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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Rams in 2012:

Dream scenario (8-8): Sam Bradford takes every snap on offense for the second time in three seasons as the Rams protect their franchise quarterback with sensible play calling. It's the sixth time a Jeff Fisher-coached team finishes 8-8, but no one is complaining after the Rams' 15-65 run over the previous five seasons. Trusting offensive line coach Paul Boudreau to salvage right tackle Jason Smith becomes one of the surprise success stories of the 2012 season, and a critical one for the Rams' efforts to re-establish Bradford.

Turns out the Rams were not fibbing when they suggested Brian Quick, the receiver they took in the second round, ranked up there with first-rounder Justin Blackmon on their board. The constant threat of Steven Jackson and Isaiah Pead out of the backfield creates favorable matchups for Quick and the Rams' underrated receivers. Bradford publicly downplays a Week 2 victory over Robert Griffin III and Washington, but it feels good to win at home against the player St. Louis could have selected second overall this year.

Watching Janoris Jenkins score on a fourth-quarter punt return in Patrick Peterson's house improbably stakes the Rams to a 6-5 record, stirring visions of the postseason. It's certainly sweet to finally win within the division again. The Rams lose to San Francisco the following week and ultimately finish the regular season with a respectable defeat at Seattle, but the season is a success by any measure.

Nightmare scenario (3-13): Road games against Detroit and Chicago in the first three weeks expose Bradford to significant punishment as Smith and the line struggle to find their bearings. Bradford doesn't want to talk about the ankle injury he aggravated at some point in the season's first month, but it's clearly a factor. Facing Cliff Avril, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh, Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan, Julius Peppers, Chris Clemons, Bruce Irvin, Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett, Cameron Wake and Clay Matthews in the first seven games leaves Bradford limping toward the bye week, his confidence shaken.

Steven Jackson continues to plug away, but we've seen this movie before and it doesn't end well for the Rams. The depth at receiver is indeed improved, but Bradford doesn't have any truly dynamic weapons. Quick understandably needs seasoning, but with Blackmon and Arizona's Michael Floyd challenging rookie receiving records, the Rams look bad for trading down. It's tough finding open receivers with Smith struggling at tackle, anyway.

First-round pick Michael Brockers and free-agent addition Kendall Langford upgrade the run defense, but life as an every-down defensive end is tough for Robert Quinn. The veteran outside linebackers signed as stopgaps represent only a minor upgrade from last season. Off-field issues dog Jenkins and the defense fails to meet expectations. Critics conveniently blame Gregg Williams' suspension, but the problems are more complex than that.

The Rams head into the offseason with another high draft choice, one they'll almost certainly have to invest in a playmaker of some sort.

Steven Jackson doesn't have to worry about the St. Louis Rams drafting a running back to threaten his standing with the team.

That would have been the case had St. Louis drafted Trent Richardson in the first round. But in selecting Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead with the 50th overall choice in the 2012 NFL draft Friday, the Rams secured a change-of-pace back -- someone to complement Jackson, not imperil his standing as the featured back.

Pead, 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, has 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash. He has also returned punts.

"Quick, competitive, creative back with terrific open-field ability and good hands who would be best utilized complementing a power back," Nolan Nawrocki wrote for Pro Football Weekly's draft guide.

The Rams have used the second round to help quarterback Sam Bradford and their offense. They made Appalachian State receiver Brian Quick the 33rd overall choice and first pick of the second round.

St. Louis will be on the clock again shortly as the Rams possess the 65th overall choice, the second pick of the third round. Finding linebacker help could make sense.

NFL teams rarely hand fat, long-term contract extensions to older running backs.

The San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore felt the urgency last offseason, leading him to hold out from training camp briefly before accepting a relatively modest new deal -- the best he could do under tough circumstances.

Is Steven Jackson next?

Mike Lombardi's report for NFL.com suggests that Jackson wants a new contract from the St. Louis Rams. Jackson, like Gore, has reached his late 20s, when running backs tend to slow down. Jackson, like Gore last offseason, is starting over with a new coaching staff while realizing the window for negotiating is closing despite all he's given to the team.

Jackson's contract is scheduled to pay him $7 million in salary for each of the next two seasons. The deal would have voided after last season had Jackson averaged 1,200 yards rushing and 400 yards receiving over the first four years of the deal. He fell short of that average, arguably because the Rams failed to support him adequately.

