Rams running back Steven Jackson says MRI shows groin injury is only a strain

Rams’ Jackson says injury is only a strain

ST. LOUIS — Sure, the St. Louis Rams’ offense proved it can move the ball without Steven Jackson. Coach Steve Spagnuolo would rather not have to prove it again.

Jackson broke the news on his Twitter feed after undergoing an MRI exam on Monday that his groin injury is a strain, not a tear. He also tweeted that he’d already had two hours of rehab treatment a day after he was injured in the Rams’ 30-16 win over Washington.

Spagnuolo said Jackson would be day to day and that he’d leave it up to the player and trainers whether he would try to bounce back and play this week at home against the Seahawks.

“Let’s face it, we want Steven out there all the time, as much as possible,” Spagnuolo said.

Told that Jackson believed his injury might be a blessing in disguise, Spagnuolo replied: “He’s a deeper thinker than I am. I’d rather just have him out there.”

Jackson showed he could deal with pain last season when he played the final six games with a herniated disc in his back that required offseason surgery. The bruising back led the NFC with 1,416 yards rushing, even though he was the lone threat.

Despite missing the second half Sunday, Jackson is fourth in the NFC with 214 yards and a 4.2-yard average. He has 6,921 yards in his seventh season with St. Louis and needs 39 yards to pass Marshall Faulk for second on the franchise career list.

“Steven’s a warrior and you almost have to pull him back,” Spagnuolo said. “What you don’t want to do is get him out there too soon and set him back. We’re all happy it wasn’t anything worse and now it’s just a matter of treatments and making sure we don’t make it any worse.”

If Jackson can’t go, Kenneth Darby said he’s ready for more. Darby scored the go-ahead touchdown, also the first touchdown of his career, on a 12-yard run in the third quarter.

“I’m not satisfied with this at all,” Darby said. “I just feel like this is just the beginning of what I can do.”

The most serious injury from the Redskins game was to wide receiver Dominique Curry, who’ll undergo surgery for torn ligaments on his right knee and will be placed on injured reserve. Curry was one of the team’s top special teams players and blocked a punt Sunday before feeling something pop in the knee while making a cut.

“He was really coming on,” Spagnuolo said. “He had done a lot of good things.”

Spagnuolo said safety Oshiomoghe Atogwe, the defensive captain, aggravated a thigh injury and might be a question mark. Atogwe missed the second half.

The other starting safety, Craig Dahl, could return to practice on a non-contact basis Wednesday. Dahl missed the Redskins game with a concussion.

Jackson scored on a 42-yard run for the game’s first touchdown and finished with 58 yards on 10 carries.

He was hurt in the second quarter of Sunday’s win, which snapped the Rams’ 14-game home losing streak and was their first September win since 2006. He was gang-tackled on a carry and replays showed a Washington player yanking one of Jackson’s legs.

“He’s sore, and he would be because you can see on the film,” Spagnuolo said.

Darby and Keith Toston combined for 71 yards on 25 carries, and Spagnuolo said Toston played through a minor shoulder injury. They’re both smaller, and probably slightly faster options who were signed as street free agents.

“Real solid,” Spagnuolo said. “You’re talking about guys who hadn’t gotten a lot of reps in the course of the week.”

The Rams are likely to shop for a more experienced backup, but Spagnuolo said he’d be happy going with that duo again if Jackson’s not ready.

“Based on yesterday, yeah, how could I not be?” Spagnuolo said.