JS Online: Notes: Jackson secures hold at running back
Green Bay - You'd have to have a lot of faith in the healing powers of the Green Bay Packers' medical staff to think that anyone but rookie Brandon Jackson will be the starting halfback come opening day.
Jackson has started both exhibition games, and after posting a respectable 13-carry, 54-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Packers' 48-13 victory Saturday night over the Seattle Seahawks, there's little reason to think he won't be No. 1 on the depth chart the rest of training camp.
Jackson's main competition, Vernand Morency, isn't ready to return to the field, and so the rookie from Nebraska will go into the third exhibition game poised to handle most of the running duties. General manager Ted Thompson said he thought rookie DeShawn Wynn (thigh) was still day-to-day and was not guaranteed of returning for the Jacksonville game Thursday, leaving Jackson, rookie Corey White and veteran Noah Herron to handle the rushing load.
It was supposed to be a two-man race between Jackson and Morency, but it has turned out to be no race at all.
"Right now, he's definitely way ahead because the other guy unfortunately hasn't competed at all," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "There's really no comparison at this stage."
To many observers, including Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Philbin, Jackson ran with better balance and fewer steps as he made his cuts into the hole, but Thompson said he didn't see anything different in Jackson than he did a week earlier at Pittsburgh. It appeared Jackson had far better success running the ball and was also more stout in his pass protection against Seattle, though some of that might have had to do with the overall performance of the offense.
Asked if he saw a difference in Jackson from the Pittsburgh game to the Seattle game, Thompson said Sunday: "Not that I could tell. He looks the same to me. He's quick, he has strong lowers, strong hands and runs hard. I'd have to say he looked the same. But we're liking what we see."
Jackson secures hold at running back
Jackson secures hold at running back
Linear Mode