I've got no problem with Jackson fighting to improve his contract situation, should that be the course he chooses to take. No player has given more to his team -- in production, attitude and pure heart -- than Jackson has given the Rams during some of their darkest seasons. The fact that he signed his current contract doesn't automatically mean he has to live by it; NFL teams routinely rip up contracts when it serves them.

One question is whether Jackson has enough leverage to force the Rams into a new deal.

We'll have a better idea upon discovering whether the Rams select running back Trent Richardson in the draft Thursday. Selecting Richardson or even a running back in the second round Friday would give the team options beyond Jackson, affecting leverage.

Would Jackson be happy if the team simply guaranteed some of his remaining salary? Would he hold out? I'm hesitant to say more without hearing from Jackson directly.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to finish here," Jackson told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before last season. "I do want to finish here I can honestly say -- and I hope no one takes this the wrong way -- but I've been a beast in transitioning this organization from the dark days to now, the days of Sam (Bradford). I don't want all my hard labor to go for nothing."

Drew Brees and the Saints aren't getting any closer to a deal, Rams running back Steven Jackson answers your Facebook questions, and Mel and Todd look for a value quarterback in the draft.

Peter from Rutland, Vt., points to Anthony Dixon's failed third-and-1 rushing attempt in the NFC Championship Game as one reason the San Francisco 49ers might have signed former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

This play escaped my attention in the Jacobs item Tuesday. I suspect the play-by-play file I consulted did not encompass the NFC Championship Game.

"Dixon got stuffed by the Giants on a key third-and-1 attempt," Peter recalled. "He danced instead of smashing. That's why they took a chance on Jacobs. Dixon is not a reliable power back."

Perhaps, but Jacobs failed to convert a fourth-and-1 rushing attempt in the same game, and he has never been known for his hard-nosed running.

Dixon converted both of his rushing tries during the regular season when needing a single yard on third or fourth down. He missed that one attempt during the postseason, but Jacobs converted only 4 of 8 regular-season tries and 5-of-11 overall when counting the postseason.

I went back and watched Dixon's failed play just to be sure what happened. Dixon did not set a new standard for powerful running on the play, but neither did he have much room to run.

The 49ers shuffled their offensive line and brought onto the field two defenders, Justin Smith and Isaac Sopoaga, for additional blocking. The line, left to right, featured Vernon Davis, Alex Boone, Adam Snyder, Jonathan Goodwin (center), Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis, Joe Staley and Smith. Sopoaga lined up to the right in an offset-I formation.

The blocking was not very good. Mathias Kiwanuka shed Smith immediately and blocked Dixon's path off tackle. Chris Canty got between Anthony Davis and Staley in time to affect Dixon. Dixon did hesitate and step to the side as he sought an opening. Again, though, the blocking was not great.

While an NFL offense should be able to pick up a third-and-1 on the ground, I've thought the 49ers needed to occasionally break from tendency in these situations, not just with a pass but with a deeper strike to Vernon Davis. Previous 49ers coaching staffs succeeded with this tactic.

The 49ers had beaten the Giants for an 18-yard pass to Delanie Walker on a third-and-1 play when the teams met back in Week 10. Perhaps the 49ers' staff knew the Giants would be ready if they tried another pass. And, as noted, the team should be able to pick up a third-and-1 rushing play.

But with such a heavy formation to the right side, the Giants were ready for Dixon. They also took advantage of the fact that Smith, though a great player, plays defense and isn't a polished blocker.

The chart shows 2011 regular-season conversion stats for NFC West running backs on third and fourth downs with 1 yard needed for a first down. There's a reason teams use quarterback sneaks.

There’s a debate among Tampa Bay fans about whether the Buccaneers should draft LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne or Alabama running back Trent Richardson with their first-round pick.

I don’t think either would be a mistake because the Bucs have needs at both positions. But there’s a longstanding rule of thumb in the NFL that you don’t take a running back early in the draft.

If you think that theory is outdated, you may want to take a look at this Insider post from Football Outsiders. It lays out some pretty convincing evidence that there’s not a lot to be gained by drafting a running back early in the first round.

The five leading rushers over the last five seasons are Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson and Michael Turner. Those five have combined for two playoff wins as starting running backs (and that doesn’t include two playoff victories Turner had as a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson with the 2007 Chargers).

