Steven Jackson fully healthy for Week 1
By Cory Buck
Steven Jackson took zero snaps in the NFL preseason, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be slowed any in the regular season. At least for Week 1, Jackson managed to stay clear of the Atlanta Falcons injury report.
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After pulling a hamstring in the first week of camp, Steven Jackson was sidelined for every snap in the preseason, leading many to believe this would be yet another year in which Jackson played sparingly, if at all. However, Jackson is a veteran and hardly needed the preseason snaps to begin with. Additionally, his name is nowhere near the injury report, per ESPN, which is a big sign for Falcons fans.
While the Falcons have put a few contingency plans in place for a Jackson injury, the team will rely on their top back for as long as he’s healthy and able. The depth behind Jackson runs deep, but no one should pose a serious challenge to taking carries away from him. The biggest concern for Jackson won’t be roster competition. It will be running behind a porous offensive line with a body that has endured injuries on seemingly an annual basis.
The Falcons open their season against the hated New Orleans Saints in a battle of two teams hoping to win the NFC South. Steven Jackson will go a long way in deciding this matchup if the Falcons have any say in the matter.