow) and running back Steven Jackson (pulled quad); quarterback Sam Bradford is due for an MRI on his hand today after banging it on an oncoming Eagle rusher."

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King then added a quote from St. Louis head coach Steve Spagnuolo:

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"It's not broken, but they think it's a nerve issue,'' coach Steve Spagnuolo told me. "And with Steven, he's a running back with a quad injury; that's not good. Those are our three most productive offense players. So I'll be praying all night.''

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So sure, it may have been a tough beginning, but being in the NFC West, arguably the NFL's weakest division, are the Rams still done for?

Well, even though QB Sam Bradford got injured in addition to RB Steven Jackson and WR Danny Amendola, Jackson's injury is the most crucial.

Obviously it helps having a young prosperous QB under center, but until he becomes an absolute force to be reckon with in the eyes of NFL defenses, the running game is more evident.

RB Steven Jackson has been the main Brahma Bull in St. Louis for quite some time, has filled the shoes of Marshall Faulk very well and is the best RB in the NFC West, as well as one of the best in all of pro football. Having Jackson back there for Bradford not only takes pressure off the young QB, but allows offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense to be multidimensional.

You can't win with a one-dimensional offense in the pros, and even if you are a pass-heavy or run-heavy team, possessing the ability to do the other at any given time is a prerequisite of winning the Super Bowl.

Think about it Rams fans.

When The Greatest Show on Turf was in session, QB Kurt Warner was a dominating force under center, and St. Louis put up a ton of points every game.

And even though they were a pass-heavy offense, Hall of Fame RB Marshall Faulk was the key to everything.

Sure, he was a great asset to the passing game, but his ability to run the football was the most important area to their success.

Although they looked like a one-dimensional offense, they were multidimensional because Faulk could successfully run the rock whenever he wanted.

If Steven Jackson turns out to be worse off than anticipated, that virtually kills the Rams' shot at the division title.

Be sure to check out John on Bleacher Report.

And, you can follow him on Twitter @ Sportswriter27.