posted by rambill on a ram homer board... reminded me that there is a connection between linehan & jackson... linehan was a dennis erickson disciple, & jackson played for erickson at oregon state... jackson thinks there is cause for optimism that the 2006 iteration rams attack overseen by linehan will be more balanced, & he will be the beneficiary of more carries/touches...
Jackson Eager for New Beginning
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer
Steven Jackson thought 2005 was going to be his breakout season. It was his first year as a starter and things were supposed to be different from his rookie year.
Jackson expected plenty of carries, yards and touchdowns and he expected the Rams to be a Super Bowl contender. And many people expected the same thing.
After a tumultuous season in which the team finished 6-10 and Jackson was essentially an afterthought in the offense, Jackson is ready for a fresh start.
“I am approaching it with a focus of saying this is me getting a new beginning,” Jackson said Wednesday. “I feel like I have a chance to start over my career.”
Granted, Jackson acknowledges that he isn’t exactly a grizzled veteran with just two years of experience. But Jackson also is looking to be in on the ground floor of a new direction in the organization.
By now, everyone knows and remembers the troubling times Jackson went through last season. With coach Mike Martz on the shelf for most of the season because of a bacterial infection of the heart valve, Jackson never got much of a chance to take off.
Even when Martz was calling the plays, Jackson was probably even less of an option. Going as far back as the 2004 season, at Arizona when Jackson was deemed healthy, but not on the field for most of the game, Jackson believes that he and Martz simply did not mix.
“You don’t want to be in the doghouse of the head coach,” Jackson said. “No matter what you say about him, no matter how you feel about him, you don’t want…this is the guy that is calling the plays. You don’t want to be in the doghouse of a guy like Coach Martz. At the same time, you have to address him as a professional and ask him if it is a problem can we sever it and get on with it. At times, I thought we did sit down, discuss what the problem was and move on. At times, in the heat of the battle of the games, it just seemed like I wasn’t getting my touches.”
Jackson certainly had moments where he flashed his enormous potential a season ago. In week eight against Jacksonville with most of the Rams’ top skill players out, Jackson had his best game. He rushed for 179 yards on 25 carries with a game-winning touchdown catch in the closing minutes.
Instead of that becoming a stepping stone, Jackson’s touches fluctuated greatly the rest of the season. During the Dec. 4 game against Washington, Jackson received just 11 carries for 24 yards.
It became somewhat of a breaking point for Jackson, as he let his feeling become known during his weekly meeting with the media. When asked if he had spoken with the coaching staff about his lack of touches, Jackson said “No, I haven’t but you can. Give me the ball.”
Jackson battled a variety of minor injuries for the rest of the season and finished with 1,046 yards on 254 carries. He added 10 total touchdowns, but the production was nowhere near the amount he had hoped to reach in his first year as the starter.
When Martz was let go after the final game of the season, the Rams turned to Miami offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to take over as head coach. In addition, the team added Greg Olson as offensive coordinator and Wayne Moses as the new running backs coach. Jackson was getting the fresh start he wanted and he liked what he saw from the offenses Linehan had in Miami and Minnesota.
Now, he is confident that he will become a key ingredient, if not the key ingredient in a new era of Rams football.
“I feel like our organization is turning for the new,” Jackson said. “Our front office has had a chance to hire guys that they wanted to bring in. It seems like everyone is making it a focal point. Two years ago, when I was drafted, that’s what the plan was. We knew that eventually the team was going to be more geared and built around me and now it seems like it has finally come to the forefront.”
Although Jackson has yet to get the opportunity to meet with Linehan, he has a few reassurances working in his favor. Linehan is a Dennis Erickson disciple and Jackson knows all about Erickson having playing for him at Oregon State.
Jackson also has had a chance to watch the way the Dolphins used Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in their offense and believes he has the ability to be a mix of that pair of talented backs.
“The way he used Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and the running backs in Minnesota, he feels he has that all in one (with me),” Jackson said. “I’m pretty sure I will get a lot of touches.”
Brown and Williams combined for 375 carries and 1,650 yards on the ground a year ago. Though that might be asking a little much from Jackson, he says he is ready to take on that task and become the type of back who can do it all.