The column then points to the backfields of the two Super Bowl teams. The New York Giants had Ahmad Bradshaw (a seventh-round pick) and Brandon Jacobs (a fourth-round pick). The New England Patriots had a pair of undrafted running backs in BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead as well as third-round pick Stevan Ridley.

Yes, the Bucs need someone to pair in the backfield with LeGarrette Blount. But, unless they believe Richardson is the kind of player who can be an exception to a rule, they might be wise to wait until later in the draft -- or use free agency -- to add a running back.

Seth from Newport News, Va., says the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine's NFL Any Era team "is a joke" if the St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson does not appear on the list.

Mike Sando: Jackson did not appear on the list. Tim Tebow did. That seems wrong. We do not even know for sure whether Tebow will be good in this era, do we?

The overall list is strong. Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, Charles Woodson, Brian Urlacher, Patrick Willis, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Ed Reed, Darrelle Revis, Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney are among those listed.

I thought the San Francisco 49ers' Justin Smith was an obvious omission among those watching him play regularly. But how many people, Hall of Famers or otherwise, have watched the 49ers' defensive line in recent seasons?

People should know plenty about Steven Jackson, because he carries the ball and, quite frequently, defenders trying to tackle him. Seth is surely right about the Rams' poor record hurting Jackson in these types of polls.

In retrospect, I should have broken out an item about Jackson's omission without any prompting. He has demonstrated all the necessary qualities -- toughness, grit, consistency, leadership, versatility, production -- to make him a timeless player. Very few running backs have run with more ferocity than Jackson.

The way Jackson has played through injuries becomes more impressive when we consider the stakes for his team were relatively low. I'll never forget watching him slam himself into the 49ers' defense while trailing 35-0 a few years ago. He made a statement to his teammates and anyone watching. Circumstances would not diminish what he represented. I'll also never forget how he fought through a 2009 back injury that would require surgery. He started 15 games even though his team was 1-15 that season.

A lesser man -- even a normal one -- would have shut it down late in that season. What was the point? Jackson refused to do that. He kept coming back for more and finished with 324 carries, the second-highest total of his career.

Jackson was clearly qualified for the Any Era team. So were Larry Fitzgerald and others. But as with voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there are usually more worthy candidates than spots available for enshrinement. That means very good candidates do not always get their due, at least right away. That should not diminish them in any way.

Patrick Willis checks in at No. 7 on the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine's NFL Any Era team.

Twenty Pro Football Hall of Famers determined Willis has the toughness and overall game to match up with anyone, at any time, in any era of NFL history.

No argument here.

"First off, it is truly an honor and a blessing to be picked by those guys," Willis said. "Those are guys that I will forever look up to, whether I got a chance to watch them play or just hear something about them. My ultimate goal is to get to be in the Hall of Fame, to be one of those players when people talk about the game forever, to be one of those guys that is recognized for playing the game the right way and giving it everything you got."

Willis is well on his way. He has five Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections (four of them first team) in his first five NFL seasons. He has no real weaknesses.

And, as Any Era panelist Mike Ditka put it, "Patrick Willis knocks the crap out of guys."

That, too.

Toughness was a key component for Any Era consideration. Willis and others expanded on that theme in relation to him for a piece running in conjunction with the project.

Willis' teammate, Parys Haralson, captured it pretty well.

"You can talk about being tough, but once you turn on the film and see the way a person plays, the things that a person does, the amount of snaps they play, the way they play, the way they take on blocks, the way they get off blocks, the way they tackle -- everything -- to me that is the toughness," Haralson said. "Being able to play tough and going out and showing that you are tough with your play, not saying you are tough."

Lovely day here at Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport, though it was kind of sad listening to the Packers fans on the sports talk radio this morning on the drive here from Green Bay. Honestly, if you've ever been to Green Bay, you need to wonder: what do those people do now?

What we do now is look ahead to Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. It's going to be a different kind of game for the Giants. The 49ers don't have the array of passing-game weapons that recent Giants opponents such as the Packers, Falcons and Cowboys have. They will attack the Giants differently, and the best thing the 49ers have going for them is a defense that looked fast, tough and terrifying for most of the game against the Saints on Saturday night.

