News & Info/Headlines
But Ledbetter went on to explain, with the NFL growing into more of a passing league, Jackson now has to be ready to go when his play is called. He plans to be on the alert when he leads the Falcons’ four-member running back committee against the Bengals in Cincinnati today.
Those days of carrying the football 25 or 30 times a game are history. Jackson, who had a productive 12 carries in the opener, will no longer be afforded the luxury of finding his rhythm.
“That forces me to be true to the play call,” Jackson said on Wednesday. “Sometimes you have to get in a rhythm, but when you allow yourself to get into a rhythm, the game comes to you. Now, when you know your carries are going to be (less frequent), you have got to really trust your reads.”
Jackson did make the most of his dozen carries, gaining 52 yards (4.3 yards per game) and helping to balance out the Falcons pass-heavy offense.
Jacquizz Rodgers, Antone Smith and Devonta Freeman would make their presence felt in the 37-34 overtime victory, Smith delivering an electric 54-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
After being the primary ball carrier for much of his career with St. Louis, Jackson, 31, is just fine with sharing the football.
“Each guy has earned his playing time out there during training camp,” he said.
In all, the backs rushed for 108 yards on 22 carries and kept the Saints’ attack-oriented defense off balance.
The Bengals, who have a stout defense, don’t want to get into a shootout with the Falcons’ offense, but they won't ignore the run.
“We have to stop their running game,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “They are explosive with the runners that they have and they were excellent on third down. That’s the key to the football game.”
There is also a challenge in preparing to face so many running backs.
“Steven has a great style of running,” Lewis said. “Then the other guys come in with a little change-of-pace. We have to be conscious of who’s in the game.”
The Bengals gave up 94 yards rushing to Baltimore in their 23-16 win. They gave up 96.5 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked fifth in the league.
Jackson knows the Falcons face a major challenge.
“They are very long and athletic,” Jackson said. “They play with a high motor. They are veteran guys so they understand the game.”
Bottom line? The Sports Xchange believes Lewis is right.
Despite the gaudy numbers the Falcons put up through the air in Week 1, the Bengals have to stay committed to stopping the run first. Conditioning proved to be an issue in the opener at Baltimore, as it often is on hot Sundays in September, so the Bengals defense can't afford to be on the field for a number of long, sustained drives the way they were in the second half of the opener.