“I just feel like if they are going to use me the way they used Ronnie and Ricky, I feel like this can be my breakout year,” Jackson said. “I want to be able to do all things; run, catch, receive, run inside the tackles, outside the tackles. I want to be that triple threat so on third downs I don’t have to come out.”
Jackson Eager for New Beginning
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer
Steven Jackson thought 2005 was going to be his breakout season. It was his first year as a starter and things were supposed to be different from his rookie year.
Jackson expected plenty of carries, yards and touchdowns and he expected the Rams to be a Super Bowl contender. And many people expected the same thing.
After a tumultuous season in which the team finished 6-10 and Jackson was essentially an afterthought in the offense, Jackson is ready for a fresh start.
“I am approaching it with a focus of saying this is me getting a new beginning,” Jackson said Wednesday. “I feel like I have a chance to start over my career.”
Granted, Jackson acknowledges that he isn’t exactly a grizzled veteran with just two years of experience. But Jackson also is looking to be in on the ground floor of a new direction in the organization.
By now, everyone knows and remembers the troubling times Jackson went through last season. With coach Mike Martz on the shelf for most of the season because of a bacterial infection of the heart valve, Jackson never got much of a chance to take off.
Even when Martz was calling the plays, Jackson was probably even less of an option. Going as far back as the 2004 season, at Arizona when Jackson was deemed healthy, but not on the field for most of the game, Jackson believes that he and Martz simply did not mix.
“You don’t want to be in the doghouse of the head coach,” Jackson said. “No matter what you say about him, no matter how you feel about him, you don’t want…this is the guy that is calling the plays. You don’t want to be in the doghouse of a guy like Coach Martz. At the same time, you have to address him as a professional and ask him if it is a problem can we sever it and get on with it. At times, I thought we did sit down, discuss what the problem was and move on. At times, in the heat of the battle of the games, it just seemed like I wasn’t getting my touches.”
Jackson certainly had moments where he flashed his enormous potential a season ago. In week eight against Jacksonville with most of the Rams’ top skill players out, Jackson had his best game. He rushed for 179 yards on 25 carries with a game-winning touchdown catch in the closing minutes.
Instead of that becoming a stepping stone, Jackson’s touches fluctuated greatly the rest of the season. During the Dec. 4 game against Washington, Jackson received just 11 carries for 24 yards.
It became somewhat of a breaking point for Jackson, as he let his feeling become known during his weekly meeting with the media. When asked if he had spoken with the coaching staff about his lack of touches, Jackson said “No, I haven’t but you can. Give me the ball.”
Jackson battled a variety of minor injuries for the rest of the season and finished with 1,046 yards on 254 carries. He added 10 total touchdowns, but the production was nowhere near the amount he had hoped to reach in his first year as the starter.
When Martz was let go after the final game of the season, the Rams turned to Miami offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to take over as head coach. In addition, the team added Greg Olson as offensive coordinator and Wayne Moses as the new running backs coach. Jackson was getting the fresh start he wanted and he liked what he saw from the offenses Linehan had in Miami and Minnesota.
Now, he is confident that he will become a key ingredient, if not the key ingredient in a new era of Rams football.
“I feel like our organization is turning for the new,” Jackson said. “Our front office has had a chance to hire guys that they wanted to bring in. It seems like everyone is making it a focal point. Two years ago, when I was drafted, that’s what the plan was. We knew that eventually the team was going to be more geared and built around me and now it seems like it has finally come to the forefront.”
Although Jackson has yet to get the opportunity to meet with Linehan, he has a few reassurances working in his favor. Linehan is a Dennis Erickson disciple and Jackson knows all about Erickson having playing for him at Oregon State.
Jackson also has had a chance to watch the way the Dolphins used Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in their offense and believes he has the ability to be a mix of that pair of talented backs.
“The way he used Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and the running backs in Minnesota, he feels he has that all in one (with me),” Jackson said. “I’m pretty sure I will get a lot of touches.”
Brown and Williams combined for 375 carries and 1,650 yards on the ground a year ago. Though that might be asking a little much from Jackson, he says he is ready to take on that task and become the type of back who can do it all.
“I just feel like if they are going to use me the way they used Ronnie and Ricky, I feel like this can be my breakout year,” Jackson said. “I want to be able to do all things; run, catch, receive, run inside the tackles, outside the tackles. I want to be that triple threat so on third downs I don’t have to come out.”