GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The computer says Brandon Jackson is recovering from his concussion and might be OK to play in the Green Bay Packers' final preseason game in Tennessee Thursday night.
But chances are, Packers coach Mike McCarthy will put Jackson in standby mode to save his rookie running back for the regular season.
Jackson sustained a concussion after colliding with another player during Sunday's practice. Jackson sat out on Monday and Tuesday, but said a computerized test the Packers are using to measure players' recovery from concussions is showing improvement.
"I'm back, according to the test," Jackson said Tuesday. "But it's totally up to the coaches, whether or not I'm going to get playing time."
The Packers and other NFL teams are using the "ImPACT" (Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) test, which was developed by doctors at the University of Pittsburgh to provide a more accurate way to assess when a player can safely return to the field after a concussion.
The test has been used by some auto racing series for several years to help doctors decide when injured drivers are ready to race again. It is administered via computer and tests brain functions such as reaction time, attention span and memory.
Players take the test before the season to establish a healthy baseline score, then take it again after an injury to measure whether their brain functions have been diminished.
Not quite as fun as a video game, is it?
"No," Jackson said, laughing. "It's actually a little long, but whatever it takes to get out there."
Jackson, who had been making progress as the team's No. 1 running back after the injury to projected starter Vernand Morency, said he is watching film and paying attention in meetings to stay sharp while he's sitting out.
"Things happen," Jackson said. "This is football. It's a physical game. Things like this are going to happen, it's just how you work through it and get back as fast as you can."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