San Francisco finished fourth in the league in total defense, allowing just 308.1 yards per game, and first in rush defense by a mile, allowing just 77.3 yards per game. That would seem to bode ill for a Giants team that finished last in the league in rush offense. But the numbers from the head-to-head matchup between these teams in San Francisco in Week 10, even though the Giants lost it, offer some hope for the Giants.

The 395 yards of total offense the Giants had against the 49ers was the fourth-highest total any team posted against San Francisco all season. Only the Eagles (513 in a Week 4 loss), Cowboys (472 in a Week 2 overtime victory) and Saints (472 in Saturday's playoff loss) had more yards in a game against the Niners this season.

Even more encouraging, the Giants had 93 rush yards in that game, which is the fourth-highest total of rush yards any team had in a game against the Niners this season. Marshawn Lynch's Seahawks had 124 in Week 16, Steven Jackson's Rams had 111 in Week 17 and LeSean McCoy's Eagles had 108 in that Week 4 game in Philadelphia. All of those games were victories for the 49ers, but the Giants have run the ball considerably better over the past seven weeks, and in the Week 10 game in San Francisco they did not have running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was out with a foot injury at the time. Brandon Jacobs had 55 yards on 18 carries, and D.J. Ware kicked in 34 yards on nine carries.

A healthy Bradshaw on Sunday, plus the drastic improvements the Giants have made in run blocking over the past two months, plus the film they can watch of their offense having success against this very tough 49ers defense, are all assets for the Giants as they prepare for the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers likely aren't going to miss as many tackles as the Packers did Sunday, but the Giants have proof that they can move the ball against them anyway. The key, as it always is, will be to avoid the turnovers. The Giants outgained the 49ers by 90 yards in Week 10, but Eli Manning threw two interceptions, and they lost by seven points.

A look at my all-NFC West picks for the 2011 season, beginning with the offense:

• San Francisco's Michael Crabtree had competition from Doug Baldwin and Brandon Lloyd for the second receiver spot behind Larry Fitzgerald. Baldwin was the best on third down. Lloyd made the most spectacular grabs. Crabtree was a starter within the division all season and an aggressive blocker. He also caught more passes. Baldwin would have made it if we had space for a slot receiver. But with Crabtree making a few big plays, including an outstanding grab for a 41-yard gain at Seattle with the NFC's second seed on the line, he had the edge.
• Arizona's Daryn Colledge edged out the 49ers' Mike Iupati at left guard. Colledge, as a seasoned veteran, was more consistent. Iupati was outstanding on his best plays. Colledge, signed from Green Bay in free agency, upped the standard for the position. I thought he was strong as a run blocker in particular.
• Seattle's Max Unger overcame a slow start to beat out Arizona's Lyle Sendlein and San Francisco's Jonathan Goodwin at center. Unger picked up his game beginning with the Seahawks' strong rushing performance at Dallas. He looks like a long-term starter.
• The right side of the offensive line won out by default. The 49ers' Anthony Davis was the only right tackle in the division to start all season. Seattle's Breno Giacomini finished the season strong and could remain the starter next season. St. Louis' Harvey Dahl was an easy choice at right guard even though he finished the season at right tackle.
• The NFC West produced four strong candidates at running back. Seattle's Marshawn Lynch was an easy choice after leading the league in rushing since Week 9. He was a threat after contact, as a receiver and even when opponents seemed to have him tackled. The Rams' Steven Jackson edged out the 49ers' Frank Gore for the other spot mostly because Gore's production diminished as the season progressed. I didn't like leaving off Gore, because I respect the way he plays, but he also dropped too many passes this season.
• Alex Smith was the easy choice at quarterback.

Those were the primary considerations. I'll be back with defense and special teams. The chart breaks down my all-division choices for offense since 2008.

The comments section is now open. As always, let's work through our differences with civility and restraint.
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» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 31
Preseason Power Ranking: 17

Biggest surprise: The Rams ranked eighth in sacks per pass attempt, one spot ahead of the 13-3 San Francisco 49ers, even though they rarely forced opponents into obvious passing situations. Chris Long broke out with a career-high 13 sacks. Long had been improving since moving to the left side. There were indications he might hit double digits for sacks if the Rams forced opponents into obvious passing situations frequently enough. Long came within a half-sack of matching his combined total for the 2009-10 seasons.

