For the past eight seasons, Steven Jackson has operated as the heartbeat of the St. Louis Rams.
Through an era that saw the team crumble away from prominence, Jackson was always the guy you could count on to keep defenses honest. That hasn't changed, so it was notable to see Jackson sit for two-plus quarters in favor of rookie Daryl Richardson in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Washington Redskins.
Richardson, the team's seventh-round draft pick, piled up 83 yards on the ground and another 19 through the air. He also plowed in for a two-point conversation. So why was Jackson watching this from afar?
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said he "wouldn't assume this is a benching" for Jackson, who drew a 15-yard penalty for spiking the ball after falling short of the end zone on third-and-goal from the Washington 1. The Rams had to settle for a field goal and Jackson wasn't seen from again.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher brushed off rumors of a benching, telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Jackson left with a groin injury. Whatever happened, the Rams now have an interesting situation in the backfield.
It wasn't all sunshine for Richardson, who lost a fumble with less than three minutes left in the game, but we saw enough -- and so did Fisher -- to make the rookie a factor going forward.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
