Steven Jackson Injured, St. Louis Rams Look to Cadillac Williams for Answers

Steven Jackson injured.  Not what the St. Louis Rams wanted to see Week 1 of their NFL season.  It could have been worse though, right?  I mean, wide receiver Danny Amendola, cornerback Ron Bartell and quarterback Sam Bradford could have all gotten hurt, too, right? 

Whoops.

The St. Louis Rams were one of the more notable stories of the 2010 NFL season.  They narrowly missed winning the NFC West division with their rookie sensation quarterback, Bradford, leading the way, and by all accounts seemed poised this year to take their lackluster division by storm.

So, what happened?  Jackson in his first run of the 2011-2012 NFL season strained his right quadriceps muscle.  Not.  Good. 

However, the news gets better, right?  Right.

Unfortunately, the news does not get better.  Jackson is 28 years old and has been run like a workhorse for the last seven seasons.  His almost 8,000 rushing yards, along with his advanced age (for a running back), make him an injury waiting to happen. 

What will the St. Louis Rams do?

Cadillac Williams stepped in for Jackson Sunday and did a bang-up job running for 91 yards on 19 carries and catching six receptions for 49 yards.  Is he a long term answer?  Not likely.  With his numerous knee surgeries, Williams is not the “tour de force” the Rams need in their running game and should really just be viewed as a means to an end. 

The end, of course, being when Jackson comes back from his injury and Cadillac gets rolled back into the garage.