Biggest disappointment: Failing to build on Sam Bradford's promising rookie season. Bradford was the NFL's offensive rookie of the year after setting rookie records for completions (354) and pass attempts (590). Only Peyton Manning had thrown for more yards than Bradford as an NFL rookie. There were challenges this season with the lockout, a tough early schedule and all that goes with learning a new scheme. Bradford and first-year coordinator Josh McDaniels liked their chances, but the offense suffered huge setbacks when injuries sidelined Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola in the season opener. The Rams approached the season eager to see how Jackson, Amendola, Brandon Gibson, Mike Hoomanawanui and Lance Kendricks functioned together. That group never took a snap together. Bradford completed only 53.5 percent of his passes. He took 36 sacks in 10 starts and threw for only six touchdowns.

Biggest need: Offensive playmakers. Bradford completed only 1 of 16 attempts in goal-to-go situations. For perspective, consider that Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman, another young quarterback facing struggles in 2011, completed 14 of 20 passes with eight touchdowns in these situations. Picking up Brandon Lloyd by trade helped, but the veteran receiver might wind up being a one-year rental. Lloyd's contract expires in March. The man influential in bringing him to St. Louis, McDaniels, might not be back. The Rams need to draft a difference- maker at receiver. That could be tough to justify with so many needs elsewhere on the roster.

Team MVP: Jackson was an obvious choice. If only he hadn't strained a quadriceps while breaking a 47-yard touchdown run against Philadelphia on his first carry of the season. That injury limited Jackson to six carries over the first three games. Jackson still topped 1,100 yards for the season. He joined Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players with seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He rushed for 159, 130 and 128 yards during a three-game stretch when the Rams went 2-1.

Starting over up front: The offensive line was supposed to be a strength for St. Louis after the team signed guard Harvey Dahl in free agency. Dahl held up his end, but the rest of the line fell apart. Rodger Saffold will be back at left tackle or somewhere along the line. Dahl will return. Right tackle Jason Smith, chosen second overall in 2009, will not return at his current salary. Center Jason Brown lost his starting job during the season. Left guard Jacob Bell took a pay reduction and a one-year deal right before the season. The team has not developed young depth on the line. How will the team protect Bradford?

Four of the 13 players with at least 1,000 yards rushing this season call the NFC West home.

All four run with power.

Two in particular -- Arizona's Beanie Wells and Seattle's Marshawn Lynch -- have racked up yardage after contact. Both rank among the NFL's top four in total yards after contact. And among those players with at least 1,000 yards, Wells and Lynch rank high in percentage of yards gained after contact (see chart, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information).

Week 17 gives us one last chance to see Wells, Lynch and St. Louis' Steven Jackson in action this season. Along with San Francisco's Frank Gore, they give the NFC West more 1,000-yard rushers than any division. The AFC North, AFC South and AFC West have two apiece. The AFC East, NFC East and NFC South have one apiece. The NFC North has none after injuries sidelined Matt Forte (997 yards) and Adrian Peterson (970).

Six other backs are within 150 yards of 1,000 this season: Shonn Greene (999), Chris Johnson (986), Fred Jackson (934), Michael Bush (911), DeMarco Murray (897) and Rashard Mendenhall (890). Murray is sidelined by injury.
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» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:

Draft order disorder. Every NFC West team but San Francisco faces a potential significant shift in draft order based on Week 17 results. The St. Louis Rams will emerge with the No. 1 overall pick if they lose to the 49ers while Indianapolis defeats Jacksonville. The Colts will pick first if they lose, or if the Rams win. The winner between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks will finish 8-8 instead of 7-9, producing likely a swing of several spots in the order. The 7-9 team with the easiest strength of schedule will pick ninth. The 8-8 team with the strongest strength of schedule would pick 20th.

Gunning for the record. Two of the NFL's sack leaders will stand on opposite sidelines at the Edward Jones Dome. San Francisco's Aldon Smith has 14 sacks, one more than St. Louis' Chris Long. The NFC West in its current form has never produced two players with as many combined sacks in the same season. Smith needs one more to break the NFL rookie record Jevon Kearse set in 1999 (records kept since 1982). Smith and Long are both close to setting an NFC West single-season record since realignment in 2002. Bertrand Berry had 14.5 sacks for Arizona in 2004. Patrick Kerney had the same total for Seattle in 2007.

Alex Smith's improbable rating. The 49ers must be pleased to know that Smith, with a 90.1 NFL passer rating through 15 games, has a chance to finish with a better single-season mark than Joe Montana posted with the team in 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988 or 1990. Passer rating is but one tool for measuring quarterback performance. No one is saying it's perfect, or even that Smith has played better this season than Montana did during those five seasons. Still pretty tough to believe, though, right?

Battle of the backs. Frank Gore leads NFC West running backs with 1,202 yards even though his production has trailed off late in the season. Marshawn Lynch would have to outgain Gore by 85 yards to overtake him for most rushing yards in the division. That is unlikely, but Lynch has set a furious pace lately. He leads the NFL in rushing since Week 9, gaining 855 yards over that eight-game period. The Rams' Steven Jackson ranks eighth in the league with 620 yards during that time. Arizona's Beanie Wells is 15th (541 yards), one spot ahead of Gore (527). All four primary backs in the division have topped 1,000 yards.

Spagnuolo's last stand? The Rams started the season with an 0-6 record. They're in danger of finishing it with seven consecutive defeats. No team in the NFL has a worse record than the Rams since Steve Spagnuolo became head coach in 2009. St. Louis, shut out by the 49ers earlier this season, needs 10 points to avoid becoming the lowest-scoring Rams team since the franchise left Los Angeles. The 49ers, meanwhile, are allowing a franchise-best 13.46 points per game. The 1946 team, which played in the AAFC, allowed 13.5. The current team can break that record by allowing 13 or fewer points. The 1976 team holds the NFL-era franchise record at 13.57 points per game allowed. The current 49ers could break that record by allowing no more than 15 points to the Rams.

Thoughts on the St. Louis Rams following their 27-0 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16:

What it means: The Rams fell to 2-13, improving their once-long shot chances to secure the No. 1 overall choice in the 2012 draft. They entered Saturday tied with Indianapolis and Minnesota for fewest victories. A Minnesota victory would leave the Rams and Colts tied for the NFL's worst record heading into Week 17. A Colts victory over Jacksonville and a Rams defeat to San Francisco would give St. Louis the No. 1 overall choice for the second time in three seasons. But if Indianapolis loses to the Jaguars, the Colts emerge with the No. 1 overall pick no matter what else happens. That is because their strength of schedule was easier than the Rams' strength of schedule.

What I liked: Steven Jackson topped 100 yards rushing with another inspirational performance. Does another player in the NFL consistently demonstrate more heart and professionalism in the face of team failure? That would seem to be impossible. Jackson makes an otherwise unwatchable team watchable. He carried 24 times for 103 yards against the Steelers. The Rams trailed only 13-0 after three quarters, an indication they're playing hard, but also severely limited. The Rams held the Steelers to one third-down conversion in seven chances.

What I didn't like: Kicker Josh Brown missed from 52 and 33 yards. The 33-yard miss in the fourth quarter was particularly deflating. The Rams have little going for them throughout their roster. It's tough when they cannot count on their veteran kicker, either. The Rams allowed Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch to average 9.5 yards per attempt. Jackson's 17-yard reception was the longest by a Rams player.

What's next: The Rams close out their season at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.

The four starting running backs from the NFC West have combined for 4,090 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns through 14 games. They are heading toward the regular-season finish line at varying speeds.

The Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch, though contained from a yardage standpoint at Chicago in Week 15, has been gaining momentum. He has five 100-yard games, all since Week 9. He has five rushing touchdowns over his last three games and has scored in each of his last 10 appearances.

The San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore, slowed by various ailments, has averaged 56.2 yards per game over his last six appearances after gaining at least 107 yards in five consecutive games. Gore hasn't been injured seriously enough to appear on injury reports recently, but he has not always appeared full strength, either.

A knee injury has sometimes limited the Arizona Cardinals' Beanie Wells, but a 228-yard performance against St. Louis in Week 12 put Wells in position to claim the first 1,000-yard season of his career. He has 994 heading into the final two games of the season. He has 10 rushing touchdowns.

The St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson, slowed by a quadriceps injury early in the season. has appeared healthy over the last 10 games or so. A three-game run with at least 128 yards helped the Rams win two of three games from Weeks 8-10. His carries, yards and average per carry have dropped significantly since then, however.

The chart shows how many yards each NFC West back has gained, with projected totals for the season based on yards per game to this point. Gore has 11 runs of at least 20 yards, nearly as many as the other three combined (14).